#Japan #Tokyo #Business Development #Aoba-BBT #MentorMe

A New Era in Business Development: MentorMe Lab Launches

Aoba-BBT Co., Ltd., headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, is excited to announce the full-scale launch of its business development support service, "MentorMe Lab," utilizing its matching platform, "MentorMe." This initiative aims to address practical challenges identified through a research survey conducted by its group company, MentorMe Inc. The survey was conducted between March and May 2025 and revealed significant obstacles encountered by companies in new business development.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the need to support new ventures and foster innovation has become crucial. However, as discovered during the survey involving six diverse companies (across manufacturing, telecommunications, beverages, software, and finance sectors), various barriers have hindered effective new business initiatives. Here are some of the core issues identified:

1. Incentivizing Employee Participation: Companies struggle to ignite passion within their employees, lacking effective incentive structures and mechanisms to drive behavioral changes that lead to active participation in new initiatives.

2. Balancing Quality and Scale in Ideas: Many organizations find themselves stuck with small-scale ideas, failing to visualize a future-oriented vision that could propel meaningful innovation.

3. Inadequate Business Development Processes: There are significant gaps in existing human resource frameworks and transfer schemes that complicate the business development process.

4. Mentoring Challenges: Companies often face difficulty in connecting with reliable external mentors, which limits their access to guidance and expertise necessary for growth.

5. Isolation of Program Administrators: There is a lack of collaborative platforms and opportunities for program managers to share information and insights, contributing to a sense of loneliness in their efforts.

To read more about the detailed survey findings, click here.

Aoba-BBT and MentorMe: Pioneering a New Support Model

In response to these challenges, Aoba-BBT is establishing a robust system that intertwines talent development and business creation. By merging the expertise of over 3,300 registered mentors from MentorMe with Aoba-BBT's educational resources, this new initiative is set to enhance support across three key dimensions:

1. Practical Learning and Output Support: By integrating Aoba-BBT’s traditional educational strengths with MentorMe’s hands-on approach, the program aims to empower individuals to create their own businesses. This mentoring process has been shown to increase the success rate of entrepreneurial ventures by up to three times, based on materials from the Cabinet Office's new capitalism initiatives.

2. Discovery and Development of Next-Generation Management Talent: The push for new business creation is vital not just for individual companies but also for the growth of the Japanese economy. Discovering and nurturing future managerial talent within large enterprises is urgent. The initiative will offer programs aimed at cultivating these next-generation leaders.

3. Building a Mentor Ecosystem Through Alumni Utilization: By re-engaging Aoba-BBT alumni as mentors, the initiative aims to create a sustainable cycle of development, application, and contribution. Currently leveraging a network of about 5,000 alumni, MentorMe is actively facilitating this endeavor, establishing a robust human resource platform supporting various companies and individuals.

Market Growth Potential and Strategic Significance for Aoba-BBT

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s "Future Human Resource Vision" from 2022, the domestic reskilling and new business support market is anticipated to exceed 300 billion yen annually over the next five years. Specifically, there exists a substantial blue ocean in training opportunities for mid-level professionals (in their 30s to 40s). Aoba-BBT aims to capitalize on this opportunity by providing practical education through MentorMe.

Looking Ahead: Connecting Businesses and Learners with MentorMe Lab

Going forward, Aoba-BBT will roll out practical measures through MentorMe Lab, including:

• - Development and provision of standardized templates for new business programs.
• - Ongoing research on "Entrepreneurial Journey Analysis Reports" for program participants.
• - Expansion of mentor training programs for global talent (support for English).
• - Cooperation with public support systems (career advancement subsidies, Economic and Trade Ministry's reskilling grants, etc.)

The launch of MentorMe Lab stands as a commitment by Aoba-BBT to lift the barriers faced in new business initiatives, equipping companies and learners with the resources and support needed to thrive in a competitive landscape.

About MentorMe Inc.

Founded in 2019, MentorMe Inc. offers a matching platform connecting companies with mentors. With approximately 3,300 professionals registered, mentors come from diverse fields including entrepreneurship, management, marketing, finance, business coaching, engineering, and digital transformation (DX). The platform tailors mentor recommendations based on each company’s specific needs, enhancing success rates for new business ventures and the cultivation of next-generation managerial talent. MentorMe continually evolves to support the growth and success of businesses. For more information, visit MentorMe.

About Aoba-BBT

Established in April 1998, Aoba-BBT is dedicated to developing leaders who excel globally. The organization provides a wide range of educational programs (Life-Time Empowerment) catering to individuals from young children to corporate executives, including international schools, corporate training, and online bachelor's and MBA programs. Utilizing innovative educational technologies, Aoba-BBT creates learning environments tailored to meet individual needs, enabling students and professionals to achieve sustainable growth. As a leading company in the education sector, Aoba-BBT continues to evolve and contribute to the future of education. For more details, visit Aoba-BBT.