Startups from around the world gather in Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture! ~ The largest domestic open innovation event originating from the region, 'makiChallenge2026', is set to be held ~

The 'Makinohara City Challenge Business Contest (makiChallenge)', hosted by Makinohara City, is celebrating its fifth year. The operating secretariat is handled by CF Startup Partners Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Representative Director: Yoshito Tsunashima, hereinafter referred to as 'CFSP'), which started accepting entries on June 1, 2026. makiChallenge is an online pitch event that solicits business plans that collaborate with the region's industries and tourism, organized by Makinohara City, planned and operated by Makinohara City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and operated by CFSP. Since the entry and screening are completed online, it is a feature that applications can be made from anywhere in the country and around the world. The entry deadline is July 17, 2026 (Fri). Business plans that develop their own business by utilizing regional resources are being solicited from domestic and overseas startups.

What is 'makiChallenge'?

'makiChallenge' is a business plan contest that aims to develop new businesses utilizing the region's resources such as commerce and industry, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism in Makinohara City, together with the region, for the activation of the regional economy. From the proposed business plans, those with high regional contribution, planning ability, profitability, etc. are selected. Since its inaugural event in 2022, the number of applicants and participating countries has been increasing every year, with a total of 539 companies up to last year. In 2025, 11 countries and 168 companies participated, growing into the largest domestic open innovation event originating from the region.

Event Year

Number of Applicants

Overseas

Number of Sponsoring Companies

Grand Prize Money

makiChallenge2022

91 companies

10 companies

17 companies

100 million yen

makiChallenge2023

131 companies

25 companies

23 companies

100 million yen

makiChallenge2024

149 companies

40 companies

27 companies

100 million yen

makiChallenge2025

168 companies

73 companies

31 companies

200 million yen

Not just a contest—winning plans are 'commercialized' in Makinohara

makiChallenge is not about the event itself, but about actually collaborating with companies within the city after the event to help startups expand their businesses. Administrative staff and CFSP attend interviews with potential collaborators, providing support. In makiChallenge2025, the grand prize winner, roly-poly Organics, plans to set up a manufacturing base within the city, and the regional advancement of winning companies is progressing. Various businesses, such as original wedding businesses utilizing the regional resources of Makinohara City and plans to regenerate abandoned tea fields into lemon orchards, have started their businesses in the city based on past winning plans.

M-Weddings (formerly ParaLux / 2023 Grand Prize): Established a company in cooperation with the region and started a planning business for original weddings that utilize the region's nature, such as 'weddings in tea fields'

Midwest Composites (Malaysia / 2024 Grand Prize): Succeeded in prototyping automobile interior parts using discarded tea trees. Eager to establish a new company to continuously produce pellets in Makinohara

Sinkom AgriTech (M2Labo Award): Converting abandoned tea fields into lemon farms. Makinohara City is branding and promoting the spread of 'surfing lemons'

roly-poly Organics (Shizuoka / 2025 Grand Prize): Circular fertilizer utilizing pill bugs. Discussing productization with agricultural-related businesses in the city

GreatValue (Tokyo / 2023 Semifinalist): Started operating the regional currency 'makiPay' and is playing a part in the circulation of regional funds and stimulating consumption

About the recruitment for makiChallenge2026

The biggest feature of makiChallenge2026 is that applicants must always include a 'proposal' for concrete collaboration with regional companies or administrations in their business plans. Startups from across Japan and the world will propose how to utilize their own technology and business to collaborate with Makinohara's tea, fisheries, beverages, automobiles, and other manufacturing industries, tourism, or city administrative policies. The plans to be submitted will be based on one of the following four types.

Plans that propose collaboration with specific regional companies (one or more)

Plans that propose collaboration with industries within the city such as tea manufacturing, fisheries, aquaculture, beverages, automobiles, IT, and energy

Plans that utilize and collaborate with tourism resources such as tourist facilities, accommodations, dining, and transportation

Plans that include proposals for city administrative policies

This system, which assumes collaboration with the region from the application stage, leads to actual commercialization after winning. After submitting the plan after entry, the winner will be decided through document screening, closed pitch screening (non-public), and open pitch screening (October 1, 2026, fully online). The award ceremony will be held on October 20 at the Soya Comprehensive Center 'i~ra' in Makinohara City.

We look forward to entries from around the world for the birth of new businesses that utilize the city's appeal and lead to regional activation.

*Note: The 'startups' in this contest include not only startups in the startup phase but also second startups by successors of established companies, newly established subsidiaries of large companies, new businesses, and all businesses that aim to grow.

[First held this year] Newly established business meeting with sponsoring companies

In makiChallenge2026, for the first time this year, a 'collaboration meetup' with sponsoring companies will be held on October 21, 2026 (Wed), the day after the award ceremony. This is not just a place for business talks, but a place to concretize the 'collaboration proposal' included in the application plan. The venue is the 'Makinohara Incubation Center', a base for startups to advance into the region. Business companies and regional companies will set up booths, and startups can directly discuss the concretization of collaboration with the responsible persons of each company. The feature of makiChallenge is that the opportunity for winning and collaboration does not end at the pitch venue.

2026 Selection Schedule

Period

Content

June 1, 2026 (Mon) ~ July 17, 2026 (Fri)

Entry acceptance (Final submission deadline for business plans: August 3)

July 18 ~ August 17

First screening (Document screening)

August 18 (Tue)

Semifinalist announcement (about 30 companies)

August 19 ~ September 24

Second screening (Closed pitch screening, non-public)

September 24 (Thu)

Finalist announcement (about 10 companies)

October 1, 2026 (Thu)

Final screening (Open pitch / Fully online, web broadcast)

October 20, 2026 (Tue)

Award ceremony (Venue: Soya Comprehensive Center 'i~ra' in Makinohara City / Web broadcast)

October 21, 2026 (Wed)

[First held this year] Business meeting with sponsoring companies (Venue: Makinohara Incubation Center)

Event and Recruitment Overview

Name

Makinohara City Challenge Business Contest (makiChallenge2026) / 5th

Host

Makinohara City

Planning and Operation

Makinohara City Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Operating Secretariat

CF Startup Partners Co., Ltd.

Support

Shizuoka Prefecture, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry

Target

Startups (including second startups and new businesses) in Japan and around the world

Entry Acceptance

June 1, 2026 (Mon) ~ July 17, 2026 (Fri)

Business Plan Submission Deadline

August 3, 2026 (Mon)

Final Screening (Open Pitch)

October 1, 2026 (Thu) / Fully online

Award Ceremony

October 20, 2026 (Tue)