PRESS RELEASE
May 14, 2013
Future Design Center Incorporated Association
TX Entrepreneur Partners (General Incorporated Association)
Division of University Corporate Relations, The University of Tokyo
Chiba Prefecture
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2013 - Entrepreneurs Pitch Business Plans
in Japan at Asia’s Largest International Business Competition
Startups Nominated from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam
The Future Design Center, TX Entrepreneur Partners, the University of Tokyo’s Division of University
Corporate Relations, Chiba Prefecture, and Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. are pleased to announce the Asian
Entrepreneurship Award 2013 (AEA 2013), which will be held over a three-day period from May 29 to 31, 2013.
The primary venue for this international business competition for Asian startups will be Tokatsu Techno Plaza inthe Kashiwa-no-ha Campus district in Chiba Prefecture’s Kashiwa City.
The purpose of AEA is to nurture entrepreneurial spirit in Asia while also establishing Kashiwa-no-ha Campus a district created by cutting-edge urban planning for new industry creation - as a major hub of global innovation.
In its second year, AEA adds new awards and prizes, now providing office space and support services for new
businesses to enter the Chinese market in addition to Japan. AEA 2013 is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs
interested in expanding their businesses’ global development to benefit from substantial support.
Twenty technology startups from across Asia have been nominated to present their business plans in the 2013
competition. These businesses were selected for their innovativeness, strong economic and social impact
potential, and implementation feasibility. Over this three-day period, nominees will benefit from mentoring
provided by venture capitalists in Japan and discussions with peers and experts, as they take advantage ofextensive networking opportunities. On the program’s final day, entrepreneurs will present their business plans
before the panel of judges and a general audience, and award-winners will be announced.
In addition to the prize money, winners of the Asian Entrepreneurship Award receive a variety of prizes designed
to help these startups grow their businesses globally. The AEA host and co-hosts have provided support services
to the companies awarded First Prize (Clearbridge BioMedics - Singapore) and the Chiba Prefecture Governor’sPrize (Flexoresearch Group - Thailand) at the first AEA held in May 2012. These services have supported thesecompanies’ entry into the Japanese market, providing them with a base for operations, legal support, andintroductions to human resources and business partners. This past spring, these two companies moved into
Tokatsu Techno Plaza, an incubation facility in the Kashiwa-no-ha Campus district, to launch their businesses inJapan.
In its second year, AEA 2013 adds the Shui On Group Prize conferred by China’s Shui On Group. The winner ofthis prize will have access to the InnoSpace incubation facilities in Shanghai to use as a base of operations forlaunching in the Chinese market. The Shui On Group Prize winner will also receive local mentoring, as well as
legal, technical, and human resources support services.

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In addition to the business plan competition, AEA 2013 offers an extensive array of interesting programs.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend lectures on the social significance of entrepreneurship and the
support structures available for startups, as well as hear speeches from last year’s award-winners. In order toattract an even larger audience this year, programs open to the general public will be offered free of charge. We
hope these programs will provide an extensive audience - including investors, business persons, students wishing
to start their own businesses in the future, and others who want to take advantage of this valuable opportunity - achance to meet the most exceptional entrepreneurs in Asia, learn about cutting-edge technologies and businessmodels, and discover new investment and business partnership opportunities.

AEA 2012 finals. Presentations and Q&A sessions wereconducted in English.

Announcement of AEA 2012 winners; first prizewinner,
Clearbridge BioMedics (third from right)

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General Information



Name:
Dates:

Language:
Admission:
Website:Host:
Co-Hosts:

Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2013 (AEA 2013)
May 29 (Wed) – 31 (Fri), 2013
 May 29: Yurakucho Asahi Hall (Yurakucho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo)
 May 30 – 31: Tokatsu Techno Plaza (Kashiwa-no-ha Campus, Kashiwa City, Chiba)
English (Simultaneous Japanese-English interpreting will be offered at some programs.)
Free (Excluding certain programs)
http://www.fdc.or.jp/aea/en/
Future Design Center Incorporated Association
TX Entrepreneur Partners (General Incorporated Association); Division of University
Corporate Relations, The University of Tokyo; Chiba Prefecture, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.

Nomination of Entrants
Each member of the Nominating Committee nominates one company from respective countries and regions that meet thefollowing criteria:
1. Established less than five years ago
2. Not listed on public stock exchange
3. Technology startup
Note: See attachments for more information on entrants and members of the Nominating Committee.

