BOSTON, MA – Bridge to MassChallenge Japan, a national startup competition that identifies and accelerates the most high-impact startups across Japan, announced today the 23 semi-finalist startups that will participate in a virtual LEANSTACK Foundations program and intensive in-person boot camp in Tokyo, Japan between August 8^th and of August 25^th, 2023.

This program is designed Japanese tech startups who are interested in entering the global market, raising funds, and expanding their network. This project will be executed through CIC Japan Desk and CIC Institute, combining the unique expertise of two CIC business units to create and operate custom programming in collaboration with MassChallenge.  The Bridge to MassChallenge Japan program received close to 50 applications that went through a rigorous evaluation by MassChallenge global experts that has resulted in a diverse cohort of 23 startups spanning industries from Enterprise Tech to Digital Health and Life Sciences.

The LEANSTACK virtual program led by distinguished facilitators Ash Maurya, author of the international bestseller “Running Lean” and founder of LEANSTACK and Andrew Constable, certified LEANSTACK coach, will focus on providing the semifinalists with the foundations of their business model design ahead of the in-person program in Tokyo in end-August.

During the in-person boot camp in Tokyo, the 23 startups from across will go through rigorous workshops focused on pitching to different audiences such as investors, customers, and partners, communicating their startup idea effectively in English as a second language, and learn about startup-corporate collaboration from industry experts representing Lenovo and Mitsubishi, Japan. The program will culminate at a pitch competition that will determine the finalists who will progress to the two-week in-person program in Boston, MA between September 11 and 21 and continue to get trained in LEANSTACK Growth modules virtually. The program will be supplemented with 1:1 mentoring both in-person and virtually.

Below is the complete list of semi-finalist startups selected to participate in the B2MC Japan Tokyo boot camp:

1. 1D inc: They are a dental tech startup, providing an online educational platform for dentists
2. Any-Edge Inc. They are an IoT digital Remote Patients Monitoring (RPM) device in real-time that visualizes biomarkers such as VSC gas in saliva and breath.
3. Artics They aim to create opportunities for artists to connect with new fans on their platform, fulfilling the high demand for artists to share their favorite works and creative inspirations in a respectful manner.
4. batton.co.ltd.: They automatically unify and register disparately formatted forms, like purchase orders.
5. Deepreneur: They offer an automated QA system.
6. Epixnos, Inc.: They create a vibrant society through personalized healthcare using their patented epigenetic clock method and disease markers.
7. Hello xLAB KK: They are a UX and XR design startup transforming physical spaces with immersive technology.
8. I.W.G Inc.: They elevate healthcare with their SaaS platform, providing efficient data exchange, task management, secure chat, and AI-driven reports.
9. Masaaki Matsui: They halt cancer progression by selectively forming DNA mimic within cancer cells with their innovative nucleic acid drug.
10. MORPHEUS: They offer a biotech platform for efficient drug delivery to the brain via the nose, addressing low delivery efficiency and safety concerns.
11. PDOLE.inc: They manage a global HR business, matching professionals and students with overseas job and side-job opportunities.
12. PITTAN: They analyze the internal status of your body for beautiful and healthy skin based on tiny sweat.
13. Qlay Technologies: They provide a generative-AI platform automating the research process for product developers at Consumer Packaged Goods companies.
14. Quark, INC: They provide a generative-AI platform automating the research process for product developers at Consumer Packaged Goods companies.
15. RIGHTHAND Co.,LTD: They develop services in the sports tech field that realize “visualization of athletes”.
16. Samaria Ltd.: They operate the Japanese manga and animation platform, JAPANMEDIA, integrating metaverse and content store.
17. Star Therapeutics: They save patients suffering from rare diseases worldwide with their brand new oligonucleotide therapeutics.
18. Suchica, Inc.: They run ‘Q, ChatGPT for Slack with plugins,’ enhancing communication and customer support using GPT-4 and plugins for info retrieval.
19. Sustainability Page: They enable businesses to showcase, manage, and develop their sustainability efforts from a single page.
20. Tetra Tokyo G. K.: They cut copywriting costs by 50% and speed up by 80% with “tetra-x.ai,” leveraging 25 years of advertising experience and two serial entrepreneurs.
21. toraru co.,ltd.: They provide pseudo-mobility solutions liberating people from the constraints of “place”.
22. WashokuBox: They deliver the essence of traditional Japanese cuisine through their cross-border Washoku meal kit, fostering a healthier, longer life for all.
23.  XYLOCOPA inc: They aim to deliver quality content through technology, creating custom content and developing supportive tools. 

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About MassChallenge 

MassChallenge is the global network for innovators. Headquartered in the United States with eight locations worldwide, it is the non-profit’s mission to help bold entrepreneurs disrupt the status quo and create meaningful change. Since launching in 2009, MassChallenge has run programs in 24 countries, supported more than 4,000 startups from around the world, and awarded over $18M in equity-free cash and prizes. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.

About CIC: 

CIC is a global leader in building and operating innovation campuses that support the growth of entrepreneurs and startups. Founded in 1999 with a single location in Kendall Square, the company now operates more than 1 million square feet of shared workspace, wet labs, and event space in the US, Europe, and Asia. Its collaborative work environments support thousands of individuals in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors who are focused on innovating solutions to local and global problems. Learn more at cic.com.