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This is the first time in Japan to hold a startup event at a baseball stadium. Through this event, we will further strengthen ties with global startups, overseas investors, and companies in Hokkaido, and promote the creation of startups and innovation to go global from Hokkaido.
'Global Pitch to Throw in New Ballpark. To be continued in the sauna."
STARTUP HOKKAIDO was established in September 2023 by an all-Hokkaido team of industry, academia, and government, including Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the City of Sapporo, with the aim of fostering global startups from Hokkaido and creating a startup ecosystem unique to Hokkaido. Hokkaido, the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the City of Sapporo.
This year, the first "Hokkaido Innovation Week," an international startup conference from Hokkaido, will be held for five days from January 29, 2024 (Monday) to February 2, 2024 (Friday) to attract startups, investors, and startup support organizations from Japan and abroad, and to promote open innovation. The conference will be held for the first time for five days from January 29, 2024 (Monday) to February 2, 2024 (Friday).
On February 1, 2023, the fourth day of "Hokkaido Innovation Week," a pitch event will be held at ESCON Field HOKKAIDO in collaboration with the Fighters.
This collaboration was born out of a shared vision of the "Hokkaido Ballpark F Village," which includes the Fighters' new stadium, as a "co-creative space" that will revitalize local communities and contribute to society.
Specifically, 18 pitchers (people who pitch) will be invited to speak on the stage, in analogy to the front and back of a 9-inning baseball game, or a total of 18 innings. Speakers are currently being arranged in three categories: (1) companies in Hokkaido that wish to collaborate with startups in Japan and overseas, (2) overseas startups that wish to expand their business in Japan (in Hokkaido), and (3) startups in Hokkaido that wish to expand overseas. After the pitches, a networking event is scheduled to be held at the Soratobaba Craft Beer Brewing Restaurant, Food Hall, and Sauna in Escondido Field, where the speakers will meet with investors, supporters, and other participants.
Hokkaido Innovation Week
This year marks the first time that "Hokkaido Innovation Week" will be held as an international startup conference in Hokkaido, with the aim of building a startup ecosystem unique to Hokkaido.
This event aims to provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop a "global mindset" to look at the global market from the first day of their start-up business. We invite startups, investors, and startup support organizations from all over the world.
Taking advantage of Hokkaido's geographical advantage and industrial strength, we will focus our support on the three industrial fields of "primary industry/food," "space," and "environment/energy" as a start-up strategy unique to Hokkaido. The event will also develop a program focusing on these three fields to develop Hokkaido into an "Asian Start-up Island" and contribute to the economic revitalization of Hokkaido and Japan and the realization of a sustainable society.
The theme of this year's event is "Regenerative. We will focus on collaboration with local companies, nurturing local startups, and inviting overseas startups with a view to not only scaling, but also to the future of local communities and the resolution of social issues.
Period: January 29 - February 2, 2024 (5 days)
Location: Sapporo City (Sapporo TV Tower, etc.), Kitahiroshima City (ESCON Field), and others to be determined
Target: Approx. 1,000 domestic and foreign start-ups, investors, supporters, etc.
Organizer: STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee
URL:https://hiw.cool/
Participation fee: Investor Pass (50,000 yen), General Pass (30,000 yen), Startup Pass (10,000 yen), Student Pass: Free
*Including startup pitch event at ESCON Field HOKKAIDO
VIP Pass (limited to 250) with meet-up participation is available at the above price + 10,000 yen
Application: Available at the URL above
About STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee
An all-Hokkaido organization that promotes cooperation among industry, academia, and government to create an ecosystem that nurtures startups from Hokkaido that aim to go global. Taking advantage of Hokkaido's geographical advantage and industrial strength, the organization will focus its support on the three key industrial fields of "primary industry/food," "space," and "environment/energy" to develop Hokkaido into an "Asian startup island" and contribute to the economic revitalization of Hokkaido and Japan as well as the realization of a sustainable society. We aim to contribute to the economic revitalization of Hokkaido and Japan and the realization of a sustainable society.
| name of company | STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee |
| launch | September 2023 |
| Location | Hokkaido Shimbun Head Office Bldg. 2F, 3-6 Odori-Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (in SAPPORO INCUBATION HUB DRIVE) |
| representative | Executive Committee Chair: Mina Tsuchida (Chief Human Resources Officer, AWL, Inc.) Executive Director: Kyohei Fujima (President, DRIVE Incubation Inc.) |
| Business Overview | Businesses aimed at solving social issues through upcycling, etc. |
| uniform resouce locator | https://startup-city-sapporo.com/ |
About Fighters Sports & Entertainment
| name of company | Fighters Sports & Entertainment, Inc. |
| Establishment | January 2019 |
| Location | 1 F Village, Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido, Japan |
| representative | Masaru Komura, President and Representative Director |
| Business Overview | New stadium operations, overall ball park management, professional baseball-related entertainment, etc. |
| uniform resouce locator | https://www.hkdballpark.com/ |
ESCON FIELD HOKKAIDO
The facility is the centerpiece of the Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, which opens in March 2023. It is home to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and will be Japan's first natural grass stadium with a retractable roof.
Location: 1 F Village, Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido
URL:https://www.hkdballpark.com/access/
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