#Japan #Tokyo #Unidge #JR West Group #Bernal

JR West Group's Innovative Partnership Program: Bernal 2025

The JR West Group has announced the selection of 22 startups to participate in its innovative partnership program, Bernal, for the fiscal year 2025. UNIDGE, a subsidiary of AlphaDrive, plays a crucial role in operating this program, which aims to collaboratively develop business solutions that address regional and social challenges.

Overview of Bernal Program

The Bernal initiative is designed to connect the JR West Group with promising startups, facilitating a platform for co-creation guided by mutual goals. The program encourages innovation aligned with the group's long-term vision and medium-term management plan. This year, the application period ran from September 1 to October 31, inviting startups that fit the specified recruitment areas to apply.

The five key focus areas for startups in 2025 include:
1. Future Development Along Rail Lines
2. Co-creation of Humans and Technology
3. Adaptation to Change
4. Redefining the Value of the Real
5. Value Provision for Overseas Customers

The selected startups are considered to hold significant potential for co-creation with the JR West Group in these areas. Each company brings unique insights and capabilities that can drive authentic value in the specified domains.

List of Selected Startups for 2025

The following startups have been confirmed as participating companies in the Bernal program:

• - Red Cliff, Inc. (Tokyo, Minato)
• - Inac, Inc. (Tokyo, Arakawa)
• - TENT, Inc. (Tokyo, Meguro)
• - for Crafts, Inc. (Hyogo, Kobe)
• - Dwilar, Inc. (Berkeley, California, USA)
• - Xsym, Inc. (Tokyo, Minato)
• - ONESTRUCTION, Inc. (Tottori, Tottori)
• - LOOVIC, Inc. (Kanagawa, Yokohama)
• - CiPPo, Inc. (Hyogo, Kobe)
• - Company Agreement with Rice and Cotton (Hyogo, Kobe)
• - Gel Bio, LLC (Hiroshima, Higashi-Hiroshima)
• - Procent, Inc. (Tokyo, Chuo)
• - Nemiel, Inc. (Tokyo, Shinjuku)
• - SuperBuzz, Inc. (Tokyo, Nakano)
• - Matchbox Technologies, Inc. (Niigata, Niigata)
• - iiba, Inc. (Tokyo, Minato)
• - Good Loser, Inc. (Osaka, Osaka)
• - House and Adventure, Inc. (Kanagawa, Yokohama)
• - Recotech, Inc. (Tokyo, Chiyoda)
• - VxTech, Inc. (Tokyo, Minato)
• - UPCYCLE Technologies, Inc. (Niigata, Niigata)
• - Lost Item Delivery, Inc. (Oita, Beppu)

Future Schedule for the Program

As 2025 unfolds, participating companies will capitalize on JR West Group's distinctive management resources, including their transport network, digital services, and commercial facilities for their proofs of concept and business exploration.
The key upcoming milestones in the program schedule include:

• - March 2026: First Evaluation Meeting
• - August 2026: Second Evaluation Meeting
• - March 2027: Final Evaluation Meeting (Demo Day)

During these evaluation sessions, the program will review the results of proofs of concept and the progress of business plans. It will determine the feasibility of collaboration with the JR West Group for potential commercialization.

About the Bernal Program

Bernal aims to foster collaborative business innovation to tackle societal and regional challenges. By leveraging resources such as railway facilities, digital services, and member programs, it supports startups in their growth while facilitating the creation of new business models for the JR West Group. This program encourages strategic partnerships that combine the group's corporate assets and startup technologies in a mutually beneficial format. Additionally, it includes opportunities for capital partnership through investments by JR West’s corporate venture capital arm, JR West Innovations.

For detailed insights, visit the Bernal program's dedicated website: Bernal Program Site.

About UNIDGE

UNIDGE is a strategic subsidiary of AlphaDrive, specializing in business development support. Its mission is to facilitate open innovation that leads to substantial business creation. The dedicated team at UNIDGE consists of business development experts, agilely helping companies from issue identification to goal setting. They create frameworks that promote successful collaborative business projects, achieving significant results within just three years of operation.

About AlphaDrive

Company Name: AlphaDrive Co., Ltd.
Founded: February 23, 2018
CEO: Yoichi Aso
Location: 2-17-3 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, Japan
AlphaDrive Website

Company Name: UNIDGE, Inc.
Co-CEOs: Miho Tsuchinari and Yoichi Aso
Location: 2-17-3 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, Japan
UNIDGE Website

For inquiries, contact AlphaDrive through their website.