Award ProceduresThe entrant companies present their business plans in the semi-final and final rounds held on May 31.
Semi-finals held with entrants giving ten-minute presentations on their businesses. The six top-placing companies go on
to compete in the finals.
Finals held with six companies giving 15-minute presentations. Award-winners selected by an impartial panel of judges.

Standards for Review
1.
2.

Innovativeness / economic and social impact of the business (potential of the business to change the world, scalabilityof the business)
Implementation feasibility of innovation (competitive advantages, management team, overall consistency of thebusiness strategies, communication skills including presentation itself)

AwardsFirst Prize:
3 million yen in prize money
Second Prize: 1.5 million yen in prize money
Third Prize: 500,000 yen in prize money
Note: First, second and third prize winners will also each receive two laptop computers courtesy of Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd.



Chiba Prefecture Governor’s Prize:

Three-year free tenancy in Tokatsu Techno Plaza** Tokatsu Techno Plaza is an incubation facility on Kashiwa-no-ha Campus in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture.

Intel Prize*: Qualifies to compete in Intel Asia Pacific Challenge, an Asian entrepreneur competition sponsored byIntel Corporation, to be held August 2013 in Taiwan*Prize awarded to top-placing team among the entrants from Japan.

Shui On Group Prize1 (new in 2013):- Right to use InnoSpace2 as an operational base for entering the Chinese market (six months, free use for up to two
persons)- Free KIC and InnoSpace business-matching sessions- Free support services for incorporation of business, recruiting, legal consultation, etc.
- Return air ticket for two persons of the winning team between their home country and Shanghai, China*1. Awarded to the top-placing entrant whose business deals with IT or IT-related clean technology*2. InnoSpace is an incubation facility located in the Knowledge and Information Community (KIC) complex in Shanghai.

Japan New Business Conferences Chairman’s Prize (new award in 2013):

300,000 yen in prize money
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About the Host
Future Design Center Incorporated Association (FDC)
Website: http://www.fdc.or.jp/
Future Design Center (FDC) is a think tank that brings together the most advanced talent and technologies from Japan andaround the world to address a variety of issues, including the environment and resources, food supply, medical care, andeducation, and provides state-of-the-art models for practical and concrete solutions to these problems. Entrepreneurs with
foresight, ambition, and the ability to implement these new solutions are critical in the fields related to the FDC mission.
FDC hosts the Asian Entrepreneur Award in order to support entrepreneurs from across Asia who are taking on thechallenges of this type of innovation and promote the creation of new industry.
About the Co-Hosts
TX Entrepreneur Partners (General Incorporated Association)
Website: http://www.tepweb.jp/e/
TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP) is a voluntary support organization for the activities of entrepreneurs and business startups
that operate along the Tsukuba Express rail line. TEP collaborates with local universities, research institutions, government
entities, private enterprises, and individuals to build a network to support sustainable ventures. The organization sponsors
the Asian Entrepreneurship Award to provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to broaden their perspectives beyond theirown countries or regions and take a wider view including all of Asia and the world, while also fostering the environment
needed to nurture entrepreneurship in the area along the Tsukuba Express rail line.
Division of University Corporate Relations, The University of Tokyo
Website: http://www.ducr.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
The University of Tokyo’s Division of University Corporate Relations aims to ensure that the results of the original research
conducted at the University of Tokyo are practically applied in society and to promote innovation with strong impact byproviding support for the entire intellectual property process from its discovery, evaluation, management and application
through the starting of businesses and commercialization. In the area of support for business startups anduniversity-originated ventures, the division implements a wide range of activities; in addition to incubation projects and a
program that nurtures and trains student entrepreneurs, the division is also involved in funding business startups through
University of Tokyo Edge Capital Co., Ltd. By co-sponsoring the Asian Entrepreneurship Award, the division is focused on
further fostering a culture of entrepreneurship with a global perspective.
Chiba Prefecture
Website: http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/english/
Conveniently located adjacent to Tokyo and home to Narita International Airport - a hub linking Japan to the rest of theworld - Chiba Prefecture has benefited from a great deal of talent, as well as from its location adjacent to the nation’s capital.
In the area along the Tsukuba Express rail line that thrives with the University of Tokyo and other academic and research
institutions, as well as high-tech companies operating in such fields as IT and biotechnology, the prefecture has undertaken anumber of initiatives designed to create new industry, promoting research and development linking industry and academia
with the Tokatsu Techno Plaza incubation facility and other institutions. By bringing together the best entrepreneurs andventure supporters from Japan and overseas at the Asian Entrepreneurship Award, Chiba Prefecture aims to solidify its
position as a base for innovation and initiative.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Website: http://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/kashiwanoha/e/
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. is currently implementing an urban development project at the Kashiwa-no-ha Campus districtbased on its ―Smart City‖ concept of urban living focusing on co-existing with nature, health and longevity, and the creationof new industry. A project is currently underway to build a complex in front of Kashiwa-no-ha Campus station, with plans tohouse creative office space surrounded by lush greenery and an innovation base equipped with venture-support
infrastructure and services. This project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2014. Co-hosting the Asian
Entrepreneurship Award is a key aspect of Mitsui Fudosan’s urban planning with a focus on the creation of new industry.
Attachments(1) Program, (2) List of Entrants, (3) Nominating Committee Members, and (4) AEA 2012 Award Winner Profiles

