Beyond Limits. Unlock Our Potential.
The World-Class Startup Ecosystem
Building Plan (Summary)Collaboration between Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe

1

Ⅰ. Collaboration between Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe
The Osaka-Kyoto–Kobe Consortium aims to scale up specific initiatives while allocating duties amongits member regions according to both their common and respective characteristics through mutualcollaboration.
Objectives of the formation ofthe Osaka-Kyoto–Kobe Consortium
Each member region of the Osaka-Kyoto–Kobe Consortium
has striven to enhance its respective ecosystem. In Kansai,
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be held under thetheme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Theformation of new ecosystems for building and developing
startups taking advantage of the talent, new technologies
and funds coming together from around the world in
preparation for this big event will contribute immensely tothe invigoration of Kansai and the development of Japan.
The three regions have the common characteristic of
having many startups in bio healthcare, manufacturing andIT. Meanwhile, Osaka is characterized by an abundance ofmajor companies, funds and human resources, and Kyoto isrich in its traditional industries and culture inherited in a longhistory as well as research seeds in universities and support
for prototyping and commercialization, while Kobe is apioneer in field tests and the promotion of publicprocurement.
Collaboration between Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe insupporting startups while capitalizing on their common andrespective characteristics in the local business environment,
which can be drastically improved through the collaboration,is expected to create synergy and lead to the developmentof Kansai and a successful Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
In consideration of these expected benefits, we have decided
to collaborate in submitting an application.

Duty allocation in collaboration using the three regions’common and respective advantages (example)[Bio healthcare]

KOBE

OSAKA

KYOTO

Place for social
implementation

Driving force

Knowledge hub- Social implementation of theKobe Biomedical Innovation
Cluster, one of the largest of
its kind in Japan- Home to major companies indrug discovery, etc.
- Abundant funds and talent- Big projects, such as theUmekita development and theExpo- Rich in research seeds,
including those related to iPS
cells- Home to many Nobel Prizelaureates[Manufacturing]

KOBE

OSAKA

KYOTO

Technological seeds &commercialization

Creating technological seeds
from market demand

Prototyping &commercialization- Home to many SMEs andmajor companies withexcellent technologies- Manufacturing using
technologies and demand
SMEs in a wide range ofindustries- Home to major companies- Support for startup prototyping toward massproduction- Accumulation of major
manufacturers using thelatest technologies[Information technology]

KOBE

OSAKA

KYOTO

Experiment city

Partners & driving force

Abundant academic talent- Provision of an environ-ment
for field tests by local
government- Home to many IT & major
companies, and abundant infunds and talent- IT (AI, VR, etc.) startups
originating at universities- Use of cultural content, etc.

Collaboration between Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe will help to further boost the strengths of the threemember regions, enhance the ecosystem of Kansai, and provide effective support for startups.
Government aid will enable us to promote our initiative more effectively and overcome Kansai’s
weaknesses by attracting major venture capital and other measures, leading to further development ofstartups and promotion of globalization.

2Ⅱ. Grand Design of the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe Startup Ecosystem in the Economy and Society
・Startups are the driving forces with their innovative technologies creating future societies to revitalize theeconomy and solve social issues.
・Implement initiatives that take advantage of the strengths of the regional collaboration and government support.
- 2025 Osaka / Kansai Expo: Preparing for attractive demonstration and implementation fields.
- Life science field: Empowering competitive edge. Starting with the creation of best practices that leverage ourcutting-edge techs and talents. Establishing an ecosystem that enables to build smoother pipeline of products andservices to ensure promptness and continuity.
- Achievement of the SDGs
Aiming to become one of the world's leading global hub- Realization of the future society

cities by taking advantage of this region’s strengths andopportunities in areas such as life sciences

Social Issues Facing
Japan & Kansai

Collaborationof Supporters
Industry・Aging Population

Academia・Declining Population

Local Govt・Innovation（Decline in international
competitiveness）

CommunityRegional
Advantages forStartups

OsakaKyotoKobe- Accumulation ofseeds- Enriched business （DESIGNING FUTURE SOCIETY FOR OUR LIVES）
environment- Diverse/ multilayered industries
Startups・and talents
Entrepreneurs - History, culture &Acceleration as Global Startup Hub
tourism attractions
City・Commercialization of tech seeds fromacademia

・Infectious Diseases
・Sustainable City
Planning

2025 OSAKA / KANSAI EXPO

・Collaboration with major enterprises

・Climate Change(COVID-19)

Through Business・Achieving SDGs
・Realizing Future Tech and Society（Creating Unicorns）

