[Attacker's Business School 30th Anniversary] Gateway for Entrepreneurs, Going Global.

Overview Attacker's Business School (ABS), an enterprise under Aoba-BBT, Inc. (HQ: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Iwao Shibata) and one of Japan's largest entrepreneurship training schools founded by management consultant Kenichi Ohmae in 1996, will host the international business pitch contest 'ABS Business Open 2027' in March 2027 as part of its 30th-anniversary project.

The global final will take place on Saturday, March 13, 2027, in Rokubancho, Tokyo. Challenger contestants selected through regional partner universities in five Asia-Pacific countries and open global entries will pitch their business ideas in English to compete on a world-class stage.

Background: Legacy of the Business Japan Open The roots of this contest trace back to the '1st Business Japan Open' produced by Kenichi Ohmae in March 2000. Established to support early-stage entrepreneurs lacking capital or networks, the event became a symbol of Japan's early venture ecosystem, notably seeing Masayoshi Son of SoftBank award a special prize to Shunji Sugaya, who later founded OPTiM Corp.

A quarter-century later, the philosophy of 'discovering and launching the next generation of challengers' remains, now expanding the stage from Japan to the world. ABS Business Open 2027 is the international successor to that vision.

30 Years of ABS Track Record Founded by Kenichi Ohmae in 1996, ABS has served as Japan's premier entrepreneurship training organization, producing over 6,445 graduates, 810 startups, and 16 publicly traded companies.

Since 2008, it has supported early-stage entrepreneurs through the Startup Propel & Opportunity Fund (SPOF) with both education and funding. This contest marks the expansion of SPOF to the global stage.

Event Overview - Name: ABS Business Open 2027 - Organizer: Attacker's Business School (Aoba-BBT, Inc.) - Global Final: Saturday, March 13, 2027, in Rokubancho, Tokyo - Application Deadline: Sunday, January 31, 2027 - Prize: Total of 5 million yen across 3 categories

### Categories 1. Under 18 (Middle and high school students) 2. University (Students aged 18 and over) 3. General (Professionals and entrepreneurs)

### Judging Criteria Originality, Feasibility, Impact, Business Value, and Passion.

Finalist Support 12-15 finalist teams will receive practical workshops, mentoring, English pitch support, and international networking opportunities.