NEC Innovation Challenge 2023

As one of the solutions to regional issues in Japan, NEC has always been researching solutions to make the environment better for children and youth. When it comes to children, we expect a higher level of safety, immediacy, and certainty. Therefore, using IT and real-time risk for immediate and quick prediction can be beneficial. At the same time, we believe in taking care of and educating our youth, the importance of establishing a sustainable and well-rounded society.

NEC is looking for innovative solutions to help tackle child welfare problems in Japan, such as education, poverty, protection or security, in collaboration with key Japanese organizations. This is an opportunity to further a society that protects, educates, and equips youth for generations to come.

Challenge statement: Propose solutions utilizing smart technologies to tackle child welfare issues, such as education, poverty, protection or security, and implement them with NEC in Japan!

Such as:

• Safety and Protection technologies against any dangers that are prone to children
• Educational technologies for youth for bettering society
• Technologies to end child poverty
• Solutions with easy-to-use interface for advanced communication and monitoring between children, parents, educational facilities etc.

Requirements and Criteria: What we expect

the scenario of the solution. Overall, we will be looking at the following requirements and criteria:

• Business development phases are seed, early, middle or later.
• Companies who have never been entered in the Japanese market and are currently looking to enter the market.
• Companies who are looking for co-creation partners in Japan.
• Co-creating members who can communicate and work with BIRD members in Japan. (Language barriers are not problem!)
• And more detailed criteria can be found below

Benefits: What you can expect

• Mentoring sessions by NEC during mentoring period
• NEC Award: the funding of up to $15,000* for PoC development
• NOFF Award: Discussions for funding from NOFF**

*USD amount may vary as it will be calculated as equivalent to 2,200,000 yen at the time of February 2024.)

**NOFF (NEC Orchestrating Future Fund) is a multi-LP corporate venture capital managed by Translink Capital as a GP. NEC is an Anchor LP for the fund)

In Japan, with the declining birthrate, the aging population, and the social changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, dramatic transformations are required in the way that the cities operate.

BIRD INITIATIVE envisions collaboration with Japanese real estate developers and retailers based on the theme of Smart City, and we will develop new concepts that have never existed in Japan, such as new distribution systems or new retail business (e.g. restaurant, apparel, fitness, entertainment companies, etc.), which utilize technologies such as AI, IOT, and robots. We are also looking for new DX solutions that will increase the added value and productivity of stores.

Challenge Statement

Challenge statement: Challenge Statement: Bring us solutions utilizing smart technologies for Smart Retail in Japan and to create feasible businesses by working together with Japanese companies!

Such as:

• Solutions that can forecast the demand in store
• Solutions that can save labors in stores (using robots and AI)
• Solutions that can create mechanism for supplying daily necessities in rural areas experiencing depopulation
• Solutions that offer new experiential store setups or business models
• Solutions that offer new retail business models that has not yet entered Japan

Requirements and Criteria: What we expect

the scenario of the solution. Overall, we will be looking at the following requirements and criteria:

• Business development phases are seed, early, middle or later.
• Companies who have never been entered in the Japanese market and are currently looking to enter the market.
• Companies who are looking for co-creation partners in Japan.
• Co-creating members who can communicate and work with BIRD members in Japan. (Language barriers are not problem!)
• And more detailed criteria can be found below
  
  

Benefits: What you can expect

BIRD INITIATIVE Award : Selected start-up will recieve:Support of your company's entering the Japanese market by BIRD INITIATIVE (e.g. introduction of Japanese developers, support on incorporation of Japanese companies, etc.).