SupportBy National Govt

Global Collaboration

・Higher level of global recognition
・Further advancement of VC / Financial
Institution into the region・Development into Smart City / SuperCity planning3Beyond Limits. Unlock Our Potential.
The World-Class Startup Ecosystem
Building Plan

Osaka Startup Ecosystem ConsortiumSummary of the Ecosystem Building Plan
１．Target and KPITo globally bolster Osaka’s presence as one of the two major centers of Japan, our city strives to fulfill a role in propelling the country’s growth. Hence, we are committed
to advance initiatives for startup support and innovation creation.
The Umekita area is home to various activity-oriented facilities and exchange facilities; and it also exhibits renowned features such as entrepreneurship education
coordinated by universities, overseas acceleration programs, and other innovative developments. These all complement Osaka as one of the top urban destinations in Japanthat genuinely integrates global startups.
With the aim of converting Osaka into a world-class startup ecosystem, our resources and potential capabilities were effectively applied on this occasion. This resulted in
the formation of the Osaka Startup Ecosystem Consortium, which was jointly established by government bodies, universities, and the business community.
To implement a startup-friendly environment, All-of-Osaka is engaged to realize a more dynamic society by constructing a robust ecosystem.
Moreover, the Osaka-Kansai World Expo will be held in the year of 2025. The exposition under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” will also showcase the“People’s Living Lab” concept to a worldwide audience. To maximize the impacts of this prestigious occurrence, we will exert our best abilities to attract “People-GoodsInvestments-Technologies” from around the world.
To attain the objective of becoming an “Unparalleled Global Startup City Osaka,” it is imperative to optimally utilize all available resources and opportunities; as well asgenerate new startups that contribute to ongoing growth by pioneering new innovations and technologies.
Here in Osaka, we earnestly look forward to welcoming the finest entrepreneurs from all over the globe.

Moreover, the Osaka-Kansai World Expo will be held in the year of 2025. The exposition under the theme “DesigningFuture Society for Our Lives” will also showcase the “People’s Living Lab” concept to a worldwide audience. To maximize
the impacts of this prestigious occurrence, we will exert our best abilities to attract “People-Goods-InvestmentsTechnologies” from around the world.
To attain the objective of becoming an “Unparalleled Global Startup City Osaka,” it is imperative to optimally utilize allavailable resources and opportunities; as well as generate new startups that contribute to ongoing growth by pioneering
new innovations and technologies.

Governorof Osaka Prefecture

YOSHIMURA Hirofumi

Mayorof Osaka City

MATSUI Ichiro

Here in Osaka, we earnestly look forward to welcoming the finest entrepreneurs from all over the globe.

Target・KPI (Items)

Target (FY 2020 – FY 2024)

Current State

1Startups Launched

300150 (Past 5 Years)

2Startups Launched in University

10036 (Past 4 Years)

Foreign Entrepreneurs Attracted20

3Startup VISAs Authorized

30 (6/Year)

3/Year

4Unicorn Startups Fostered

305Startups that Amass over 500 million Yen in Capital≥ 7550

6Startups that will excel with the opportunities introduced by the World Expo50ーSummary of the Ecosystem Building Plan
２．Organizations and Roles of each organizations
To spearhead with the public-private co-created Osaka Startup Ecosystem Consortium
Osaka Prefecture
Osaka City & Sakai
City

Kansai Economic Federation
KANSAI Association of Corporate Executives
The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Municipalities

Supply Resources to Large
and Medium Enterprises;
Promote Open Innovation

Support Institute
Growth Support inIntellectual Property,
Research & Development,
and Global Expansion etc.

Osaka Startup
Ecosystem Consortium

For Pre-startup ~ EarlyStages

For Middle ~ Late Stages

Public-centric Support
Programs

Private-centric Support
Programs

Entrepreneurship Support;
Pitch Events; OpenInnovation etc.

Funding by Large Enterprises
and Investments; Support by
Economic Organizations;
Overseas Accelerator
Programs etc.

Key Person
Specialist Advisory
Information Dissemination

Osaka Business Development
AgencyObserver:
METI Kansai

Entrepreneurship Training;
Research Commercialization

Implement Public-Private Startup Support Programs

Support Programs

Create an Entrepreneurfriendly Environment;
Implement Support
Programs; Promote a
Private-involved
Globalization

Economic
Organization

Universities &Research Institutes

INPIT
NEDO
JETRO
S-CubeDeloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support

Startup Support Facility

Developers etc.
Financial Institute
Capital Support, Matching Support

Senshu Ikeda Bank / Mizuho Bank / Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
MUFG Bank / Resona Bank / Kansai Mirai Bank / Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank

Urban Development,
Hub Management,
Foreign Startup Attraction

ORIX Real Estate Corporation
Knowledge Capital
Hankyu Hanshin PropertiesAZUMA Hironobu
The Japan ResearchInstitute
OKA Takahiro
Japan Startup Support
Association
TANAKA Kunihiro
SAKURA Internet
TANII Hitoshi
Synergy Marketing
NAKANO Tomoya
i-plugYOSHIKAWA Masaaki
Human Hub Japan

Co-established by Public-Private. In recent years,
growing trend of private-established facilities that aresubsidized by public programs (Public: OIH; Private:
GVH#5, wework etc.)

