Introducing the ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator for Young Entrepreneurs

Launching the ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator

The seed venture capital firm ANOBAKA, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has launched an exciting new initiative aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs and students interested in generative AI. This program, named the ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator, focuses on fostering scalable business ventures in the generative AI sector, promoting the emergence of the next generation of unicorn companies.

Current Landscape

Globally, generative AI startups are rapidly emerging, with unicorn companies being created at a swift pace. However, in Japan, while the number of generative AI startups is increasing, they are still comparatively few. Among these, student-led startups are predominantly focusing on contract and consulting services rather than seeking growth through innovative and disruptive business models. ANOBAKA recognizes that the potential of both generative AI and young talent has yet to be fully realized. As such, the firm aims to address this gap by creating an environment that promotes exponential growth for young entrepreneurs, specifically at the intersection of “students” and “generative AI.”

Overview of the ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator

The ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator is designed as a comprehensive support program for students who aspire to utilize generative AI in addressing social challenges and creating new industries.
Here’s a summary of the resources available to participants:

- Financial support of 500,000 yen provided at both the acceptance stage and upon starting their business
- Free access to a co-working space for up to six months
- Technical support packages from AWS and Google Cloud, along with mentorship
- Monthly workshops and bi-weekly hands-on support
- Access to pitch events to showcase their ideas and business plans

Significantly, this program is characterized by non-equity-based support, an innovative move for a venture capital-driven accelerator focusing on student entrepreneurs in the generative AI space.

Purpose of the Program

The principal aim of this accelerator is to equip students with the necessary tools and resources to launch scalable businesses using generative AI technology. By joining the ideas of the “next-generation challengers”—the students—and the transformative power of “generative AI,” the program seeks to foster a new startup ecosystem based in Tokyo that cultivates future unicorn candidates.

Implementation Schedule

Recruitment for the program will start in November 2025, followed by a selection process, with the program slated to begin in January 2026. Participants will engage in a six-month support initiative encompassing workshops, mentorship sessions, and pitch events.

Workshop Curriculum (6 Sessions)

- Techniques for defining problems and validating hypotheses
- Product strategies in the age of generative AI
- Building MVPs and acquiring initial users
- Strategies for scaling businesses
- Insights into the experiences of student entrepreneurs
- Fundamentals of seed financing

Organizational Structure

ANOBAKA will take a leading role in planning, executing, and continuously supporting participants throughout the program.

External Instructors and Mentors

- Yasuhiro Yoshida, CEO of Paradigm AI
- Yuichi Miyazaki, CEO of AVA Intelligence

A Message from CEO Yasuhiro Nagano

“We are fully committed to supporting passionate and talented young individuals. Drawing on our experience from over 200 startups that we have invested in, we aim to guide you on an exciting entrepreneurial journey. The fruits of life are reserved for those who dare to challenge themselves—seize the opportunity!”

Future Prospects

Through the ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator, ANOBAKA seeks to accelerate the emergence of generative AI startups from the student demographic, fostering an ecosystem conducive to the emergence of the next unicorns from Japan. Looking ahead, the firm plans to expand collaborations with various institutions, including universities and incubation facilities, to create a society where taking on challenges is the norm for students.

About ANOBAKA

Operating under the vision of “Empowering Mad Dreams,” ANOBAKA is a venture capital fund focused on seed-stage startups. The firm embraces “challenge” as a supreme concept, empowering entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams through innovative funding solutions. Additionally, by concentrating on cutting-edge fields such as generative AI, ANOBAKA aims to drive the growth of companies with revolutionary technologies and business models that lead to social transformation.