12th “JEITA Venture Awards” Application Guidelines

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Outline of the 12th “JEITA Venture Awards”

1. Objectives

With the dramatic evolution of digital technology and the progress in its practical application, products, services, and systems that incorporate such technology are becoming prevalent in society at an increasingly high speed, leading to significant changes in industrial and social structures. Amid such situation, with the aim of realizing Society 5.0 and promoting innovation from a mid- to long-term perspective, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) is working on the creation of new markets beyond the boundaries of industries and business fields, through open innovation collaboration with aggressive venture companies, R&D and business partnerships between universities and companies, and cooperation with talents for the coming generations. The “JEITA Venture Awards” is held as one of JEITA’s such initiatives with the objective of supporting venture companies that will lead the development of the IT and electronics industry, the service industry, and all the other industries and realizing co-creation and cooperation between JEITA members and startups (excellent venture companies), while assisting in building ecosystems.
The FY2026 12th “JEITA Venture Awards” will be held to judge, select and award venture companies that may contribute to the overall development of the electronics and information technology industry, economic development, and creation of a “new normal” society adapted to life with/after COVID-19 based on three viewpoints (growth potential and leadership, influence and social impact).

2. Candidate companies

Venture companies which have been founded within the past 15 years and contribute to the electronics and information technology industry are eligible as candidates. If any recommendation is made or application is filed: not only for domestic venture companies but also for overseas venture companies invested in by Japanese companies, venture companies managed by persons with Japanese nationality or overseas venture companies considering entry into the Japanese market, and the relevant venture company is regarded as being suitable for the award, such company will also be examined and judged.

3. Fields Eligible for the Award

Venture companies operating in the following fields in relation to electronics and information technology will be awarded.

(1) Manufacturing
(2) Social infrastructure (excluding mobility)
(3) Medical and healthcare
(4) Smart House
(5) Mobility
(6) Energy
(7) Agriculture

(8) Logistics and distribution
(9) Industrial Safety
(10) Educational service
(11) Finance
(12) Cyber security
(13) AI and information technology
(14) Other (including software development)

4. Application Period

From November 9, 2026 (Mon.) to December 18, 2026 (Fri.) noon (JST GMT+9 firm deadline)

5. Sponsor

Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA)

6. Awarding Ceremony (tentative)

Date: March 26, 2027 (Fri.)
Venue: Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
Award product: Winners will be presented a certificate of commendation and commemorative gift

JEITA Venture Awards Application Guidelines

1. Candidates

1 Venture companies (*) which have been founded within the past 15 years and contribute to the electronics and information technology industry are eligible as candidates. If any recommendation is made or application is filed: not only for domestic venture companies but also for overseas venture companies invested in by Japanese companies, venture companies managed by persons with Japanese nationality or overseas venture companies considering entry into the Japanese market, and the relevant venture company is regarded as being suitable for the award, such company will also be examined and judged.

* Sole proprietors or corporations that fall under any of the following

Manufacturing and others	Capitalized at less than 300 million yen or having less than 300 regularly employed workers
Wholesale	Capitalized at less than 100 million yen or having less than 100 regularly employed workers
Service	Capitalized at less than 50 million yen or having less than 100 regularly employed workers
Retail	Capitalized at less than 50 million yen or having less than 50 regularly employed workers

2 Recommendations shall be filed from the public. Qualifications of recommenders will not be limited but self-recommendations are not allowed.

2. Application Method

1 A letter of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender. Please fill out the letter of recommendation (application form) and send it to the secretariat of the JEITA Venture Awards by email by December 18, 2026 (Fri.) noon(firm deadline).
Please ensure that the recommendation form does not exceed three pages.
※Please note that the submitted letter of recommendation (application form) and related application documents, etc. will not be returned.
※ The form of the letter of recommendation (application form) can be downloaded from our website.

application form

2 Submission of Supplementary Materials (Materials Supporting the Letter of Recommendation for Document Screening)
Along with the letter of recommendation (application form), please submit supplementary materials covering the following information.
Submission Format: PowerPoint (PPT/PPTX) or PDF
・Company Overview
・Business Activities
・Overview of Products and Services, and Business Model
・Key Features of Proprietary Technologies and Competitive Advantages
・Target Markets and Case Studies
・Sales Performance
・Medium-Term Goals
Please limit the supplementary materials to 10 slides or pages.
※These materials will be used as supporting documents for the evaluation of applications during the document screening process.

