A long-established VC with the largest seed investment track record in Japan, IncubateFund.
Management training camp hosted by the same fund on a certain day in October"Incubate Camp 15th”On the last day of , the editorial department infiltrated. We will deliver the state of the day and the voices of the entrepreneurs who actually participated.
What is “Incubate Camp,” a management training camp where entrepreneurs and investors pair up?
In mid-October, I went undercover to cover the Incubate Camp 15th sponsored by the Incubate Fund, which was held somewhere in the Kanto region. Incubate Camp is a seed acceleration program with a long history that has been held since 2010 by the Incubate Fund for entrepreneurs in the founding stage. It will be the 15th time in October 2022.
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
Among past participants, there are many startups that have successfully raised funds through this program and achieved rapid growth. It is used as a place for the founding and leaping of startups, and as a community where entrepreneurs and capitalists can have hot discussions.
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
The biggest feature of the Incubate Camp is that 16 capitalists who have the right to make investment decisions and 16 selected entrepreneurs who are seriously aiming to raise funds will participate, and they will form a pair and brush the pitch for fundraising for 2 days and 1 night. This is the point to upgrade. Because it is a very hot and dense program, it is often called "entrepreneur/investor joint management camp".
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
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Introducing the appeal of "Incubate Camp", an entrepreneur / investor management training camp that has only merits for entrepreneurs
Incubate Fund, a long-established VC with the largest seed investment track record in Japan. Support recipients and support details, held in mid-October 2022 ...
The winner is Arch who challenges the DX of construction equipment rental item management
The final pitch also has some points that are slightly different from other events. First, there are encouraging comments from the paired capitalists before the entrepreneur's pitch. With humor, the capitalist introduces the attractiveness of entrepreneurs that became apparent during the one-night, two-day mentoring period.
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
In addition, since most of the judges were capitalists who have the right to make investment decisions, there were many sharp questions about the feasibility of investment, and the venue was kept somewhat tense.
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
And the ranking of the final pitch was as follows.
1st place Arch,Inc. / Mr. Futoshi Kitayama (Person in charge: XTech Ventures / Mr. Hiroki Teshima)
Business overview: Development and sales of “Arch”, a business management service that connects the construction industry and the construction equipment rental industry
2nd place K.K. CYBO / Takashi Nitta (in charge: JAFCO / Tomoko Numata)
Business overview: Development of technology for high-speed analysis and processing of cells using AI
3rd Place ZABoooN, Inc. / Mr. Katsuya Todaka (Responsible: Global Brain / Mr. Keisuke Tateoka)
Business overview: Development and operation of ship management SaaS "MARITIME 7" that promotes the digitalization of the maritime industry
4th place (Thailand) Tensor Energy k.k. / Ms. Nana Hori (Person in charge: Globis Capital Partners / Mr. Satoshi Fukushima)
Business overview: Providing the “Tensor Platform”, a cloud operation management platform for renewable energy and storage batteries
4th place (Thailand) Quollio Technologies, Inc / Mr. Ryota Matsumoto (Person in charge: Itochu Technology Ventures / Mr. Shinzo Nakano)
Business overview: Development of data catalog SaaS
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
(Credit: IncubateFund, Photography: Wataru Doi)
Short interviews with 3 entrepreneurs
This time, we conducted simple interviews with three pairs of entrepreneurs and investors who had just finished their final pitches. I heard real voices.
ZABoooN, Inc. Mr. Katsuya Todaka
Pair Capitalist: Mr. Keisuke Tateoka, Global Brain
Business overview: Development and operation of ship management SaaS "MARITIME 7" that promotes the digitalization of the maritime industry
First of all, thank you for your hard work on the final pitch. After finishing, could you give us your honest impressions?
I agree. It's frustrating because I was still aiming for the win.
Thank you. Please tell us the most unusual thing about this Incubate Camp.
There are many things, but the most important thing is that the mentoring from Mr. Tateoka, who I paired up with this time, has raised my perspective on the business.
Please tell us how you would like to make use of this experience in your future business.
The issue of seafarer labor management is not limited to Japan, but is a global issue. We would like to actively expand our business with an eye on overseas markets.
Thank you. I would also like to ask Mr. Tateoka, who is paired with us this time. From your point of view, Mr. Tateoka, what do you particularly appreciate about ZABooon and Mr. Todaka?
The best thing is that Mr. Todaka has a deep knowledge of the niche industry of the maritime industry. Because of our deep understanding of the industry, we know how to position ourselves in this industry and how to win. It is exactly FMF (Founder Market Fit). We believe that this perspective will definitely contribute to future funding and business expansion.
Thank you!
zooba Inc. Ms. Ayane Nawa
Pair Capitalist: Mr. Atsushi Nouchi, Bonds Investment Group
Business overview: Development of zooba that automates SaaS account addition, deletion, and access right management performed by the information system department as a business
First of all, thank you for your hard work on the final pitch. After finishing, could you give us your honest impressions?
I am still full of regrets.
Please tell us the most unusual thing about this Incubate Camp.
I have broadened my horizons to see what kind of market and how I should go to win the business I want to do.
Please tell us how you would like to make use of this experience in your future business.
Before participating in this Incubate Camp, I wanted to solve the problems that I could see right in front of me. However, over the course of the two days, I learned that it is important to take a step back from a higher perspective and see how the issue is viewed from the outside world. Three to five years from now, I would like to continue working with this high perspective. Also, I would like to do my best to provide services that will please many customers.
