#Japan #Sendai #01Booster #DATERISE! 2025

DATERISE! 2025: Pioneering Global Startup Growth in Sendai

The first-ever global startup event, DATERISE! 2025, organized by 01Booster, concluded successfully in Sendai, attracting an impressive attendance of over 1,700 participants. The event, themed "SENDAI to Global!", aimed at fostering startups and student entrepreneurs from the Tohoku region to expand their horizons globally.

DATERISE! included various engaging programs, from pitch contests featuring local startups to workshops for students and opportunities for the public to experience innovative products. The event served as a unique platform for enhancing business collaborations and generating innovation.

Highlights from the DATERISE! Pitch Contest

One of the key events was the DATERISE! PITCH CONTEST 2025, where 11 startups participated. The contest concluded with AiraTech, a startup focusing on radiation therapy AI, winning the prestigious NTT EAST Award. This award provided AiraTech with access to local programs through an overseas accelerator. Other notable winners included:

• - Sparkle Award: NanoFrontier Inc.
• - StartupGo!Go! Award: CaptureSmith
• - WE AT Award: amu Inc.
• - 77 Bank Award: Fight Chemical Products, Inc.
• - MPC Award: Mu-Signal Co., Ltd.

Inspiring Sessions and Discussions

Numerous sessions were held throughout the event, including an OPENING SESSION featuring presentations from Sendai City and Tohoku University on innovation initiatives. A keynote speech by former Major League Baseball player Hisashi Iwakuma inspired many, sharing his experiences and insights on moving from Sendai to a global stage and emphasizing the courage needed to embrace new challenges.

The MICHINOKU ACADEMIA SESSION featured Bruno Martineau from France’s École Polytechnique, who discussed the process of creating businesses that utilize academia-driven technology to enact global change, alongside Stefan Matsushita from Tohoku University, who spoke on fostering a global entrepreneurial mindset in Sendai.

NTT East Japan hosted a particular session focusing on regional co-creation, highlighting collaborative examples with Storyline, a company utilizing unique caffeine extraction technology, discussing successful Proof of Concept (PoC) cases and future aspirations.

Additionally, the GLOCAL PANEL DISCUSSION included insights from Kisui Corp., PowerSpin Inc., and amu Inc. on their motivations and strategies for global expansion.

Community Engagement and Workshops

The venue buzzed with 52 participating companies and organizations showcasing their offerings, facilitating networking and potential business matches. As a side event at YUI NOS, the public enjoyed interactive startup showcases called ENNICHI, which attracted families and children.

Workshops aimed at younger audiences included an U-25 IDEA WORKSHOP, focusing on quickly generating business ideas, and a workshop for making original helmets inspired by the legendary samurai Date Masamune. The event concluded with a vibrant after-party in the main venue, marking the end of a successful day.

Event Overview

• - Event Name: DATERISE! 2025
• - Date: August 23, 2025
• - Location: The Westin Hotel Sendai / Urban Net Sendai Central Building YUI NOS
• - Organizer: Sendai City
• - Co-organizers: Tohoku University, Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Miyagi Prefecture, Michinoku Academia Startup Co-Creation Platform, JETRO Sendai, NTT Urban Development Corporation, and 77 Bank
• - Sponsors: NTT East Japan, NTT Urban Solutions, CalTa, and numerous other local companies.

01Booster, the firm behind the organization of DATERISE!, is committed to fostering open innovation and supporting new business development, operating various programs that bridge corporate and startup environments. The company continually strives to harness entrepreneurial energies to create impactful changes worldwide.

Learn more about 01Booster.