On February 22, 2024, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) selected a total of nine companies for the “Open Innovation Challenge TSUBASA,” an open call for Japanese startup companies considering expansion into the Latin America and Caribbean region that was held from October 18 to December 15, 2023. The decision was made to provide support for business development in the region over the next six months.
This program is an open innovation program that aims to contribute to solving development issues in Latin America and the Caribbean by combining innovative businesses of Japanese startups with the strong support of JICA and the IDB Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group.
The Latin America and Caribbean region faces development challenges in various areas, such as social disparity, deforestation and environmental pollution, delays in water and sewage system development, and access to medical care. On the other hand, with a population of approximately 650 million and a nominal GDP of over US$5.8 trillion, the region’s economy is larger than that of ASEAN. In addition, a startup ecosystem has been rapidly forming in the region in recent years. In light of this environment, JICA and IDB Lab are offering this support program to help solve development issues by encouraging Japanese start-ups to expand their businesses into the region.
In the third phase of the program, a Business Course for B to B (business to business) or B to C (consumer to consumer) and a Government Course for B to G (government to government) were newly established, and the applicants made attractive proposals.
Selected startups will receive support over the next six months to help them materialize their business ideas through advice from JICA, IDB Lab, and consulting firms, introductions to local networks, and on-site travel. Through this support, the program also aims to provide financial support for demonstration projects and business expansion, including access to IDB Lab and JICA’s support tools for promising businesses.
List of companies adopted
Adopted Course Company Name Representative Location Proposal Idea Name Business
Course elleThermo K.K. Shoko Ikata, Tokyo Transforming post-closure mines into a source of electricity: a new way of life for the people of Tokyo.
Demonstration of semiconductor sensitized heat utilization power generation
(Idea brush-up frame, *2) Toshiki Kazeoka, Endophyte, Tokyo, Japan Extreme environment by endophytic fungi
Highly productive agriculture and afforestation in
Realization Koeeru K.K. Nagano Kusaji Kanagawa Prefecture Industry-academia-government co-creation SHEP(*1)
marketplace
Mi Mercado Verde.
Tenchijin Corporation Yasuto Sakuraba Tokyo, Japan Water using satellite data
Road pipe leakage risk management business
TYPICA Holdings K.K. Masashi Goto Osaka, Japan Greenhouse effect of coffee production
Gas Emissions Visualization System
Development, demonstration and standardization of a new technology for the development and standardization of a new technology for the development and standardization of a new technology.
(Idea Brush A
(*2) TOKYO8 GLOBAL Corporation Tahei Ishida, Tokyo Plant life that can be produced locally
sex drugs to increase farmers’ harvests and
Increased soil carbon sequestration
(Idea Brush A
(*2) Government
Course TOWING Corporation (*3) Kohei Nishida Aichi, Japan Microbial culture for biochar
Biome Corporation Biome, a smartphone application for soil restoration using nutrient technology
Citizen participation using
Environmental bio-monitoring of the environment in Pirika Corporation Fujio Koshima Tokyo, Japan AI x smartphone x vehicle
Survey of litter on the streets
countermeasures program
(*1) Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion, a market-oriented agricultural promotion approach promoted by JICA.
(*2) After the adoption of the project, the mentoring will last for about one month, and if a direction for the use case and business model is agreed upon, the project will be shifted to the Business Course. On the other hand, if no agreement on the direction is reached, the support will be terminated after the same mentoring.
(*3) Companies selected for TSUBASA2022: In TSUBASA2022, a BtoB business model was studied, but in TSUBASA2023, a BtoG business model proposal based on the results of that study was selected for the Government course.
© Source JICA