MUFG ICJ
ESG
ACCELERATOR
Net Zero starting from Tokyo
Calling on startups and projects from around the world to contribute to our decarbonized future!
MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Inclusion Japan, inc., venture capital focusing on ESG and decarbonization domain, are co-hosting MUFG ICJ ESG Accelerator program. Here we will gather investors, corporations and startups who contribute towards net-zero carbon emissions worldwide.
We are holding this program with the support of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, who aims to be an international financial city attractive to investors and organizations that believe in net-zero future. This program is open to any startup or project that contributes to Electrification and decarbonization of industry, Nature Conservation and Food Replacement, carbon removal, or Behavioral change in society.
The winner will receive one million yen reward. Finalists will also be able to access advice and assistance on growing their business from investors and sponsors.
Opening Movie (2min.)
Program Briefing (18min.)
Application CategoriesApplication Categories
Any company from Japan or worldwide can participate, regardless of incorporation date or size.
We also accept entries from teams inside companies or universities who are planning to commercialize their projects in the future.
Category #1
Electrification and decarbonization of industry
Solar, wind, and other energy sources
Energy efficient improvements and storage cost reductions
Carbon emission reductions from transportation, steel, chemicals, construction, apparel etc.
Previous winners
Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd.
Grand Prize
Business
This company offers a one-stop solution to electrifying manufacturing plants that formerly relied on fossil fuels and to realizing the “microwave chemical plant”. It starts from research and development in the lab and the creation of bench and pilot machines, following through to the design, engineering, introduction and start-up of the final products.
Introduction
Voices of Award Winners
We have participated in similar events in the past, but this competition is unique for its forward-looking atmosphere and its focus on growing ESG. As a start-up it was a great event to take part in.
We received input on what was expected of us at every stage, so even though it was a fully online event we were able to communicate our ideas to the judges without any problems. We are now moving from the business model establishment and product/market fit phase to the business scaling phase, and the competition highlighted areas for growth in future. This event also gave us the opportunity to confirm that our growth strategy was on the mark and introduced us to colleagues we could bounce ideas off. Thank you for your words of support and your questions.
Category #2
Nature Conservation and
Food Replacement
Increase of carbon stocks in forests, oceans, peatlands, and agricultural soils
Replacement of high fertilizer and protein sources
Reduction of food production emissions
Previous winners
Sustainacraft, Inc.
Grand prize
SAP.io Award
Microsoft Japan Award
MUFG Bank Award
Business
The company has launched a platform that uses low-cost satellites to monitor forests, ensuring the transparency of forest protection/carbon credit projects. This will also allow private funds to circulate to forest conservation endeavors.
Introduction
Voices of Award Winners
We were introduced to potential collaboration partners as well as local businesses and projects that we would never have been able to meet on our own. This event also gave us a wider perspective on activities targeting the Japanese market.
This event was extremely valuable for us. We heard from experts in the field about what could be some issues for our business, which allowed us to better explain ourselves in future and design our development strategy accordingly. ICJ’s presence and strong support meant we could easily engage in discussions with many possible collaboration partners. Thank you for allowing us to take part in such a program.
Category #3
Carbon removal
Application of naturally occurring or engineered methods to advance carbon capture, storage, and reuse
Previous winners
JCCL, Inc.
Dentsu Award
Business
The company used cutting-edge technology developed by the Kyushu University to create a CO2 absorbent that can work under high-humidity conditions. This will provide a low-cost CO2 absorption solution for cement plants, thermal power plants, gas co-generation systems etc. It is also in the process of developing a CO2 filtration membrane for Direct Air Capture.
Introduction
Voices of Award Winners
This was the first time we had participated in such an event. We were nervous about how our business would be judged, but we received very positive feedback and were able to brush up our business plan through many discussions and interviews. We are extremely grateful for this. The judges and sponsors asked high-level questions, including about the technology itself, which we think led to a productive conversation.
We also came to notice some of our company’s strengths that we would not have seen ourselves. We received the sponsors award. This was the first time our company had won something like this, and we were overjoyed. Within two months our business grew in leaps and bounds. We are so glad to have participated, thank you for letting us do so.
Category #4
Behavioral change
in society
Monitoring and analyzation of carbon emissions
Application of carbon offsets, and communication with investors and consumers
Acceleration of investments and individual behavioral change toward a decarbonized society
Previous winners
Zeroboard Inc.
Grand Prize
MUFG Bank Award BrainPad Award
Business
Responding to global investor demands, many listed companies have calculated and released their emissions statistics and started to reduce them. The company provides cloud services that allow companies to connect with their various data sources and build ecosystems that are essential to managing emissions in their supply chains.
