Winners Announced for Premium Business Event THE JSSA TOKYO Meetup Vol.63: Start up Grand Prix spring 2026!

The Japan Startup Support Association (Representative Director: Takahiro Oka) held 'THE JSSA TOKYO Meetup Vol.63 Start up Grand Prix spring 2026', featuring a business contest with 8 companies challenging business innovation, new market creation, and next-generation technology development, along with talk sessions by trending executives. Luxurious prizes were also provided by 9 association sponsor companies, and nearly 700 VCs, CVCs, new business managers, startups, supporters, and media members registered to attend.

[Event Overview] - Name: Hosted by the Startup Support Association 'THE JSSA TOKYO Meetup Vol.63 Start up Grand Prix 2026' - Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Time: 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM - Host: Japan Startup Support Association (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka City, Representative Director: Takahiro Oka) - Co-host: Minato City Industrial Promotion Center

Grand Prize: NewTravel Inc. Representative Director & CEO (pre-incorporation) Kosuke Kurita

[Business Overview] Born from SoftBank Corp.'s internal entrepreneurship program SB InnoVenture, NewTravel is an AI-driven video SNS with cash points targeted at B2G, B2B, and B2C, currently focusing on promoting its business in the B2G sector. For B2G, they provide an official video guidebook for local governments and have already received applications from 33 municipalities. In the future, they aim to solve Japan's tourism issues by providing a 'Tourism Data OS' utilizing seamless data from daily life to pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip phases.

[Winner's Comment] Thank you for this valuable opportunity. Just being able to present the NewTravel business to professional investors and receive feedback is an incredibly valuable and appreciated opportunity in itself, but I am extremely delighted to have received the grand prize evaluation. The initially rough pitch materials were repeatedly reviewed and advised by the Japan Startup Support Association, and the fact that we were able to update them led to this result. I would like to express my gratitude once again. NewTravel, as a domestic tourism-specialized video SNS, has received applications from over 30 municipalities, but as we expand nationwide in the future, support and collaboration from investors and business companies will be essential. I want to firmly connect today's valuable encounters to business and expand our operations. Thank you for this precious opportunity.

◆ Comments from Participants - It was very educational to hear the high perspectives, dreams, and future visions of everyone who turned innovative ideas into shape and actually took action to pursue profits. - I was able to communicate with those who have realized what I wanted to do in a short time. - Because I was able to hear pitches from very interesting startup companies. - Being able to hear stories that can only be heard here, and the low cost burden. - I was able to gain new connections. - Because it was a warm event where many people, including the staff, responded politely. - Because I was able to touch upon new knowledge of wonderful people and interact with them. - We had a booth exhibition, and many companies visited us, allowing us to make good connections. - There are fateful encounters every single time.

Sponsor Awards (Titles Omitted) - Obic Business Consultants Co., Ltd. => WINWELL Representative Director Daichi Nakajima - RSM Seiwa Audit Corporation => Body Sprout Representative Director & CEO Atsushi Kobayashi - Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. => newtravel Inc. Representative Director & CEO Kosuke Kurita - Pronexus Inc. => Body Sprout Inc. Representative Director & CEO Atsushi Kobayashi - EY Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC => Body Sprout Inc. Representative Director & CEO Atsushi Kobayashi - Takara Printing Co., Ltd. => UDAKE Inc. Representative Director & CEO Masataka Miyake - Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited => Robotman Inc. Representative Director Kenji Ito - Tokai Tokyo Securities Co., Ltd. => WINWELL Representative Director Daichi Nakajima - Nomura Securities => Prolium Inc. Representative Director Takuto Kawakami

Speakers (Titles Omitted) Body Sprout Inc. Representative Director & CEO Atsushi Kobayashi Body Sprout Inc. is a D2C healthcare company developing osteopathic shorts and pants created by posture experts. By dropping daily treatments into underwear, they realize 'creating an environment that cures'. They have sold a cumulative total of 600,000 units and aim for reproducible growth through a TV x in-house EC model. https://bodysprout.com/

hitorigoto Inc. Representative Director Yuma Goto Oshikatsu and Gamification