Pre-startup

Seed

Early StageMiddleLateSupport Platform

Osaka University
Osaka Prefecture University
Osaka City University
Osaka Institute of Technology
Kindai University
Kansai University
Ritsumeikan University

Summary of the Ecosystem Building Plan
３．Leader of the Ecosystem building
Globally influential leaders who are passionate about Osaka

Osaka Startup Ecosystem Consortium （Representative：TATENO Jyunzo）
i-plugCEO NAKANO Tomoya

Human Hub Japan
President YOSHIKAWA Masaaki• At Intelligence (Current Persol Career), he gained experience operating
corporate recruitment advertisements; and the comprehensive work
involved with recruitment and training.
• Founded i-plug after setting sight on a direct recruiting tool that could
prevent mismatch between students and employers.
• Being enthusiastic to support younger entrepreneurs, he acts asrepresentative director of some startup communities in Osaka.

• Previous posts include serving as Director General for the City of Osaka’s
Economic Strategy Bureau; Advisor for the Japan Startup SupportAssociation; and advisor for various ventures etc.
• Extensive experience planning & managing cross-organizational &problem-based projects; ventures; and corporate management.
• Working in Developing a Co-creation Environment that crosses the borderof title, organization and nationality.

• Selected one of 88 local innovators by Forbes Japan in 2017.

TANII Hitoshi
Synergy Marketing Executive Chairman

TANAKA Kunihiro

OKA Takahiro

SAKURA internet CEO

Japan Startup Support Association CEOAZUMA Hironobu
The Japan Research InstitutePrincipal• After working at NTT, he founded the• Founded SAKURA internet while he was• His background dates back to his student
partnership DNS, and would later sell
still at school, and offered free server• Since joining the Japan Research Instituteyears and include fields spanning records
DNS to found Infocast.
rental services. He would later foundas a fresh graduate, he has participatedrentals; toys & miscellaneous goods• In the same year, he also founded Index
SAKURA internet Inc. as the CEO.
in many projects from new industry
wholesale; console game agency; cosmetics,Digital.
• In 2005 when the company was listed hecreation support, to industry incubation,and more.
• He later founded Synergy Marketing, and would become the 4th youngest CEO on the • Backed with his abundance of exposure tostartup support, smart city promotion
would lead domestic shares in the cloudTokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Index.
support, and more.
these fields, he founded the Japan Startup
CRM system market.
• In addition to offering startups the• He has penned countless papers andSupport Association.
• He acts as Representative Director of EO
spacious open space at the company’s
articles; and also give speeches on smart• As of right now, he offers venture support
Osaka and leads some acceleration
Osaka headquarter for free, he serves ascity and venture support.
exclusive to startups.
programs as well as being an angel
an outside director and a mentor for manyinvestor.
startup communities, startups and listedcompanies.

KITAOKA Yasuo

TAKAGISHI ChikaraHankyu Hanshin Properties Corp.
Senior General Manager,
Urban Management Division

Deputy Director / Professor
Osaka University Co-creation Bureau,
Office for Industry-University
Co-creation and University Advancement• He has been involved in countless urban• Entered Matsushita Electric Industrial
redevelopment projects working as part(current Panasonic) in 1991. Completedof Hankyu Railways, including Grand Front
graduate studies at Osaka University
Osaka.
Division of Engineering, and became a• He first began startup support around theProfessor at the school’s Graduate School
Osaka, Umeda area in 2010. By 2014 heof Engineering Frontier Research Center inbecame involved with the establishment
2006.
& operations of the startup support• Since 2015 he has been promoting schoolfacility GVH#5, and would later devote towide venture creation and support forforming CVC and investments.
fostering entrepreneurs as efforts• In 2019 he successfully attracted thetowards building Osaka University’s
globally renowned acceleration program
innovation ecosystem.
“Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka” to Osaka.

Collaboration
Umekita 2nd Phase Promotion Council

Startup Communities

DevelopersUniversities and Research InstitutionsMunicipalities

Financial Institutions

Overseas Accelerators (Startupbootcamp)

Economic Realm

Global Network