Niigata/Nagano 'ETSUZAN' IT Talent Development Program Begins Recruiting Creators for 2026!

This project is operated by Socialups Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Niigata City; Representative Director and CEO: Akimitsu Takase), which received funding from the 'AKATSUKI Project,' a support program for discovering and nurturing young talent in regional areas under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Niigata-based IT talent development program 'ETSUZAN' has expanded its target area to Nagano Prefecture and has begun recruiting creators for 2026! In addition to providing up to 1.5 million yen in development support funds to successful applicants, the program offers mentoring support from 'Mitou' (unexplored) program graduates and entrepreneurs. The application deadline is July 20. The program is open to students and working professionals aged 15 to 30, and applications can be submitted individually or as a team. This is an IT talent discovery and development program targeting Niigata and Nagano Prefectures. Currently, there are few environments in regional areas where people can focus on development, leading to an experience gap. This program aims to bridge this gap by discovering and nurturing young IT creators who possess IT knowledge and skills and can create new technologies and services. In fiscal year 2023, 6 teams (15 people) were selected, and in fiscal year 2025, 7 teams (17 people) were selected. Each team worked on product or service development while receiving mentoring support from a Project Manager (PM), creating diverse and unique results. In recent years, many applications have been received from fields other than IT. With the advancement of AI, an environment where people can take on challenges regardless of specialized technical skills is expanding, and this program widely accepts motivated challengers. The target applicants are those aged 15 (high school students and above) to 30 (as of April 1, 2026), and the representative must reside, work, or study in Niigata or Nagano Prefecture. In principle, all team members must be able to participate in all programs locally. The number of teams to be recruited is 6 (1 to 5 people per team). Benefits after selection include development support funds (up to 1.5 million yen per team for the entire implementation period), mentoring with a PM 1-2 times a month, support from the secretariat and mentors, and opportunities to connect with entrepreneurial communities in Niigata Prefecture, such as the Niigata Venture Association.