Polish Your Business with Demonstrations in the City!
An Accelerator Program Sponsored by Mitsui Fudosan and Kashiwa City
Companies are Now Being Solicited to Participate in the KOIL Startup Program 2025
Aiming for Commercialization on Six Co-Creation Themes to Evolve and Deepen Kashiwa-No-Ha Smart City
Decarbonization and Energy, Disaster Preparedness, Movement and Transportation, Life Sciences, Health Care, Sports and Entertainment

April 21, 2025
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Key Points of this Press Release

  • Mitsui Fudosan and Kashiwa City are recruiting seed period/early period startups to polish their businesses through demonstration on the stage of Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City
  • Companies that pass the screening will be assigned a dedicated mentor and be offered full support for new business development and fundraising
  • A demonstration field utilizing the city as a whole will be provided as well as practical technologies, operations, marketing, and a place for project demonstrations
  • Priority themes will be formulated based on businesses that are easy to try out in the city and can proceed to demonstration and verification. Evolve to a program that is further aware of commercialization.

Tokyo, Japan, April 21, 2025 - Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, announced today that it has joined with Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture to begin recruiting for the KOIL Startup Program 2025 (hereafter, the “Program”), an accelerator program at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City.

The recruitment period is Monday, April 21 to Monday, May 26 and plans call for up to three companies to be selected. The Program will be conducted at Kashiwa-no-ha Open Innovation Lab (KOIL), an innovation center within Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City that promotes urban development though collaboration between the government, corporations, and academia. In association with this, an advance presentation will be held from 17:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, May 8.

As a part of the Program, through an intensive seminar, participants will be able to learn about everything from creating a business plan to developing markets and fundraising. In addition, through mentoring by a dedicated mentor for three months, participants will have the opportunity to thoroughly create their businesses. Planning and operations will be handled by TX Entrepreneur Partners (hereafter, “TEP”), which has an over 15-year track record in supporting startups.

Additionally, participating startups will receive free, unlimited use of the KOIL co-working space for one year and be able to utilize the demonstration field at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City for proof of business, etc.

Through this initiative, Mitsui Fudosan will support the business growth of startups and further promote the creation of new industries at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City.

KOIL Startup Program 2025 site URL: https://www.koil.jp/ksp/ (in Japanese)

■Program Characteristics

The KOIL Startup Program 2025 is soliciting primarily startups based on businesses that are easy to try in the city and can proceed to demonstration and verification. The Program will support innovation and business creation while positioning the six themes presented below as priorities, products and services that are closely connected to community living and social issues, can make adequate use of the demonstration field at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City and that evolve and further deepen Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City.

The Program features an intensive seminar through which participants can learn about everything from business plan creation to market development and fundraising. Also, through mentoring by a dedicated mentor for three months, participants will have the opportunity to thoroughly create their businesses.

The Program will be administered by TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP), which boasts a track record of over 15 years supporting startups. The Program is a significant opportunity to receive effective support from a mentor with extensive experience. In addition, participating companies will be provided co-working space at KOIL free for one year. Through the demonstration field that utilizes Kashiwa-no-has Smart City as a whole, participants will be able to verify and brush up their businesses in a real market environment.

Through the Program, a future will be created together, one in which the solutions proposed by the startups help solve actual issues facing the city and in which the local community benefits.

■Advance presentation held

At the start of the fiscal year, a new advance presentation will be held. The presentation will go over the KOIL Startup Program 2025, and participants can learn in detail the specific content of demonstration projects in Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, successful examples of companies selected in the past, and key points in the selection process. In addition, the presentation will also convey information to help candidates prepare entry documents and brush up their business plans.

< Advance Presentation Date and Time >
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 17:00–18:00 (held online on Zoom)
Click here to apply to participate in the advance presentation (https://ksp2025.peatix.com) (in Japanese)

■Comments from an administrator

Keiichiro Komura,
Manager in Charge of Open Innovation Promotion and Startup Vitalization Kashiwanoha Urban Planning and Development Department, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Kashiwa-no-ha is a city where you can try out your businesses, technologies, and ideas. Fully utilizing the city’s various infrastructure and sites, community, and personal networks, we will support your demonstration and the practical implementation, expansion and development beyond it.
Through the KOIL Startup Program, which is being held for the fourth time, what kind of “next future” can be envisioned for Kashiwa-no-ha? I very much look forward to learning about the challenges you are taking on. At the same time, we will work hard to be the best possible partner for all of you.

Noriaki Ozaki, Vice Chairman, TX Entrepreneur Partners

The KOIL Startup Program is a practical program that the veteran TEP mentors, who have experience leading numerous R&D-based startups and who have diverse backgrounds, unsparingly pour in their know-how and passion. With red-hot passion and kindness, we will support you for around four months and strengthen your business plans. I look forward to seeing the challenges you are taking on.