Thank you. I would also like to ask Mr. Nouchi, who is paired with us this time. From Nouchi's point of view, what do you particularly appreciate about zooba and Nawa?
There are so many things, but the most important thing is that Mr. Nawa is very honest. It is most important for entrepreneurs to listen to the opinions of those around them as much as possible, and to sublimate those opinions firmly within themselves. After two days of mentoring with Nawa-san, I felt that this honesty is his greatest strength.
Thank you!
Arch,Inc. Mr. Futoshi Kitayama
Pair Capitalist: Hiroki Teshima, XTech Ventures
Business overview: Development and sales of “Arch”, a business management service that connects the construction industry and the construction equipment rental industry
First of all, thank you for your hard work on the final pitch. After finishing, could you give us your honest impressions?
Well, I'm really happy to have won, and I'm full of gratitude to Mr. Teshima and the capitalists who mentored me yesterday.
Thank you. Please tell us the most unusual thing about this Incubate Camp.
The first is that the resolution of the business has increased. In particular, I learned a great deal from the perspective of specifically how to climb mountains in order to expand our business in the future. Also, I was able to learn how to make a presentation that clearly understands Arch's strengths and concisely conveys them.
Please tell us how you would like to make use of this experience in your future business.
First of all, I would like to receive an investment from Mr. Teshima, who has been paired with me this time (laughs). I also came up with a new idea based on the feedback from the VCs I met over the past two days and the passion of the entrepreneurs, so I would like to work on making those ideas a reality.
Thank you. I would like to ask a question to Teshima-san, who is paired with us this time. From Teshima-san's point of view, what do you particularly appreciate about Arch and Kitayama-san?
First of all, I feel that Arch has the potential to become a major two-sided platform that represents Japan in the future. And I think it's wonderful that Mr. Kitayama has the tenacity of a merchant and the ambition of an entrepreneur. When I heard from the side, I felt that the presentation was not an expression that was a broadening of the major companies, but that it was able to hit the essence. I have high hopes for Kitayama-san and Arch.
Thank you!
Message from Mr. Minamide, the person in charge of planning
Finally, Mr. Masaya Minamide of IncubateFund, who is the general manager of "Incubate Camp 15th" and has been planning since this spring, gave us encouraging comments for entrepreneurs.
Thank you to all the 16 entrepreneurs who participated. We are delighted to have been able to manage one event together with entrepreneurs selected from over 600 entries. I think that the Incubate Camp is the only event where you can continue to face business plans with famous domestic capitalists in two days and one night. We will continue to work together with the secretariat to make it a meaningful place.
Below is a list of participating companies
LOCKON FZCO/ Mr. Masahiro Kubota
Development of WEB3 protocol "LOCKON" that analyzes blockchain transactions, determines wallet addresses that continue to generate profits, and reproduces transactions
Wanna technologies, Inc. / Yu Onozuka
Installation of EV quick chargers with digital signage and development of services that provide quick charging networks
Renue Co., Ltd. / Yusuke Yamamoto
Development of an algorithm that specifically detects recurring expenditures and subscriptions
K.K. CYBO / Takashi Nitta
Development of technology for high-speed analysis and processing of cells using AI
Magic Shields, Inc. / Mr. Akiji Shimomura
Developed Koroyawa, a new material that is soft only when falling to prevent fractures caused by falls in the elderly
Arch,Inc. / Mr. Futoshi Kitayama
Development and sales of "Arch", a business management service that connects the construction industry and the construction equipment rental industry
zooba Inc. / Ms. Ayane Nawa
Development of zooba that automates SaaS account addition, deletion, and access right management performed by the information system department as a business
adsai,inc / Mr. Tatsuya Itai
Developed a system demonstration creation SaaS "selfdemo" that transforms communication related to system introduction and establishment
BEAMING Co., Ltd. / Mr. Hiroyuki Jiroku
Launch of autonomous fan community "Fandom" & development of management support platform MUSER
SHOCHU X / Keisuke Hashimoto
Launch of Shochu D2C brand SHOCHU X
VEGEVEGE.inc / Mr. Hirotaka Sakuraba
Development of "HIMEPA", a digital violence identification application that utilizes a unique crawler and AI face analysis technology
Tensor Energy k.k./ Ms. Nana Hori
Providing “Tensor Platform”, a cloud operation management platform for renewable energy and storage batteries
ZABoooN, Inc./ Mr. Katsuya Todaka
Development and operation of ship management SaaS "MARITIME 7" that promotes the digitalization of the maritime industry
digipost (before entrepreneurship) / Mr. Yuya Morita
A project that aims to redefine mailboxes that have not evolved in over 60 years and aim for "postal SaaS"
Toremoro Inc./ Mr. Takahito Nakano
Development of SaaS “Orderly” for unifying delivery operations
Quollio Technologies, Inc / Mr. Ryota Matsumoto
Development of data catalog SaaS
Editor's comments
This year's Incubate Camp, which brought together Japan's leading capitalists, was filled with intense heat. IncubateFund, which has led seed investment in Japan for more than 10 years, is able to create such a place.
And there is one thing that impressed me through the pitches of the 16 groups of entrepreneurs who participated this time. That is the globalization of the founding team. A large number of startups welcomed foreigners as CXOs, and the majority of startups announced their intention to enter overseas markets during their pitches.
Japanese startups are said to face certain hurdles in entering the global market due to the language barrier, but the startups that participated in this year's Incubate Camp may be able to easily overcome such hurdles.
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