Introduction
Voices of Award Winners
We received continuous advice about our business model and collaborations with our sponsors, which allowed us to polish our strategy leading up to the demo day. Many players including tech giants are entering the software market to support decarbonization, but we realized that competing head-on is not the way to go and that we should focus on building a collaborative environment. This was a change in direction for our company for the better.
This program allowed us to level-up our perspective on ESG, and the commitment we received from potential collaborators was extremely high. After the program finished, we were able to continue some concrete discussions about collaborations, so it was a fruitful experience.
Schedule
What you gain from participating:
① Mentoring from and networking with investors and experts in the field of decarbonization.
② Access to the business development/sustainability departments at corporations.
③ Promotional videos to spread your company’s message widely.
The winning company will also receive one million yen, as well as an award from the sponsors. For further details please join our online briefing session.
Mentors
Kenji Fuma
Neural Inc.
CEO
Sustainable Japan
Editor-in-chief
Toshiyuki Umehara
Director of Hokkaido University
Former CTO of Nitto Denko Corporation
Michiko Kato
Woven Capital
Principal
Yumiko Murakami
MPower Partners
General Partner
Kento Imataki
BOKU to WATASHI and. inc
President
Masaru Ikeda
BRIDGE
Co-founder and Senior Editor
Hiroyoshi Iwata
The University of Tokyo TMI /
Institute for Future Initiatives RA
Masafumi Kawai
Genesia Ventures, Inc. Partner /
Chief Sustainability Officer
Hiromi Tachikawa
Propharm Japan Co.,Ltd.
President
Toru Nishikawa
Energy & Environment Investment, Inc.
Managing Director
Naoji Nomura
Keio Innovation Initiative
Principal
Mie Miura
Shiseido Company, Limited
Executive officer / CFO
Keisuke Furukawa
UTokyo Innovation Platform,
Partner
Ryota Kamiya
SSS Capital
Representative Partner
Yoshitake Ishimoto
DBJ Capital
Investment department
Senior Investment Manager
Kenta Adachi
IDATEN Ventures
Representative Partner
Hirokazu Kitahara
Archetype Ventures
Partner
Mio Takaoka
DNX Ventures Partner
Masahiko Maekawa
DG Incubation,
Director, CIO
Yuichi Katayori
Tokyo University of science innovation capital,
Managing Partner
Kosuke Ueda
NISSAY CAPITAL CO.,LTD.
President
Aomi Mori
Universal Materials Incubator Co., Ltd., Associate
Organizer message
Yuka Hattori
CEO of Inclusion Japan
This will be the fourth competition Inclusion Japan has held since we hosted Japan’s first ESG Accelerator Program in fall 2021. We are also very happy to say that we are continuing our partnership with MUFG Bank to bring you this program. The world is moving towards a decarbonized future, and we hope that our event can be a place where venture companies, investors and sponsors can meet and create as many concrete business plans as possible. We look forward to receiving applications from start-ups who also hold this dream.
Mari Onodera
MUFG Bank,Ltd. Sustainable Business Division Managing Director, Head of Planning & Development Department
This year we are delighted to join Inclusion Japan to bring you the ESG Accelerator Program, supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. MUFG’s purpose is “committed to empowering a brighter future,” and as such in May 2021 we launched the MUFG Carbon Neutrality Declaration. In June we joined the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, an initiative run by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative. We believe that realizing a net-zero future requires increasing our efforts to communicate and engage with customers across industries, along with creating new technologies and solutions. This program lets us meet venture companies that are full of these new ideas and facilitate co-operation towards decarbonization. We hope you will all apply to take part.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Can any startup participate, even if they are not based in Tokyo?
A) Yes, we encourage applications from startups all over the world.
Q) Will a participant have to pay for traveling and staying in Tokyo?
A) No, most part of our program is online, so you do not have to travel to Tokyo. When you participate in our Demo day as a finalist, our program covers your transportation expenses.
Q) Does it cost to take part in this program?
A) No, it is free.
Q) Our company has not been incorporated as a legal entity yet, can we still participate?
A) Yes you can. We encourage applications from individuals starting their own business, or companies/universities that are considering commercializing their projects.
Q) Who owns the intellectual property for anything developed in this program?
A) The intellectual property rights to all deliverables submitted as part of your application, as well as anything created during the program, belong to you. Please be aware that these deliverables will be disclosed to the judging panel. For more details, please read the terms and conditions when you apply.
Q) What is ESG?
A) ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, a corporate philosophy that is starting to be recognized worldwide as a strong basis for long-term growth. MUFG Bank and Inclusion Japan are focusing on startups as innovators in ESG. We hope to foster cooperation between startups, leading Japanese corporations, and investors (including venture capitalists) through this program, in order to accelerate business development that create both social/environmental impacts and economic returns.
If you have any other questions about this program, please contact us from this form.
If there are any troubles with your application, please contact us at esgaccelerator [at] inclusionj.com
