UNIDGE Supports Keio Railways in Launching Successful Business Innovations

UNIDGE and Keio Railways Collaborate to Drive Open Innovation

UNIDGE, a subsidiary of AlphaDrive, has made significant strides in advancing Keio Railway's employee-driven open innovation initiative, "My Turn." This innovative program encourages employees to generate business ideas and collaborate with external startups. Recently, the final review committee, held on January 15, 2026, confirmed the commercialization of two promising projects.

What is "My Turn"?

"My Turn" is designed to harness the ideas and aspirations of Keio Railway employees, enabling them to collaborate with external businesses to develop new ventures. Launched in July 2024, the program attracted over 250 proposals. Following a meticulous selection process, 15 ideas were advanced to the hypothesis-testing stage. In February 2025, the first round of evaluations selected 11 projects, and by June of the same year, six ideas proceeded to validation experiments with designated collaborative partners.

UNIDGE played a crucial role as a companion partner, assisting with idea refinement, the facilitation of partnerships, and the design and execution of validation experiments throughout this creative process.

Summary of the Final Evaluation Committee

The final evaluation meeting, conducted at the Keio Plaza Hotel, applied a staged review methodology known as the "stage-gate" system. This approach included document selection, a first convocation for presentations, a second one for further evaluations, and ultimately the final review that determined business viability based on successful validation experiments.

Criteria included whether the project aligned with the Keio Group's mission, the clarity of the proposer's intent, the ability to leverage Keio Railway's strengths, the precise definition of the issues to be addressed, provided value, and the feasibility of achieving collaboration with external parties. During the latter part of the evaluations, the operational plans and outcomes of validation experiments were also taken into account for a holistic decision-making process. UNIDGE continues to provide support for the commercialization of both approved projects.

Projects Confirmed for Commercialization

1. Project Title: Transforming Restaurants into Continually Selected Entities - The Keio-Based Circular Cycle
Proposer: Ryosuke Tanaka
Collaborative Partner: Acquaponics Co., Ltd.
Overview: Addressing the increasing demand for story-driven ingredients amidst challenges like climate anomalies and declining numbers of producers, this project aims to introduce sustainable aquaponics—an innovative blend of hydroponics and aquaculture. This method will reliably provide environmentally conscious and locally-sourced foods like "Okutama Yamame," wasabi, and basil.

2. Project Title: Support Service for Bathing Facilities "CLEAN y LAND" - Protecting Local Culture and Community
Proposer: Jun Kimoto
Collaborative Partner: One Blow Co., Ltd.
Overview: Despite a rising demand due to the sauna trend, many public baths face closures due to the aging of proprietors and burdensome operational tasks. This initiative intends to maintain these vital community points by enhancing cleanliness and attracting new customers from outside the local area, revitalizing public bathing's appeal in the region.

About My Turn

The "My Turn" initiative stems from recognizing employees' unique perspectives and motivations, aiming to create new business opportunities through collaboration with external enterprises. The program encourages individual applications as well as teams. Through a structured approach of review and validation, it seeks to turn innovative ideas into burgeoning businesses. For more information, visit UNIDGE My Turn Program.

About UNIDGE

UNIDGE is a strategic subsidiary of AlphaDrive engaged in new business development. Commitment to open innovation, UNIDGE offers comprehensive support to ensure successful business creation rather than mere matchmaking. The team's background in business development means they can identify challenges on the corporate side and devise goal-oriented strategies that consistently yield innovative collaborations. Over the past three years, UNIDGE has achieved significant milestones with approximately 80 successful collaborations.