#Japan #Tokyo #Lancers #Startup Class #Microwaves

Celebrating 15 Years of Startup Class

Startup Class has reached a significant milestone, commemorating its 15th anniversary since its founding as Amaterasu in 2026. To celebrate this achievement, the company hosted a remarkable event, inviting prominent startup executives who have successfully gone public in Japan, including leaders from Lancers and Microwaves Chemistry. Roughly 100 attendees, including venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, gathered for an enlightening discussion focused on the critical role of recruitment in driving startups to success.

Amid increasing regulations concerning Tokyo Stock Exchange listings, known as the '100 billion yen barrier', it has become crucial for startups to build management teams that support sustainable growth rather than viewing an IPO as the ultimate goal. Drawing from its extensive experience in recruitment support over the past 15 years, Startup Class deepened the conversation around the essential 'core recruitment' that companies require in the current landscape.

Special Session: Recruitment as the Company’s Driving Force

The event featured a special session with two distinguished guests who have journeyed with Startup Class since its early days.

Panel Guests:

• - Mr. Iwao Yoshino - CEO of Microwaves Chemistry (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Growth Section in 2022)
• - Mr. Yosuke Akiguchi - CEO of Lancers (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers, now Growth, in 2019)
• - Mr. Kiyotaka Fujioka - President of Startup Class (Panel Moderator)

Session Highlights

In the session, the panelists shared legendary insights from their founding days regarding recruitment practices. They discussed crucial experiences, like how they identified individuals who could match their drive and commitment toward their company visions. They also elaborated on unique challenges in hiring within deep tech, revealing valuable lessons learned from their startup journeys that resonated particularly with those present.

For instance, Mr. Yoshino recounted a pivotal moment during which they faced ridicule due to offering salaries that seemed low, highlighting a controversial but successful recruitment story during the early days of Microwaves Chemistry, a deep tech company facing financial challenges. He emphasized the necessity of rigorously assessing whether candidates could achieve their true passions within the company, especially in areas that require extensive growth time.

On the other hand, Mr. Akiguchi introduced a novel approach to determining the