Inquiries
From the general public:
Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2013 Logistics Secretariat
Tel: +81-3-3502-6871 Email: reg-aea2013@convention.co.jp
From members of the press:
Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2013 Logistics Secretariat Public Relations Center (at PRAP Japan, Inc.)
Contact: Elizabeth Allen, Ai Kanda
Tel: +81-3-4580-9104 Fax: +81-3-4580-9130 Email: aea-pr@ml.prap.co.jp
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Attachment (1) Asian Entrepreneurship Awards 2013 — ProgramMay 29 (Wed) —Venue: Yurakucho Asahi Hall (2-5-1 Yuraku-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Commemorative Lecture Session — ―Calling All Young Entrepreneurs!‖
13:00
Opening Remarks
Shigeo Kagami, Nomination Committee Chairman for AEA 2013, Professor, University of Tokyo
13:15
Speech: Competing on the Global StageDai Tamesue, former professional track-and-field athlete, Representative Director, Athlete Society
14:00
Speech: From Japan to the World — Growth and Challenges for LINE, the Global App
Akira Morikawa, CEO, LINE Corporation
14:45
Break
15:00
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Shigeo Kagami
Panelists: Dai Tamesue and Akira Morikawa
16:00
Break
16:15
Mentoring Session (ten-minute presentations by entrants + 15-minute mentoring sessions)
18:15
Closing
Orientation, excursion and reception programs are scheduled in the morning and the evening for the award entrants.

May 30 (Thu) —Venue: Tokatsu Techno Plaza (5-4-6 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba)
Symposium — Innovation from Asia
10:00
Opening Remarks
Hiroshi Komiyama, Advocate/Top Advisor at Future Design Center
10:40
Keynote Speech: ―Delight: It's In Our Pocket‖
Tomoko Namba, Founder and Director, DeNA Co., Ltd.
11:30
Speeches by AEA 2012 prizewinners
12:00
Break
13:00
Unconference Sessions (Hosted by: Loftwork, Inc.)―Unconference‖ is a participant-driven meeting with all members participating in free discussion with the theme
decided by participants. Participants will break up into seven groups for three separate 45-minute sessions,designed to encourage networking and discussions fostering innovative ideas.
Any participant is welcome to suggest a topic to be discussed. The topics will be solicited on the morning of the
30th at the venue.
17:00
Break
17:30
Networking DinnerThis dinner for Unconference participants is presented as an opportunity to promote more in-depth interaction
with young Asian entrepreneurs. (An entry fee of JPY 2,000 will be charged at the reception desk.)

May 31 (Fri) —Venue: Tokatsu Techno Plaza (5-4-6 Kashiwa-no-ha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba)
9:30

12:00
13:00
13:30
14:10
17:15

Semi-finals
Twenty entrants are divided into four groups, with each company giving a ten-minute presentation followed by aten-minute Q&A.
Break
Poster Sessions
Entrants speak directly with visitors to promote their products, technologies, and business models.
Finalists Announced
FinalsSix top-placing entrants give 15-minute presentations followed by a ten-minute Q&A.
Closing

The Farewell Reception will be held at 19:00 for entrants and invited guests. AEA 2013 award winners will be announced at
the reception.
Award winners will be announced publicly at around 20:30 on May 31, with the list of winners being posted on the Future
Design Center website (http://www.fdc.or.jp/aea/en/).

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Attachment (2) Asian Entrepreneurship Awards 2013 – List of Entrants
No
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Company NameBusiness
AsukaLab Inc.

