Pitching the Future: Winners of the Academic Entrepreneur Challenge 2024!
- Information
- 2025.3.26
On March 10, 2025, we held the “Academic Entrepreneur Challenge,” a pitch contest under the theme “Creating the Future with Ideas and Technology.” The event drew over 75 participants. 10 teams delivered pitch presentations and 8 teams showcased poster presentations, all selected through internal and external reviews and mentoring.
Grand Prize, NEDO Award, and INDEE Japan Award
This year, the Grand Prize (President’s Award) of 1 million yen was awarded to Yudai Yamamoto (Master’s student, BASE Department of Food and Energy Systems Science), along with two corporate-sponsored prizes — the NEDO Award and INDEE Japan Award.
Congratulations to Yudai Yamamoto and his team members, Katsuyuki Morishita and Antora Akter!
Their business proposal, titled “Early Detection of Equine Injuries (HIPS: Horse Injury Prevention Service),” utilizes a musculoskeletal simulation model to analyze the causes of horse injuries. The system can also predict stress on tendons and ligaments based on sensor data, aiming to prevent injuries. The proposal holds great promise for future commercialization.
KIBITAN Award (Fukushima Reconstruction Symbol Character Award)
Two teams were presented with the KIBITAN Award, honoring ideas that resonate with themes of hope and potential for the future, inspired by the ongoing recovery of Fukushima Prefecture.
Team 1: Yuuya Watanabe (Doctoral student, Graduate School of Engineering, Mechanical Systems Engineering) and team members, Fidya Azahro Nur Mawaddah, Haruka Hosoya, and Ryota Takenaka.
Proposal Title: “A Vending Machine for Bento that Responds to Diverse Dietary Restrictions, such as Religious Norms and Allergies, as a Hub for International Exchange”
Team 2: Haruna Sakai (Master’s student, Department of Industrial Technology, Graduate School of Engineering) and team members, Haruki Fukuda and Seiji Taki.
Proposal Title: “Online Mentor Service for High School Students to Freely Consult with University Students about Studies and Career Paths”
Shimizu Corporation NOVARE Award
The Shimizu Corporation NOVARE Award was presented to the team led by Yukinobu Wada (Master’s student, Department of Industrial Technology, Graduate School of Engineering), with team members Tomoya Yamaguchi and Shinnosuke Noguchi.
Proposal Title: “MyEssense – Scientific Scent Design Using Brainwaves”
This business model proposes the creation of a personalized aroma brand based on brainwave analysis, aiming to address challenges in the healthcare field through scientific methods. The team will be given opportunities to further explore and develop this model at NOVARE, Shimizu Corporation’s open innovation facility launched in April of last year.
Thank you to all participants and supporters! We look forward to seeing even more innovation emerge from academia in the future.
