Pitch Contest "Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND" to be Held at TechGALA, Applications Now Open & First Judges Announced!

The "Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium," comprised of organizations including the Chubu Economic Federation, Nagoya University, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, and Hamamatsu City, aims to foster a startup ecosystem. As part of this initiative, the "TechGALA Japan 2026: BEYOND" event will feature the pitch contest "Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND" on its second day, December 16 (Wed).

This pitch contest offers an excellent opportunity for startups to accelerate their growth by discovering new partners and market expansion opportunities in Aichi and Nagoya, the heart of Japan. Applications for participating startups are now open, so we encourage all startups aiming for co-creation to apply.

▼ "Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND" Application [Application Deadline: September 18, 2026 (Fri)]

https://business.form-mailer.jp/lp/7a0a1786352580

Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND Judges

Currently, three individuals have agreed to serve as judges, with more to be announced. (In no particular order, titles omitted)

Name

Company

Shuji Honjo

Representative, Honjo Office & Visiting Professor, Tama University (MBA)

Emily Wu

Partner, Darwin Ventures LLC

Takeshi Isaku

Chief Innovation Officer, Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd.

Prizes and Support

The winning company will receive prize money and media placement support. All finalist companies will receive support for matching with TechGALA participants, including executives from multinational corporations and diverse industries.

◼︎ 1st Place (Winner)

Prize money of 1 million yen (to be awarded as business funds for the next stage)

Media placement (support for exposure in various media, including TechGALA media partners)

◼︎ Finalists (Top 15 Companies)

Demo table exhibition rights (opportunity to set up a dedicated booth at the TechGALA venue to directly showcase your products and services to attendees)

Matching support with partner companies (priority invitations for business meetings with open innovation partners during the TechGALA Speed Networking session, and matching support on the day)

Accompanying support for the finals (experts and entrepreneurs will provide pitch refinement support until just before the finals)

Application Guidelines

◼︎ Finals Date and Venue

Date: December 16, 2026 (Wed) 14:30 - 17:50

Venue: Aichi, Nagoya

*Only finalists who pass the document screening will present on the live stage.

◼︎ Eligible Companies

Startups founded less than 20 years ago with a product or service at the MVP stage or beyond.

*To accommodate companies requiring R&D periods, such as university-launched ventures and deep tech companies, we broadly accept applications from startups founded less than 20 years ago.

◼︎ 5 Target Business Fields

Business content must fall under one of the following categories:

MOBILITY

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

MATERIAL

LIFE SCIENCE / WELL-BEING

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

◼︎ Language and Orientation Requirements

Pitch presentations must be conducted entirely in English, assuming global evaluation and business discussions.

Additionally, startups must meet one of the following criteria:

Japanese startups aiming to expand into overseas markets or secure funding from overseas VCs.

Overseas startups aiming for full-scale entry into the Japanese market or co-creation with domestic corporations.

Selection Process

1 Application Period (July 1 - September 18)

2 Finalists Announcement (Late October)

3 Refinement & Pre-Matching Support (November 1 - December 15)

4 Pitch Contest Finals (December 16)

▼ Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND Details Page

https://techgala.jp/pitch-contest

▼ "Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND" Application [Application Deadline: September 18, 2026 (Fri)]

https://business.form-mailer.jp/lp/7a0a1786352580

TechGALA Japan 2026: BEYOND Event Overview

<Event Schedule>

Dates: December 15 (Tue) - December 17 (Thu), 2026

<Venue>

Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

◎Sakae Area: December 15 (Tue), December 16 (Wed)

Chunichi Building: https://chunichi-hall.jp/

Nadia Park: https://www.nadyapark.jp/

Urbanet Nagoya Nexta Building: https://conference.nagoya-nexta.jp/

Meiji Yasuda Seimei Building: https://share.google/bHzvRxoY8aDT2Ec3o

◎Tsurumai Area: December 17 (Thu)

STATION Ai: https://stationai.co.jp/

<Organizer>

Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium Global Event Executive Committee

(Chubu Economic Federation / Nagoya University / Aichi Prefecture / Nagoya City / Hamamatsu City, etc.)

<Special Partners>

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) / STATION Ai Inc.

<Program Overview>

Conference

Speed Networking

Pitch Contest

Networking Reception

Exhibition

Side Events

Art & Music, etc.

▼ Official Website

TechGALA Official Top Page https://techgala.jp/

▼ Official Social Media

X https://x.com/TechGALA_Japan

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/techgala-japan

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/o6voVBouVoS5YzET/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/techgala_japan

▼ Inquiries

General TechGALA Inquiries https://business.form-mailer.jp/lp/1b4255d9349236

Sponsorship Inquiries https://business.form-mailer.jp/lp/6029c773349238

Side Event Organizer Application Form https://business.form-mailer.jp/lp/97a07a5a350604

▼ Organizer Information

Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium

A consortium formed by the Chubu Economic Federation, Nagoya University, Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, Hamamatsu City, and others to establish a startup ecosystem. In June of Reiwa 7 (2025), it was selected by the Cabinet Office as a "Global Hub City (Wide-Area Metropolitan Area Type)" under the second phase of the Startup Ecosystem Program, and is working with the region as a whole to foster and support the creation and growth of startups.