Representative
Country/Region
Tetsuya KAKUTA

Develops mixed reality systemJapan

AXELSPACE Corporation

Yuya NAKAMURA

Designs, manufactures, and operates nano-satellites

Japan

AyoxxA

Andreas SCHMIDT, CEOCommercializes protein analysis technology

Singapore

CONNEXX SYSTEMS CORPORATION

Hisashi TSUKAMOTO

Manufactures energy storage systems (ESSs)

Japan

CV. IT PRO Solutions

Aloysius Bambang PRAYITNO

Develops remote monitoring systems and ticket machines for buses

Indonesia

Gauss Lasers Technology Co., Ltd

Shian ZHOU

Develops ultrashort pulse fiber lasers

China

GeneFrontier Corporation

Haruki TANABE

Provides solutions for biopharmaceutical development

Japan

NetBIM

Hongqiang WANG

Markets 3D virtual tours and 3D design tools

China

Ningbo Greens Packing Technology Co., Ltd.

Liu CHENG

Markets buffer materials for packing and equipment to produce buffermaterials for packing

China

Piktochart Sdn Bhd

Ai Ching GOH

Provides apps to create infographics

Malaysia

Playnote Limited

Eric YUNG

Provides music education software

Hong Kong

Quantum Biosystems Inc.

Toshihiko HONKURA

Develops DNA/RNA sequencers

Japan

Rayark Inc.

Shih Chun CHANG

Develops games

TaiwanSocial & Mobile, Inc.

Sungsuh PARK

Develops and provides notepad apps

South Korea

TaraFresh

Boonying BURANAWATTANACHOKDeveloped and markets water purification systems

ThailandTerra Motors Corporation
Designs, develops and markets electric motorcycles and mobility
scooters
TurtleYogi Technologies Pvt Ltd

Toru TOKUSHIGE

Provides cloud-based audio/video communication services

India

Unisoft

Do Dinh KHOA

Provides foreign language education solutions

VietnamX2wave Systems Inc.
Provides medical and health information systems that connect
healthcare professionals and patients
Xcode Life Sciences Private Limited
Provides disease risk information utilizing genetic andenvironmental parameters

Rene Adrian S. FLORESJapan
Hrishikesh KULKARNIPhilippines
Saleem MOHAMMED
India
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Attachment (3) Asian Entrepreneurship Awards 2013 — Nominating Committee Members
Chairman: Shigeo KAGAMI
Professor, General Manager of Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Science Entrepreneurship,
Division of University Corporate Relations (DUCR), University of Tokyo, JapanThe names of Nominating Committee members are listed below in alphabetical order of the nominated companies.

1

Katsuya HASEGAWA
Project Professor, The University of Tokyo, Japan(Nominated: AsukaLab Inc.)

2

Masaru Vic MURAI
President, TX Entrepreneur Partners, Japan(Nominated: AXELSPACE Corporation)

3

Poh Kam WONG
Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore(Nominated: AyoxxA)

4

Makoto SARATA
Assistant Manager of New Enterprise Promotion Div., Advanced Scientific Technology & Management ResearchInstitute of KYOTO (ASTEM), Japan(Nominated: CONNEXX SYSTEMS CORPORATION)

5

Totok Hari WIBOWO
DR, The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Indonesia(Nominated: CV. IT PRO Solutions)

6

Richard TAN
Chief Executive, InnoSpace at Knowledge & Innovation Community, China(Nominated: Gauss Lasers Technology Co., Ltd)

7

Tsutomu KOMIYAMAManager, Commerce and Industry Promotion Division, Kashiwa City Office, Japan(Nominated: GeneFrontier Corporation)

8

Jie NI
Lecturer, Students' affairs office of Tsinghua University, China(Nominated: NetBIM)

9

Guan HUANG
Acting Director, Academic & Entrepreneur Department of Youth League of PKU, China(Nominated: Ningbo Greens Packing Technology Co., Ltd.)

10

Ahmed Razman ABDUL LATIFF
Director, Non-Thesis Programme, Putra Business School, Malaysia(Nominated: Piktochart Sdn Bhd)

11

Anthony E. TAN
Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Hong Kong
(Nominated: Playnote Limited)

12

Kensei SUMITA
Associate Professor UIC, Osaka University Office for University-Industry Collaboration, Japan(Nominated: Quantum Biosystems Inc.)

