Nahato Awards "Up to 100 Million Yen Investment Opportunity" to Winner of Student Entrepreneur Pitch "SPIKES Pitch in IVS2026"!

Nahato Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Yuki Adachi) participated as a main partner in the student entrepreneur pitch contest "SPIKES Pitch in IVS2026," held on July 2, 2026 (Thu) at Miyakomesse, Kyoto City.

We are pleased to announce that our Representative Director, Yuki Adachi, served as a top judge for this contest and presented the prize of "up to 100 million yen investment opportunity" to the student entrepreneur who won the fierce competition.

About "SPIKES Pitch in IVS2026"

This contest, held within "IVS2026," one of Japan's largest startup conferences, was conceived as "a platform for serious business evaluation, not just a student showcase ending in praise." Twelve student entrepreneurs who passed rigorous selection processes took the stage.

The final judging was conducted in a two-tiered structure: absolute scoring (out of 100 points) by the following five top judges active on the front lines, and "interview offer votes (ballots)" by approximately 50 VC and investor judges gathered at the venue.

【Top Judges (in Japanese syllabary order, titles omitted)】

・Yuki Adachi (Representative Director, Nahato Co., Ltd.)

・Keiji Kameya (Chairman, DMM.com LLC)

・Keisuke Kogure (General Partner, mint Inc.)

・Tatsuki Kubo (Representative Director and President, ABABA Inc.)

・Eri Fukuda (Representative Director, CEO/CCO, SHE Inc.)

Amidst a real and intense atmosphere questioning marketability, product uniqueness, and the entrepreneur's resolve, overwhelming 6-minute pitches unfolded.

Introducing the Winner

The student entrepreneur who won the fierce competition among 12 elite contestants and received the highest evaluation from top judges and VCs is as follows:

・Winner: Ai Funada, Representative Director, Zashitora Co., Ltd.

・Business Overview: AI skills transfer platform "TUGUMI" for the manufacturing industry

・Awarded Prize: "Up to 100 million yen investment opportunity (investment rights)" from Nahato Co., Ltd.

*Investment is not guaranteed and is subject to future individual screening and discussions.

【Comment from Ai Funada, Representative Director, Zashitora Co., Ltd.】

"Thank you very much for this wonderful award. While continuing to cherish the connections with everyone at the sites who have supported us, we will strive as a united team to save and contribute to more families and companies. We appreciate your continued support."

Concluding Remarks by Yuki Adachi, Representative Director of Nahato Co., Ltd.

"Congratulations to Ms. Funada of Zashitora Co., Ltd. on your award! Your pitch was wonderful, clearly conveying a solid understanding of the needs and, above all, your strong passion to 'improve society,' addressing a crucial issue for Japan's future, the aging population. Seeing the passionate challenges of the entrepreneurs who will lead Japan in 10 or 20 years up close today truly excited me and gave me a lot of energy. I know there will be difficult times during your journey, but I sincerely support your great leap forward from here!"

About Nahato Co., Ltd.

Nahato, with its mission "Create Drama," is a business creation marketing company that achieves business growth through marketing. Going beyond advertising and SNS support, we leverage practical knowledge gained from creating and growing businesses across various domains such as D2C, store operations, secondary distribution, and consulting. We delve into strategy and product development, not just awareness and acquisition, to drive discontinuous growth. All for continuing to win with our colleagues. We aim to be a company of 3,000 people and 200 billion in revenue by 2040. For more details, please visit our official website (https://nahato.co.jp/).

【Company Overview (URL: https://nahato.co.jp/)】

・Location: Shibuya Mark City West 15F, 1-12-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

・Representative: Yuki Adachi

・Founded: July 2018

・Business Activities: Marketing, D2C, Creative, Human Resource Development, etc.

【Contact for Inquiries Regarding This Release】

・Nahato Public Relations

・E-mail: [email protected]