■Comments and record of companies participating in last year’s program, KOIL Startup Program 2024

Companies participating in the past three programs went on to receive funding from venture capital and operating companies, expanded their sales channels, developed new sales, and thereby grew as businesses.

Main achievements: Clarified business story and created opportunities for fundraising

Supports increased productivity mainly through proposals for process automation using a combination of small robot arms and open source software
Yasushi Morita, President, GRIPS Co., Ltd. (https://grips.co.jp/) (in Japanese)

After participating in the program, we’ve seen increased opportunities to convey our ideas to customers for product-market fit (PMF). When I tell them that we are doing R&D on this thing and trying to commercialize it, I noticed that a lot more customers than I thought take an interest and listen to what I have to say.
Among the corporate venture capital firms to whom I presented our completed business plan, two companies gave us opportunities for further talks.
In addition, before, even though we would apply for business contests we would often not make it past the document screening, but having raised the resolution of our business plan, I feel our batting average has gone up. The Program taught us how to get out of excess debt, which startups have a tendency to fall into, about special loans for strengthening capital in support of challenges (subordinated loans), and how to use subsidies. It was effective in providing us with financial knowledge.

Main achievements: Clarified company identity and strengthened organizational structure

Builds an environment that provides added value beyond nursing care to users of nursing care facilities
Hodaka Moriyama, Representative Director, emome Inc. (https://emome.co.jp/) (in Japanese)

I feel that being able to define just what kind of company emome is was extremely impactful. With our identity set, it put into focus what we should value as a company. It sounds easy when put into words, but this is an area that even large companies struggle with.
What’s more, I was able to reduce time spent at the office by half. Specifically, eight hours a day was reduced to four hours. Before, I felt ashamed when I wasn’t in the office, but by leaving things up to other people and getting away, I was able to change my position from member to owner. I feel that a major achievement was to change from being a “top salesperson” who goes to business companies on his own to “the job that considers which resources to invest for the future of the company.”

Main achievements: Clarified vision and strengthened approach to investors

Implements AI system that can be used for practical administration and streamlines IT systems grown too complex
Yoshikazu Nakajima, President and CEO, Autonomic Intelligence, Inc.
（https://sites.google.com/nakajimalab.org/autonomic-intelligence/） (in Japanese)

The KOIL Startup Program was a program filled to the brim with what was needed by our startup, with me being an amateur when it comes to management, so I learned the perspectives I was lacking and areas that were missing. I can’t say that I understood all of it, but a major benefit was finding out where I was insufficient and being able to grasp key points. In addition, (my main job is as a university professor, so) I was accustomed to speaking at academic conferences and university lectures, but I was not used to doing presentations for a general audience. I didn’t know what to say or how to say it in a business setting and I worried about that, but my mentor, Mr. Ozaki, put together a storyline for me and gave me advice on how to present information so that it is easily understood, which I was truly grateful for.

■KOIL Startup Program 2025 Program Description (https://www.koil.jp/ksp/) (in Japanese)

Companies that apply for the Program and make it past the screening will be provided the following free of charge.

(1) Use of the KOIL co-working space free of charge for one year

Period: June 2025 to June 30, 2025
Number of people: Up to three people from each company (among companies that pass the screening) (* People can be added for a separate charge)
Application of KOIL All-You-Can-Use plan (everyday 9:00–23:00)

(2) Attendance at business plan creation seminar help by TEP

Period: Saturday, June 28, Sunday, June 29, Saturday, July 12, Saturday, July 19, 2025 (four days)
The seminar is held by TEP and will include participants other than companies selected for the Program. Attendance on all days is essential. See the TEP website for details.

(Details on the TEP Business Plan Creation Seminar: https://www.tepweb.jp/event/2025-bp/)

(3) One-on-one mentoring by dedicated mentors

Period: July 20, 2025 to October 31, 2025
One-on-one, multifaceted mentoring is conducted related to the essentials of the business plan created in the seminar in (2) above and to subsequently promoting the business.

(4) Consultation on a demonstration project at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City

The Program takes consultations on company demonstration projects using Innovation Field Kashiwa-no-ha and KOIL Mobility Field.

(5) Opportunities for interactions with the startup community in Kashiwa-no-ha

Companies may participate in opportunities for interactions with various startups, including alumni of the Program and startups making Kashiwa City their base of operations.

(6) Special classes on legal affairs and capital policy

Date: Around September 2025, after the interim report
Experts will lecture on warnings for startup contracts and key points in capital policy and fundraising, etc.


