J-Startup Impact

J-Startup Impact — inaugural selection

Supports Japanese impact startups through launch-phase programs that grow role models and market reach.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

J-Startup Impact is METI's impact-focused variant of the J-Startup programme, launched on 6 October 2023 to raise public awareness of impact startups and build momentum for supporting companies that solve social issues while achieving sustainable economic growth. The inaugural selection cycle received 500 applications and selected 30 outstanding startups judged to be capable of serving as role models for the broader impact-startup industry. The acceptance rate for the launch round was approximately 6 percent. Selected companies span medtech (CureApp, FastDOCTOR, Melody International), climate and sustainability (Shizen Energy, Astroscale, WOTA, TBM), agritech and food (Sagri, Eco-Pork, Regional Fish, Plantx, BAOBAB), social inclusion (HERALBONY, Mirairo, Linklusion), and education (Life is Tech, SHE), among others.

Selected startups receive the full J-Startup support package — subsidised exhibition at large-scale events in Japan and abroad, local facilitation for overseas expansion, enhanced government bidding access, and business-matching with J-Startup Supporter corporations — plus impact-specific additions: expert consultation on Impact Measurement and Management (IMM), assistance obtaining global impact certifications, and public-attention campaigns. The programme carries no direct cash award; value is delivered through access and visibility. METI evaluated applicants on the strength of their social-impact thesis, IMM maturity, organisational governance for impact, and disclosure practices, and considered many startups to be still at an early stage of formalising their IMM processes.

Applications are submitted following a nomination process driven by private-sector experts, consistent with the broader J-Startup model. The launch round opened for applications on 7 July 2023 and closed in advance of the October 2023 announcement; follow-on cycles beyond the FY2023 inaugural round have not been confirmed in available sources. Eligible applicants must be for-profit companies incorporated in Japan demonstrating measurable positive social impact alongside a commercially viable business model.