ATOMica Opens Public-Private Co-Creation Hub 'E:N BASE' in Matsuyama City (Inside Ehime Prefectural Office)

ATOMica Inc. (Headquarters: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture; Co-CEOs: Mizuki Shimada and Kazuki Minamihara; hereinafter 'ATOMica'), commissioned by Ehime Prefecture, opened the public-private co-creation hub 'E:N BASE' on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at the Ehime Prefectural Office Second Annex (1st and 2nd floors) in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.

This facility will have ATOMica's 'Community Managers,' professionals who connect people, stationed on-site. They will carefully listen to, articulate, and continuously connect the wishes, concerns, and consultations (which we call 'WISHES') of diverse individuals, including entrepreneurs, startups, local companies, agricultural, forestry, and fishery businesses, educational institutions, financial institutions, and municipalities, with the most suitable partners (an activity we call 'KNOT').

■ Background: A Knot of People in the Heart of the Region

Amid population decline and the concentration of resources in Tokyo, creating new value in regions requires a system where diverse entities—government, private sector, educational institutions, financial institutions, agricultural/forestry/fishery businesses, and entrepreneurs—can meet in one place, jointly identify challenges, and take on new endeavors. Ehime Prefecture has made cross-sector co-creation a pillar of its prefectural administration and established 'E:N BASE' in central Matsuyama City as the core hub for implementing this vision.

ATOMica deploys over 250 Community Managers across more than 60 facilities in 28 prefectures nationwide, engaging in activities that connect people. At this hub, Community Managers will also be stationed to carefully listen to and articulate the wishes and concerns of each user, connecting them with the optimal partners and opportunities.

■ About the Name 'E:N BASE'

'E:N BASE' is a public-private co-creation hub with the concept of being a starting point for co-creation where diverse entities meet, connect, and take on challenges together. The name 'E:N BASE' embodies the desire for the hub to generate and expand the 'En' (縁/円, meaning缘分/circle) of co-creation through the meeting and connection of diverse entities. 'E' stands for the initial of Ehime, and 'N' encompasses various possibilities such as 'Next' and 'Node'. The colon (:) symbolizes 'connection'.

■ Facility Overview

'E:N BASE' features diverse areas on the 1st and 2nd floors.

[1st Floor]
E:NTRANCE
:CAFE
CO:NNECT AREA
DAN:DAN LOUNGE
E:N STAGE

[2nd Floor]
KITCHE:N
ROOM:
CO:AGARI
CO:LLABO AREA
E:N STUDIO

Usage is free with membership registration.
Business hours are weekdays 10:00-21:00 and Saturdays 13:00-18:00.
Regular operations begin on Monday, June 1, 2026.

▼ Facility Details
Facility Name: E:N BASE
Address: 〒790-8570 4-4-2 Ichibancho, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture
Opening Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (Regular use starts: Monday, June 1, 2026)
Business Hours: Weekdays 10:00-21:00 / Saturdays 13:00-18:00
Usage Fee: Free (Membership registration required; registration and usage fees are free)
Official Website: https://en-base.pref.ehime.jp
Inquiries: Ehime Prefectural Government, Department of Planning and Promotion, Policy Planning Bureau, Public-Private Co-Creation Promotion Division
Tel: 089-907-5221
E-mail: kanminkyousousuishin@pref.ehime.lg.jp

■ Opening Ceremony

On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, an opening ceremony for stakeholders was held on-site to commemorate the opening of 'E:N BASE'. Going forward, the facility plans to sequentially roll out a variety of programs, including support for entrepreneurial communities, AI/DX-related forums, human resource development and recruitment support programs, and networking events.

Panel discussion scene. (From left in photo: Mizuki Shimada, Co-CEO, ATOMica Inc.; Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura; Ryoka Sano, CEO, sf. Inc.; Takayuki Takatsuji, Managing Director, Yamadaya Inc.; Yu Okumura, Uwajima Project Inc.; Satoru Segawa, Heart Network Inc.)

Coffee from the permanent cafe brand 'knot CAFE' produced by ATOMica.

■ Comment from Mizuki Shimada, Co-CEO and Representative Community Manager, ATOMica

Approximately 170 people attended the opening event. We were also covered by nine media outlets, including TV and newspapers, and it was a day where we could truly feel the great expectations from the region. The real work for E:N BASE starts now. I feel a renewed sense of determination and am truly happy that we could celebrate the opening.

During the event, I had the opportunity to speak with the Governor and the panelists, which reaffirmed my belief that when trying to achieve something, what truly matters is human connection. This is exactly what we at ATOMica call the 'power of relationships.' How we cultivate 'social capital,' which was also mentioned in the opening talk, at this hub will be the key to Ehime's future challenges.

We aim to make E:N BASE a knot for the aspirations of entrepreneurs, companies, educational institutions, financial institutions, municipalities, Ehime Prefecture, and all people in the region. We want to increase, one by one, the moments when people feel, 'I couldn't have done this without meeting this person.' Together with the Ehime Prefectural Office staff, we will form one Community Manager team, listen to every individual's wishes, and increase the number of reliable and trusted relationships in Ehime.

■ About ATOMica Inc.

ATOMica Inc. is a seven-year-old startup with the mission of 'increasing reliable and trusted relationships,' operating the Social Coworking® business nationwide. To listen to all wishes and continue connecting people, it produces and operates coworking facilities from scratch for spaces owned by diverse partners, including companies, local governments, universities, and regions. Centered on Community Managers stationed at each facility, it goes beyond the framework of a mere coworking space to build communities and towns that sustainably generate encounters, exchanges, and co-creation. Currently, it operates over 60 facilities nationwide (as of June 2026). It was selected for the 'Toyo Keizai Amazing Venture 100' 2025 edition.

■ Company Overview
Company Name: ATOMica Inc.
Established: April 5, 2019
Representatives: Co-CEOs Mizuki Shimada, Kazuki Minamihara
Location: Work Styling Nihonbashi 1-chome, 5th Floor, Nihonbashi 1-chome Mitsui Building, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo Office)
Business Overview: Launch, planning, and operational support for coworking spaces; industry-academia collaboration projects