Dates: September 17 - Late February, 2022 
Application Period:  -September 15
Location: Web meeting
Overview:
EDGE-NEXT by UTokyo is an entrepreneurship education program which develops global entrepreneurs and enables participants to create business plans based on research seeds. Participants will make a business plan to solve social problems by utilizing research output/business experience and through mentoring and customer hearing, and confirm its value through making presentation to investors in Japan and the US. They can have an opportunity to expand into all over the world in business. They will challenge themselves to make business plans based on their passion for problem solving and their skills and knowledge (research or business experience).

Requirements:
(1)Have a business idea
(2)Participate as a team (2-3 persons per team is desirable, but 1 person per team is acceptable.)
(3)Fee: University & national laboratory researchers, government persons: no charge, Corporation: 300K yen per person including overseas online training fee
(Additional 300K yen per person if overseas training is done in the US.)

Merit of the program:
-Can enhance business skill through lectures and talks for basic of starting business
-Can do customer hearing by using spot consulting (Visasq for research in Japan and GLG for research in overseas) with no fee
-Can receive special guidance and support from Japan and US mentors (advisers for business)
-Can receive comments from business professionals and investors at overseas training (San Diego, San Jose) and get opportunities to expand into overseas
-Can create diverse human network in business areas

Schedule for Advanced Phase:
-Sep. 17 (Fri)  9:30-17:00: Kickoff
Talk: Invited talk about customer hearing experience by the graduate of EDGE-NEXT program
Lecture: Business plan, Customer and business model, Competitive advantage, Method of customer hearing
-Sep. 18 (Sat) – Oct. 14 (Thu): Japan mentoring 1
1 or 2 mentoring
-Oct. 15 (Fri) 9:30-17:00: Lecture and intermediate pitch 1
Lecture: IP strategy, Go to market and finance
Intermediate pitch 1: Present business plan by each team and receive comments from mentors
-Oct. 16 (Sat) – Nov. 17 (Wed): Japan mentoring 2
About 2 mentoring
-Nov. 18 (Thu), Nov. 19 (Fri) AM only (details: TBD): Online overseas training 1
Intermediate pitch 2 and elevator pitch in English
-Nov. 20 (Sat) – Dec. 12 (Sun): Japan mentoring 3
About 2 mentoring
-Dec. 13 (Mon) 13:00-17:00: Final pitch in Japan (language: English)
-Dec. 14 (Tue) – Feb. 10, 2022 (Thu): Overseas mentoring (online)
About 2 mentoring (in English)
-Feb. 20 – 27, 2022 (details: TBD): Online overseas training 2
Talks, lectures, and pitch for VC (in English)

Intended for: University researchers (graduate level or higher), national laboratory researchers, government staff, corporate personnel (research or business development)
Number of participants: About 25 people

Registration: Please register via the form on the following application site by a team (1 person per team is acceptable.)
https://bit.ly/3mwOX3k

Contact: The University of Tokyo, Division of University Corporate Relations, EDGE-NEXT Office  
E-mail: edgenext@ducr.u-Tokyo.ac.jp
https://www.ducr.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/activity/venture/education/edge.html