[Aichi Prefecture × AlphaDrive] Recruiting Companies in the Prefecture for New Business Creation in the Environmental Field! Co-creation Plan Development Program 'Sprout' Launched, Supporting Up to 5 Companies for About Half a Year

AlphaDrive Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO/CAXO: Yoichi Aso; hereinafter 'AlphaDrive'), together with Aichi Prefecture, has launched the co-creation plan development program 'Sprout' for companies in the prefecture aiming to create new businesses in the environmental field, and will start recruiting participating companies (up to 5) from Monday, June 8, 2026. At the same time, on Monday, July 6, an 'Open Seminar' will be held at STATION Ai (Nagoya City) for companies considering application and businesses in Aichi Prefecture interested in the environmental field.

This program is implemented as part of the 'Aichi Environmental Innovation Project' for which AlphaDrive serves as the secretariat. Starting from the company's own assets, it consistently supports the exploration of new business areas, discovery of customer issues, and concretization of solutions, aiming to create 'sprouts' of new businesses and early implementation in the environmental field.

Program Features

1. Design co-creation themes for new businesses from 'your own company's perspective'

From understanding risks by delving into environmental regulations to taking inventory of your own assets at the 'function/technology element' level, and verifying areas for new development. Using AI, set unique co-creation themes.

2. Individual support by dedicated mentors

Through joint workshops and individual mentoring by AlphaDrive's new business development specialists, support is provided seamlessly from customer issue verification to simple proof of concept (PoC) and organizing roles with startups.

3. Wide dissemination of developed plans and effective PR

The developed co-creation plans will be presented at the general meeting and exchange meeting of the Aichi Environmental Innovation Consortium, promoting open innovation with startups.

Program's Four Phases (September 2026 – February 2027)

① Self-analysis and theme exploration (joint workshops and individual mentoring / September–October)

Understanding risks by delving into environmental regulations, taking inventory of your own assets at the 'function/technology element' level and scrutinizing value, using AI to set co-creation themes, and verifying areas for new development.

② Customer issue verification (individual mentoring / November–December)

Repeated interviews with multiple customers to identify issues, pursuing whether they are 'issues customers would pay to solve.' Set the direction of solutions as hypotheses.

③ Solution verification and co-creation plan development (individual mentoring / January–February)

Verify solutions through simple PoC, organize assumed role sharing and collaboration requirements between companies and startups, and formulate co-creation plans.

④ Results presentation (February)

Present an overview of the co-creation plan at the general meeting and exchange meeting of the Aichi Environmental Innovation Consortium.

Recruitment Overview

Eligibility: Companies that meet all of the following requirements (industry and scale不限)

・Have a head office, branch office, business office, factory, research base, etc. within Aichi Prefecture

・Have the intention to develop environmental businesses in Aichi Prefecture through co-creation with startups

Recruitment Period: Monday, June 8, 2026 – Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 17:00

Selection Number: Up to 5 companies

Implementation Period: September 2026 – February 2027 (about half a year)

Participation Fee: Free

Application Method: Please apply via the application form on the Aichi Environmental Innovation Project special website.

Special Website: https://env-innovation.pref.aichi.jp

Selection Result Notification: Late August 2026 (All applicant companies will be notified by email regardless of selection status)

Open Seminar (Aichi Environmental Innovation Co-creation Seminar)

An open seminar including explanations of the Sprout program will be held for those considering applying and corporate personnel considering new environmental businesses. Expert lectures and panel discussions on market trends in environmental business and methods of open innovation will also be conducted.

Date & Time: Monday, July 6, 2026, 14:30–17:15 (Doors open 14:00)

Venue: STATION Ai, 1F Event Space (1-2-32 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya City)

Format: Hybrid (in-person/online) *Business card exchange, networking, and individual consultations are only for in-person participants

Participation Fee: Free

Target: Those involved in new business development, those considering launching environmental businesses, and those interested in open innovation

Application Method: Pre-registration via the application form on the special website *Deadline: Thursday, July 2, 2026, 17:00

Application Form: https://forms.gle/kHsL7cD3MkFuP3pBA

Seminar Program (Tentative)

14:30–14:40 Opening and purpose explanation

14:40–15:40 Keynote speech 'Structural changes in the environmental market and business opportunities in Japan and Aichi'

Speaker: Kenji Fuma (Representative Director CEO, Neural Inc.)

15:50–16:50 Panel discussion 'Environment × Open Innovation: Realities from Practitioners'

Panelists: Yuta Tanaka (JGC Holdings Corporation) / Hideaki Sakurai (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)

Commentator: Kenji Fuma (Neural Inc.)

Facilitator: Yusuke Doi (Representative Director Co-CEO, Unidge Inc. / AlphaDrive Tokai Base Chief)

16:50–17:05 Introduction of the co-creation plan development program 'Sprout'

17:05–17:15 Closing and questionnaire

17:15– Business card exchange, networking, individual consultations (in-person participants only)

*Attendance at the seminar is not mandatory for applying to this program. Multiple participants from the same company are welcome.

Speaker Profiles

Kenji Fuma (Representative Director CEO, Neural Inc.)

He serves as an outside director and advisor for multiple listed companies and institutional investors in the fields of sustainability management and ESG finance. He has held expert committee positions at the OECD, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. His latest books include 'Data Shows the Future of Employment in 2030', 'ESG Thinking', and 'An Ultra-Introduction to Carbon Neutrality'. Master's degree in Sustainability from Harvard Graduate School.

Yuta Tanaka (Strategic Planning Office, Corporate Planning Unit, and Sustainability Co-creation Office, JGC Holdings Corporation)

After joining JGC, he worked as a mechanical engineer designing overseas plants. From 2017, he experienced operations of Middle East power generation projects and domestic renewable energy M&A in the investment department. Currently, he is involved in new business creation related to waste plastic resource circulation and international rulemaking. He also promotes the introduction of new business proposal systems and co-creation with startups and companies outside the industry. Outside the company, he works as a Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant and is active in YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT by Venture Café Tokyo, etc.

Hideaki Sakurai (Manager, Strategic Planning Office, Development Strategy Department, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)

Joined Mitsubishi Materials in 1994. After working on functional material development at the Central Research Institute, he led the development and commercialization of insulating materials for EV/HV motors. In 2022, he became Group Leader of the head office's New Business Office, involved in acceleration and CVC