S-Booster 2021 Highlights is now available!

S-Booster Objectives

S-Booster is a contest for new business ideas utilizing space assets from people who aim to launch new projects in their companies or start new businesses. Support is provided for commercializing finalists’ ideas through mentoring by experts, including business advice. S-Booster finalists present their business ideas to investors, business companies, and others who are interested in the space field at the Final Round. In this way, business matching opportunities are provided, connecting individuals and companies with ideas to investors and business companies that can help with future commercialization.

Host and Co-hosts

Prizes

Schedule

* In principle, Asia/Oceania region entrants will participate online.
* Formats and schedules may be changed as necessary.

How to Apply

Make sure to read the Application Guidelines for details about application.

Eligibility
Individuals or teams in Japan and the Asia-Oceania region may apply the contest.
(People not of legal age must apply as part of a team with adults).

* Applicants must intend to commercialize their idea.
* Ideas that have already received funding from an institutional investor are not accepted. (Ideas funded by an angel investor are accepted).
Themes

- Applications are accepted from Japan and the Asia-Oceania region for new business ideas using space-related assets.
- These ideas can be already verified, or can be technologies to be created in the future, etc.

1) Space-based business ideas*
2) Business ideas based on the themes proposed by sponsors

* Applications from the Asia-Oceania region must include collaboration with Japan.
Examples) Collaboration with Japanese companies, organizations, etc.
Using Japanese space equipment and space systems (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System [QZSS]; Tellus; launch vehicles, satellites, services, etc. of Japanese institutes and companies), etc.

Download application documents

Please refer to the Application Guidelines for other application details.

- S-Booster 2021 Application Guidelines (PDF)
- Appendix: Application Information Review Form (Word)

Application has closed.
Thank you for your applications.

Themes proposed by Sponsors (In Japanese alphabetical order of company name) (Click to see details)


NTT DOCOMO, INC.

SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation

Sony Group Corporation

Honda R&D Co., Ltd.

Mentors (In Japanese alphabetical order of surnames)

ja : Available for Japanese mentoring en : Available for English mentoring


Space Business Evangelist
Hidetaka Aoki
jaen

CO-WORKS
Tsutomu Iijima
ja

SPACETIDE / A.T.Kearney
Masayasu Ishida
jaen

WERU Investment
Kiichiro DeLuca
ja

The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners (UTEC)
Keis Ide
jaen

Sompo Holdings, Inc.
Takashi Uehara
ja

Micro Manufacturing Association
Kenichi Uchida
ja

Plug and Play Japan
Harunori Oiwa
jaen

Nakamura Tsunoda & Matsumoto / Japan Space Law Association
Hinata Oshima
ja

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Tetsuji Odan
ja

ABBALab Inc.
Osamu Ogasawara
ja

TX Entrepreneur Partners
Noriaki Ozaki
jaen

Innovative Venture Fund
Harumi Kato
jaen

InnoScouter Inc.
Takeru Kawashima
jaen

Marubeni Corporation
Hiromi Kurokawa
ja

01Booster Inc. Co-founder
George Goda
jaen

Real Tech Holdings Co.,Ltd.
Mizuki Komasa
ja

JMA Consultants Inc.
Susumu Kondo
ja

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC
Masayuki Sakata
jaen

O2 Inc.
Naoto Sano
ja

Nihon Saisei Inc.
Kenji Sumi
ja

D4V
Fumiaki Nagase
jaen

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Ai NEMOTO
ja

SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation
DECK HASHIMOTO
jaen

Spiral Inc.
Takeshi Hamachi
jaen

Hagaminomori Design
Norishige Hayakawa
jaen

University of Yamanashi
Tatsuo Fukui
ja

SARR, LLC / BGV
Ikkei Matsuda
jaen

Innovation Coordinator of AIST
Masato Miyake
jaen

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
Daisuke Mosaka
ja

VENTURE CAFE TOKYO
Akira Yanagihara
ja

Uchida & Samejima Law Firm
Tomonari Yamasaki
ja

PwC Business Assurance LLC
Kenji Yoshida
ja

FAQ

About S-Booster

It was held for the first time in 2017. 2021 is the fourth contest.

S-Booster is hosted by the Cabinet Office of Japan, and is run by the Executive Committee composed of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Cooperation is provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other related ministries and government agencies.

The "S" in S-Booster stands for four things: it is part of S-NET's activities (*), and signifies the Startup of Space-based ideas and their future Success. In addition, "Booster" expresses our hope that this contest will function as a propulsion device to help "launch" ideas into orbit (markets).

* Space New Economy Creation Network (S-NET) activities were started by the Space Development Strategy Promotion Secretariat, Cabinet Office of Japan on March 22, 2016 to bring together companies, individuals, organizations, and others interested in creating new industries and services on the keyword of "space."

Please visit our YouTube account.

<S-Booster 2019>
Report
Highlights
Final Round videos

<S-Booster 2018>
Report
Highlights
Final Round videos

<S-Booster 2017>
Report
Information
Final Round videos
Applying the contest

Both individuals and teams can apply, regardless of whether you are affiliated with a company, university, etc. We will ask your affiliation when you are proceeded to Round2, in order to identify conflicts of interest in screening. People not of legal age must apply as part of a team with adults. There are no restrictions on occupation; anyone can apply, including students. However, you should only apply if you are planning to commercialize the idea yourself.

Ideas that have already received funding from an institutional investor (Series A)* are not accepted .
(*Ideas funded by an angel investor are accepted.)
Please note that your idea is not eligible if you receive funding from an institutional investor after your application.

Please e-mail the Secretariat to cancel your application, then apply again using the form.
Re-applications must be completed by 5:00 p.m. JST on Monday, May 31, 2021.

One individual or group can apply a maximum of 10 ideas.

The rights to submitted ideas belong to their applicants. Because ideas are presented to the public at the Final Round, please be aware of the schedule for intellectual property rights, etc.

The entrant has the right to decide whether to commercialize their idea. The Cabinet Office, JAXA, NEDO, and sponsors will provide support for commercializing submitted ideas.

The prize money is awarded as a supplementary prize to honor excellent ideas. When describing the necessary funding scope for commercialization, please present the information as a business plan in the project proposal (to be attached to the Application Guidelines). Even for ideas that have no detailed financial plans, if you pass Rounds 1 and 2, the necessary support will be provided for the Final Round.

Commercialization support will be given to Final Round winners depending on their desires and the judging results.
Judging and selection

[Rounds 1 and 2]
Rounds 1 and 2 will be judged by external experts and sponsors.

[Final Round]
The Final Round will be judged by special judges, JAXA, and sponsors.
Special judges will discuss and award the Grand Prize, Special Judges’ Prize, and Asia-Oceania Prize. Sponsor Prize winners will be decided by judges from each sponsor. The JAXA Prize will be decided by JAXA judges.

Finalists from Rounds 1 and 2 will be announced around August on this website, etc. Please note that we cannot answer individual inquiries about selection results or your entry.

Sponsor Prizes are given to ideas on the sponsor themes in principle, but other ideas may be chosen in some cases.

You can choose multiple sponsor themes.

Excellent business ideas may be awarded multiple prizes in some cases.
Other

Information about the Final Round will be posted on the website.

Please consult the Secretariat.
info@s-booster.jp

Contact Us

S-Booster Executive Committee Secretariat
info@s-booster.jp

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