13

Chao-Tung WEN
Professor, Graduate Institute of Technology & Innovation Management, National Chengchi University, Taiwan(Nominated: Rayark Inc.)

14

Gyewan MOON
Full Professor, School of Business Administration, Kyungpook National University, Korea(Nominated: Social & Mobile, Inc.)
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15

Nattakrit WU
Committee, IMBA, Thammasat University, Thailand(Nominated: TaraFresh)16

Shuichi MATSUDA
Professor Emeritus, WASEDA University, Japan(Nominated: Terra Motors Corporation)

17

Guhesh RAMANATHAN
Chief Operating Officer, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India(Nominated: TurtleYogi Technologies Pvt Ltd)

18

Thuy Thu NGUYEN
Dr., Dean of Faculty of Business Administration, Foreign Trade University, Vietnam(Nominated: Unisoft)19

Antonio Mendoza DELCARMEN
Vice President, National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) Program; Director / Professor, Master in
Entrepreneurship, Ateneo de Manila University Graduate School of Business, Southeast Asia
(Nominated: X2wave Systems Inc.)

20

Suresh KUMAR
General Manager, PSG-STEP, India(Nominated: Xcode Life Sciences Private Limited)

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Attachment (4) AEA 2012 Award Winner Profiles
The first Asian Entrepreneurship Award was held in May 2012. Eighteen nominated venture companies from 12 countries
and regions in Asia presented business plans to an audience of some 550 individuals at the Kashiwa-no-ha Campus districtin Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture. The list of AEA 2012 winners follows.
First Prize
SecondPrize

Third Prize

Clearbridge BioMedics Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Representative: Johnson Chen, Managing Director
Developed next-generation cancer diagnostic tests that utilize cutting-edge microfluidics technology
Neugent Technologies (Philippines)
Representative: David R. Cruz III, Board Director and Co-FounderDeveloped and manufactures devices to create smart homes, smart offices, and smart schools
WorkLohas Technology Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)
Representative: George Chiu, CEO
Provides social media services that facilitate sharing websites by saving and storing them, empowering
users to classify, sort, and send data

Chiba
Prefecture
Governor’s
Prize

Flexoresearch Group Co., Ltd. (Thailand)
Representative: Paijit Sangchai, CEO & FounderDeveloped technology that makes it possible to more cleanly recycle laminated paperIntel Prize

Quality eXperience Design Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Representative: Keiji Ohta, CEO
Provides comprehensive services related to the creation of 3D images, including 3D conversion andimaging technology

Representatives from Clearbridge BioMedics and Flexoresearch Group, respectively, the AEA 2012 First Prize and Chiba
Prefecture Governor Prize winners at AEA 2012, will be among the speakers on May 30, 2013.

AEA Prize Winner Moves into Japanese Market
Flexoresearch Group, the winner of last year’s Chiba Prefecture Governor Prize, is engaged in the research anddevelopment of technologies utilizing special enzymes that break down laminated paper used in milk cartons andpaper cups for recycling. The AEA host and co-hosts have been supporting Flexoresearch Group in a number of areas
to help the company bring this technology to Japan’s recycling industry.
In addition to a three-year tenancy free of charge in Tokatsu Techno Plaza, an incubation facility in Japan’s industrial
hub, Kashiwa-no-ha Campus, Chiba Prefecture has also provided concrete support in the form of advice on
procurement of resources to be recycled and introductions to potential business partners in Japan. TX Entrepreneur
Partners continues to advise the company in the areas of financial policy and international legal affairs, as well as
provide introductions to essential human resources. With these supports, Flexoresearch Group has initiated theprocess of setting up LWP Co., Ltd, an entity that will operate in Japan out of Tokatsu Techno Plaza, as a step toward
establishing recycling plant design and consulting services based on its zymolysis technology in the Japanese market.
LWP representative Tadao Nozu explains the company’s vision, ―We hope to create the model for the next-generation
recycling plant that combines zymolysis technology from Thailand with advanced Japanese technologies and bringthis to markets worldwide. There are already a large number of venture firms in Japan that have developed globally
recognized technologies in the areas of power generation, heat exchange, and water processing. By partnering withthese companies, we will aim to achieve an entirely closed-loop recycling plant that utilizes the polyethylene
extracted from laminated paper to generate its own energy and reprocess its own water.‖Inaugural Asian Entrepreneurship Awards, (atcenter) Paijit Sangchai, CEO of FlexoresearchGroup

Model of recycling system installed fordemonstration at Tokatsu Techno Plaza

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