JEITA_Venture_Award_Supporting_Materials

3 Method to send documents, etc.

Please send the letter of recommendation (application form) by e-mail to the following e-mail address.
>E-mail：startup@jeita.or.jp
Please note that the Secretariat may contact you to make confirmations.

4 The letter of recommendation (application form) and information obtained from the recommender at the time of judgment will not be used for purposes other than the original intent of this project.

5 Application deadline: December 18, 2026 (Fri.) noon(firm deadline)

6 Destination and inquiries

Secretariat of JEITA Venture Awards
Ote Center Building 4F 1-1-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004 Japan
Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
E-mail: startup@jeita.or.jp

3. Selection

1 Judgment and selection

The judging committee consisting of academic experts, etc. will select the winner(s) by evaluating the letter of recommendation in a comprehensive manner from the following three viewpoints: (a) growth potential and leadership; (b) influence; and (c) social impact.

Evaluation viewpoint	Evaluation item
(a) Growth potential and leadership	The product or service has growth potential and leadership and is marketable with a clear target market.
(b) Influence	The technology related to the product or service is found to have a major influence such that it is used by various companies, etc. through standardization and social implementation.
(c) Social Impact	The product or service is found to contribute to the solution of social challenges in Japan.

2 Screening meeting

Companies that have passed the document screening will be invited to participate in the final screening meeting to be held at JEITA’s head office (in Otemachi) on Thursday, February 25, 2027, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. In this meeting, the candidates will be asked to make a presentation regarding their corporate profile, business and service descriptions, technical features, and other matters. In principle, the presentation should be attended by the company's representative (e.g., President or CEO).
Please make sure to put this screening meeting into your schedule when filing an application for the award.
The people who recommended the companies that have passed the document screening will be separately notified of the details of the final screening meeting(notification scheduled for early February 2027).

3 Notification of the selection result

Following the final screening, the selection results will be announced to the recommenders and award-winning companies around late February.

(i) The progress and contents of the judgment will not be notified by any means.
(ii) JEITA will not accept any inquiries concerning the details of the judgment or the name of the applicant company that was not selected or any oppositions against the judgment results.

4. Details of the Award

(i) Winners will be introduced in a press release.
(ii) Winners will be presented a certificate of commendation and commemorative gift.
(iii) Winners may publish the outline of the company or other relevant information on JEITA’s website “Venture Awards introduction site.”
(iv) Winners will be provided free-of-charge with an exhibition space (one booth per winner) in the start-ups & universities area at CEATEC 2027.
(v) Winners will be exempt from the joining fee and the membership fee for a JEITA full member for two years. They will continue to be eligible for the exemption from the membership fee until they satisfy certain growth standards.
(vi) As membership privileges, winners will be granted access to the latest industry information and offered special member prices (for purchasing publications and participating in seminars).
(vii) In addition to the above, JEITA is considering holding a networking event with its member companies.

5. Other reminders

1 Rescission of the award, etc.

Please note that the recommendation may be invalidated or the award may be rescinded if any of the following cases apply.

When there were any acts that may conflict with the objective of the award or any false statements.
When the winner is found unsuitable for the award based on social conventions such as violation of laws and regulations.

2 Handling of information, etc.

Personal data will be managed and administered based on the privacy policy stated in JEITA’s website (the following URL) in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations and guidelines concerning personal data.

[Privacy policy] https://www.jeita.or.jp/japanese/privacy/ (Japanese only)