King Salmon Project: Launch of Call for Applications for Overseas Urban Challenge Resolution Course

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is implementing the "Overseas Urban Challenge Resolution Course" within the "King Salmon Project," which supports the growth of startups through collaboration with the metropolitan government. This course aims to promote overseas demonstration projects and business expansion by Tokyo-based startups, in cooperation with the "Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS)," an international network originating from Tokyo.

This year, the project will focus on Moreton Bay City (Commonwealth of Australia) and the City of Rome (Italian Republic), two of the G-NETS participating overseas cities. We are now inviting proposals from Tokyo-based startups to tackle the challenges faced by these two cities. Prior to the call for applications, a reverse pitch was conducted on April 27, Reiwa 8 (2026), at "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026," where both cities presented their respective challenges.

1. Project Overview

### Key Points of the Project (Benefits for Startups)

- **Opportunity for On-site Demonstration in Overseas Cities** Startups can undertake demonstration projects in overseas cities (Moreton Bay City, Rome City) to address actual challenges faced by these cities, with the cities acting as counterparts. - **Tokyo Metropolitan Government Support for Overseas Travel and Demonstration Costs** The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will bear the costs related to overseas travel and necessary expenses for local demonstrations (with an upper limit). - **Comprehensive Support for Local Coordination and Field Selection** Support for selecting demonstration fields and coordinating with local stakeholders will be provided by the overseas cities and the project promoter (Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Co., Ltd.).

### Project Flow

The process involves overseas cities presenting challenges, startups proposing solutions, and then conducting demonstrations on-site.

2. Public Application Themes

- At SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, both cities presented specific challenge details and backgrounds through a reverse pitch. The video of the reverse pitch is available on the following website:

https://kingsalmon.metro.tokyo.go.jp/overseas08/

Reverse Pitch by Moreton Bay City

Reverse Pitch by Rome City

3. Future Schedule (Planned)

(1) Application Acceptance Period: May 11 (Mon) - May 29 (Fri) (2) First Screening by Overseas Cities: June (planned) (3) Travel to Overseas Cities and Second Screening: Rome City: July (planned), Moreton Bay City: August (planned)

4. Details of the Call for Applications

For application guidelines and further details, please check the King Salmon Project website below.

King Salmon Project HP

URL: https://kingsalmon.metro.tokyo.go.jp/overseas08/

5. (Reference) Results of Last Year's Demonstration

In Reiwa 7 (2025), two Tokyo-based startups carried out overseas demonstration projects in two cities, Jakarta (Republic of Indonesia) and Malmö (Kingdom of Sweden), achieving the following results:

### (1) Jakarta City × Food Ribbon Inc. (Theme: Waste Reduction / Conversion to Renewable Energy)

To address Jakarta City's waste problem, a demonstration was conducted at Jakarta's largest fruit and vegetable market, utilizing resource circulation technologies (fiber extraction, methane fermentation, biochar production) to convert waste into renewable energy.

- A total of 7.16 tons of waste were processed at the waste generation source, producing fibers, methane gas, and biochar. This demonstrated the potential to create practical-quality outputs from waste and establish a circular economy. - As part of business verification, 16 local companies were interviewed, and detailed discussions for collaboration began with 9 of them. For example, discussions are underway for a joint venture with Great Giant Pineapple, the world's largest pineapple plantation operator. - Based on the demonstration results, it is estimated that approximately 438 tons of waste can be processed annually by 2030.

### (2) Malmö City × fabula Inc. (Theme: Creating Value from Food Waste / Circular Economy)

To address Malmö City's food waste problem, a demonstration was conducted using fabula Inc.'s unique heat compression molding technology, developed by a startup from the University of Tokyo, to develop materials and manufacture products from food waste.

- Approximately 200 kg of used coffee grounds were collected from 8 locations, including cafes in Malmö City, and material development was successful through drying and molding processes. Products such as drip stands were manufactured and test-introduced in local stores. - Visitor surveys showed high evaluations: 4.63/5 for value improvement and 4.75/5 for repurchase intention. This confirmed the potential to transform food waste into products with experiential value, thereby generating economic value. - Moving forward, technological improvements will be pursued, and Malmö...