New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Funds Japanese national technology programs through strategic public energy innovation.
NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) is Japan's largest public R&D funding agency, operating under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It funds energy, environmental, and industrial technology development from feasibility studies to mass-production demonstrations.
NEDO has two core missions: (1) addressing energy and environmental challenges and (2) strengthening Japan's industrial technology base. It supports startups across the full lifecycle from early validation to large-scale commercialization.
Major programmes:
1. **NEDO Entrepreneurs Program (NEP)** — Early-stage validation. Exploratory Track for individuals validating ideas via feasibility studies, and Advanced Track for startups preparing for commercialization.
2. **Deep-Tech Startup Support Program (DTSU) + GX track** — FY2023-FY2032 programme period with a total budget of ¥87.7 billion (DTSU) plus ~¥38 billion (GX, as of April 2026). Public recruitment runs five years (FY2023-FY2027). Three-phase Stage-Gate scaling: - STS (Early R&D): up to ¥300M or ¥500M per project (subsidy rate within 2/3) - PCA (Prototype & Market Validation): up to ¥500M or ¥1B per project (subsidy rate within 2/3) - DMP (Mass Production Demonstration): up to ¥2.5B per project (subsidy rate within 2/3 or 1/2) Total across phases up to ¥3B per company. Each phase up to 4 years; Stage-Gate review allows up to 6 years end-to-end.
3. **Green Innovation Fund** — ¥2 trillion fund (expanded toward ~¥2.8 trillion) for R&D, demonstration, and social implementation projects toward Japan's carbon neutrality by 2050. Up to 10 years of continuous support per project.
4. **Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP)** — Cabinet-Office-led multi-ministry programme; NEDO manages selected themes (5 of 11 in Phase 1; 4 of 12 in Phase 2; Phase 3 ongoing).
5. **Moonshot Research and Development Program** — Implements Moonshot Goals 4 (sustainable resource circulation by 2050) and others under CSTI direction.
6. **International Joint R&D with G20 partners** — Clean energy and environmental technology collaboration program (FY2020-FY2025; ¥1,074M FY2025 budget).
7. **Intensive Support Program for Young Promising Researchers** — FY2020-FY2029, ¥1.91B FY2024 budget; university-based researchers under 45 paired with private companies.
8. **Strategic Innovation Program for Energy Conservation Technologies** — FY2012-FY2024 (wound down); succeeded by 'Program to Develop and Promote the Commercialization of Energy Conservation Technologies to Realize a Decarbonized Society'.
9. **Development of Quantum-Classical Hybrid Use-Case Technologies** — FY2023-FY2027, ¥1B FY2024 budget; cyber-physical use cases.
NEDO has overseas offices in Washington D.C., Silicon Valley, Paris, Beijing, Bangkok, Jakarta, and New Delhi. Currency: JPY (¥1 billion ≈ USD 6.5M at ~155 JPY/USD); do not auto-convert. Japanese-language documentation predominates; English summaries available for most major programmes on nedo.go.jp/english.