Amashin Supports Entrepreneurship! Recruiting Participants for the 'Amagasaki Co-creation Startup Program (1st Term)'

Amagasaki Shinkin Bank (Head Office: 3-30 Kaimei-cho, Amagasaki City, Director: Seiji Sakuda), a member organization of the Open Innovation Core Amagasaki (OIC)*, will launch the 'Amagasaki Co-creation Startup Program (1st Term)' on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.

This program is a co-creation type startup support program where people interested in starting a business or trying new things gather, combine their passions and ideas, and build new business concepts together.

Instead of just learning startup knowledge, participants with different backgrounds work together in practical workshops to generate ideas and businesses that they could not reach alone.

Through this program, we aim to foster a culture of challenge in the region and build a startup ecosystem by providing end-to-end support from business creation to network formation and business implementation.

*Consortium established in April 2024 through public-private collaboration between Amagasaki City, Amagasaki Shinkin Bank, Amagasaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kinki High-Energy Processing Technology Research Institute, and Amagasaki Regional Industry Revitalization Organization, aiming for further development of the industrial city of Amagasaki.

Recommended for:
- Those interested in starting a business but without a concrete idea yet
- Those who have something they want to do but cannot move forward alone
- Those who want to challenge new business with peers with different experiences and skills

Program Overview

Organizer: Amagasaki Shinkin Bank
Co-organizer: Open Innovation Core Amagasaki Management Council (OIC)

Period: July 2026 – December 2026 (10 sessions, approx. 3 hours each)
Location: Open Innovation Hub ARKade (2-27 Kamitanaka-dori, Amagasaki City, Hyogo)
Fee: Free
Capacity: 30
Application Deadline: July 10, 2026 (Friday)

Eligibility: Applicants must meet all requirements (1) and (2) below. Document screening required.

(1) Basic Requirements
① Interested in starting a business
② Willing to challenge innovative business development or collaboration with others
③ Agree to the program's startup method of challenging new business concepts in participant teams
④ Able to participate in person at the Open Innovation Hub ARKade (applicants from outside Amagasaki also welcome)

(2) Experience and Business Idea Requirements
① Pre-startup individual or entrepreneur within approximately one year of starting business
② No restriction on current occupation
③ Business idea must be a for-profit model (commercial model)

Details/Application: Please use the link below.
Amagasaki Co-creation Startup Program | ARKade

Preparatory Briefing Sessions
Sessions will be held on the following dates. Contents are the same for both, so please attend one that suits your schedule.
*Attendance at the briefing is not mandatory for program application.

June 16, 2026 (Tue) 18:30–19:30
June 25, 2026 (Thu) 18:30–19:30

Content: Explanation of the Amagasaki Co-creation Startup Program
Venue: Open Innovation Hub ARKade (2-27 Kamitanaka-dori, Amagasaki City, Hyogo)
Participation: No reservation required. Please inform the ARKade reception that you are attending the program briefing.

Staff Comment

[Staff Image]
[Naoto Umemoto, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Solution Group, Value Creation Division, Amagasaki Shinkin Bank]

In starting a business, sharing thoughts, having entrepreneur peers to consult with, and local connections that support challenges are a great strength.
The Amagasaki Co-creation Startup Program is not only for acquiring knowledge and concretizing ideas but also a place to find peers to challenge together and new connections.
If you are interested in starting a business or want to try new things, why not take the first step together with us?