#Japan #Business Innovation #AlphaDrive #Yokosuka

Celebrating Success at the Startup Audition in Yokosuka 2025

On October 22, 2025, the grand finale of the Startup Audition in Yokosuka 2025 took place at the Welc Yokosuka, showcasing the best business ideas from emerging entrepreneurs. This year, a record 47 business plans were submitted, resulting in seven finalists making their pitches during the final evaluation.

The Winners

The esteemed panel of judges awarded prizes to four exceptional business plans, reflecting innovation and community impact:

Gold Award (1,000,000 yen)

Macmillan Corporation, represented by President Hiroshi Yokochi (Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture), received the Gold Award for their project that combines the latest embroidery machines with an online ordering system to create a new skajan culture.

Silver Award (500,000 yen)

e-PON Corporation, led by President Terumasa Washinuma (Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture), won the Silver Award for a business focused on sharing pet medical information to support pet owners in Yokosuka.

Silver Award (500,000 yen)

Hemicellulose Co., Ltd., represented by President Jin Nasukawa (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture), won an additional Silver Award for their circular bio-plastic project utilizing agricultural waste from Yokosuka.

Encouragement Award (300,000 yen)

Town News Corporation's President and CEO Tomonari Uemura (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture) was recognized for a community support initiative that digitizes local neighborhood association operations.

Special Awards

Numerous special awards were also given, including:

• - NICT Award: Swell Corporation, led by President Michi Ao (Nagano Prefecture), for TypeGO that connects English learners in Yokosuka.
• - Keikyu Award: The same project by Town News focusing on community development.

The event also featured several sponsorship prizes from renowned organizations like NTT East Japan, Kanagawa Shinkin Bank, and Shonan Shinkin Bank, among others, recognizing outstanding talent and offering mentorship opportunities.

Event Highlights

The event, structured from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM, attracted an audience of 65, with 41 attendees onsite and 24 participating online. Esteemed judges included industry leaders such as Hayato Ishizaka from Mirai Door and Michiko Sugihara from Four Ideal Japan, ensuring a rigorous evaluation process.

Future Prospects

The successful completion of Startup Audition in Yokosuka marks a significant step in fostering innovation within the community. The winning teams will receive ongoing business support from Yokosuka City and AlphaDrive, enabling them to further develop their ideas into actual businesses. This collaboration aims to sustain innovation and engagement as these entrepreneurs take the next steps toward realization.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, judges, and supporters for making this event a remarkable milestone for Yokosuka's startup ecosystem. The spotlight now turns to the winners, whose future endeavors we hope to see flourish with continued support and encouragement from the community.