From the business plan creation seminar

Mentoring in progress

Scene from the final demo day

Priority themes

The Program focuses on the following areas as its priority themes.
(1) Decarbonization and energy
(2) Disaster preparedness
(3) Movement and transportation
(4) Medicine and life sciences
(5) Healthcare and health
(6) Sports and entertainment
* Applications are accepted not limited to the above themes.

Application requirements

  1. A startup promoting a business that utilizes technology (Basically, corporations. Includes individuals planning to incorporate.)
  2. Can participate in all processes of the Program (*Essential: TEP business plan creation seminar already currently scheduled for 6/28–29, 7/12 and 7/19, interim report presentation in September, final demo day scheduled for the end of October)
    * If the applicant has not yet incorporated, this needs to be indicated when applying.

Selection criteria

Applicants will be judged comprehensively and selected based on the marketability, competitive advantage, feasibility, and affinity with Mitsui Fudosan of the business being considered and the applicant’s stance toward participating in the Program.

Application method

Apply on the following site. Submitting documents describing the business is required (up to 20 pages).
KOIL Startup Program Official Website:https://www.koil.jp/ksp/

Application deadline

Monday, May 26, 2025
* Applicants are judged at the time the application is received by the secretariat, so applications should be submitted with time to spare.

Program schedule

Monday, April 21, 2025 to Monday, May 26, 2025 Applications accepted
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 17:00–18:00 Online advance presentation
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 to Friday, June 6, 2025 Document screening, online interviews
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Participating companies are selected and announced
Saturday, July 28 and Sunday July 29, 2025, Saturday July 12 and Saturday July 19, 2025 Program period: TEP business plan creation seminar
Sunday, July 20, 2025 to Friday, October 31, 2025 Program period: Individual mentoring
Early September 2025 Interim report presentation, special startup classes
Late October 2025 Final demo day

The schedule for the interim report presentation and final demo day will be adjusted to match the schedules of the participating companies to the extent possible.

■Regarding startup support initiatives at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City

In the Kashiwa-no-ha area, which centers on Kashiwa-no-ha Campus Station, efforts are being made to create the Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City as a global model city for the future. The city is being developed through public-private-academia coordination and promoted on the three pillars of environmental harmony, health and longevity, and new industry creation. Mitsui Fudosan participates as a joint operator.

Beginning with the establishment of KOIL in 2014, the city has put in place an environment necessary to conduct proof of concept (PoC) and proof of business (PoB) for the business growth of startups. This environment includes KOIL Factory complete with coworking space and digital fabrication equipment, Innovation Field Kashiwa-no-ha, a community for collaboration and a demonstration field, and KOIL Mobility Field, a test circuit that supports the development of mobility in the form of robots and drones under development, etc.

In addition, the programs that support startups include this Program, the KOIL Startup Program, the Asia Entrepreneurship Award (AEA), an international innovation award for Asian tech startups at the seed or early stage, and the Startup CXO Meeting Kashiwa-no-ha, an invitation-only community of startup CXOs at the early and middle stages. These initiatives are intended to accelerate growth.


Various demonstration fields and programs to support the growth of startups
Click illustration to enlarge

References

■About TX Entrepreneurship Partners (TEP) (https://www.tepweb.jp) (in Japanese)

TX Entrepreneurship Partners (TEP) is an organization that supports technology-based startups for the purpose of turning Japan’s top-level technologies into businesses and promulgating them. The members are mainly technology-based startups that have core technologies and aim to commercialize them, as well as angel investors with extensive entrepreneurial and management experience, mentors that can provide specialized advice, and major companies interested in collaborating with technology-based startups. The network extends to universities, research institutions, local governments, and similar startup communities overseas, forming one of the world’s most prominent technology-based startup ecosystems.

■ Sustainability in the Mitsui Fudosan Group

Based on the meaning of its “& mark,” “to generate new value with society through cooperation, coexistence and cocreation, we forge ahead, innovating,” the Mitsui Fudosan Group views the “creation of social value” and the “creation of economic value” as two wheels of a cart. Accordingly, we believe that the creation of social value leads to the creation of economic value, and that this economic value then creates even greater social value.
Moreover, we identified six Group Materiality priority issues when formulating our new management philosophy in April 2024. These Group Materiality priority issues are (1) Contribute to industrial competitiveness, (2) Coexist with the environment, (3) Health and Vitality, (4) Safety and security, (5) Diversity and inclusion, and (6) Compliance and governance. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will work to address each of the materialities through its core business activities and contribute to the promotion of sustainability.

(References)
・ Group Management Philosophy and Long-Term Vision
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/innovation2030/
・ Group Materiality
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/esg_csr/approach/materiality/

* The initiatives outlined in this release are designed to help address the following three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).