On June 9, 2025, the JICA Co-Creation × Innovation Program “QUEST” Matching Event was held at STATION Ai, an open innovation hub in Nagoya. A total of 170 participants, both online and offline, gathered from Japan and abroad, ensuring the event was a great success.
The event began with opening remarks by Mr. Toru Uemachi, Director General of JICA Chubu, followed by a greeting from Mr. Hideyuki Hayashi, Director, Overseas Collaboration Promotion Division, Aichi Prefecture, one of the QUEST’s supporting organizations.
Representatives from 19 companies and organizations, both domestic and international, delivered presentations on topics such as leveraging Aichi’s regional strengths for innovation, collaborative models with startups, multicultural integration, and the circulation of talent. These presentations showcased the exciting potential for collaboration and innovation in the region.
After closing remarks by Mr. Ryutaro Murotani, Deputy Director, Operations Strategy Department, JICA, the networking session began with lightning talks (1-minute introductions) from eight JICA Accelerator representatives. Participants actively engaged in discussions and exchanges, fostering connections and collaborative ideas.
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◆Pitch Presenters
Darajapan Inc. (Japan / Business)
SACMOTS (Japan / Startup)
Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (Egypt / Academia)
JAXENSE Inc. (Japan / Startup)
Olive Inc. (Japan / Startup)
DouDouDoujin Inc. (Japan / Startup)
MITAS Medical Inc. (Japan / Startup)
Zowasel (Nigeria / Startup)
Xolani Health Inc. (Nigeria / Startup)
metaLink (Japan / Individual)
Marudai Co., Ltd. (Japan / Business)
Lean MONOZUKURI Network Japan (Japan / Non-profit)
SentrySpace (Japan / Student)
Lanka Nippon BizTech Institute (Sri Lanka / Academia)
Readle Inc. (Japan / Startup)
Africa Baseball & Softball Promotion Foundation (Japan / Non-profit)
Kaizumi Eco Service LLC (Japan / Business)
FundusAI LTD (Nigeria / Startup)
Spacewasp Co., Ltd.（Japan/Startup）
We are currently accepting applications for the Idea Competition.
If your proposal involves a co-creation initiative with two or more parties, you are welcome to apply even at the idea stage. We look forward to receiving many applications from interested participants.
■ Submit your application:
■ Program Overview
Program Objective：
The QUEST program aims to Foster organic collaboration among various stakeholders to create innovative co-creation business ideas/projects that address social challenges.
Target Participants：
- Private Sector (large corporations, SMEs, startups, financial institutions)
- Academia (universities, technical colleges, research institutes)
- Civil Society (NGOs)
- Public Sector (government agencies, local governments)
Main Activities：
- Facilitation of strategic matching among the companies/organizations to develop co-creation business ideas/projects.
- Conducting an idea competition to select co-creation business ideas/projects.
- Implementation of Proof of Concept (PoC) initiatives in target countries, with up to 10 projects selected.
- Development of exit strategies.
Values Provided：
- Facilitation of participant matching for the development of co-creation ideas/projects.
- Expert consultancy for ideation, PoC planning and execution, and exit strategy development (including fundraising).
- Financial support of up to 3 million yen per project for PoC expenses.
■ Contact
QUEST Management Office
E-mail：quest@tohmatsu.co.jp