Creating a Space Where Management and Technology Seamlessly Blend: Startup Community 'KERNEL' Revamps Membership System

Startup community 'KERNEL,' which supports entrepreneurship and commercialization in the AI and advanced technology sectors, operated by DEEPCORE, has significantly revamped its membership system. In this renewal, multiple membership tiers that were previously divided by startup phase have been consolidated, and seven new 'Official Communities' organized by theme have been established. By fostering meetings between entrepreneurs/CxOs, researchers, and engineers, and allowing their expertise to intersect, the community aims to become a place where next-generation founding teams are born alongside like-minded peers. KERNEL is an invitation-only membership community for entrepreneurs, CxOs, researchers, and engineers. It attracts diverse challengers ranging from those in the pre-startup research phase to serial entrepreneurs. The community has over 800 cumulative members, with many affiliated members who have been selected by overseas accelerators, including four startups accepted by Y Combinator, and those with track records of presenting at world-leading conferences such as CVPR, ICML, and ICRA. It has supported the creation of over 80 startups to date. ◼️ Background of the Renewal Currently, government and municipal support for researcher-led entrepreneurship is advancing, and initiatives to translate technical seeds from universities and research institutions into societal impact are accelerating. However, despite the existence of world-class technology, there are many cases where sufficient societal implementation is not achieved due to a lack of contact points between researchers, engineers, and management talent. DEEPCORE has expanded its activities beyond venture capital investment and business growth support to include supporting team formation and organizational development. This includes matching researchers with technical seeds to management talent and operating the program 'SYNCLE,' which addresses organizational challenges for startups. Through these initiatives, the community structure of KERNEL itself has been reviewed. By creating an environment where diverse talent can mingle and co-creation emerges naturally, the community aims to accelerate the societal implementation of technology. ◼️ Renewal Details - Consolidation of Membership Previously, KERNEL operated multiple membership categories depending on startup phase and activities. With this renewal, the membership has been consolidated so that all members can operate under a common 'KERNEL' membership. This allows for seamless connections between individuals with different phases and expertise, such as researchers before starting a company, CxO candidates seeking co-founders, and individuals aiming to join a startup. - Establishment of 'Official Communities' Seven 'Official Communities' (theme-based communities) corresponding to the areas of 'Team Formation Support,' 'Startup/Commercialization Support,' 'Career Support,' and 'Knowledge Sharing' will be deployed within the KERNEL membership. Members can freely participate in these theme-based communities depending on their goals and business phase. - Website Renewal The KERNEL website has been completely renewed. In addition to the activities of each Official Community, you can view the vision and community philosophy that KERNEL upholds. https://deepcore.jp/kernel ◼️ About 'Official Communities' 01 - First 10 A short-term intensive program specialized in organizational design and construction in the early stages of startup. It draws up recruitment strategies for the 'first 10 employees' and conducts matching through KERNEL's network. It supports everything from organizational design to AI-native organizational building using AI, while also supporting business area refinement, customer development, and recruitment through the introduction of domain-specific talent, boosting the acquisition of initial traction. 02 - SYNCLE (TOKYO SUTEAM selected project) A two-month peer-learning program that addresses the 'people and organizational walls' of startups. Startup managers, CxOs, and those involved in organizational development participate, sharing insights with peers facing similar challenges to derive unique solutions for their own companies. (Co-developed with MIMIGURI) 03 - EIR LAB (NEDO MPM selected project) A program for management talent (CxO candidates) interested in commercializing technical seeds and co-founding startups. Participants are registered as DEEPCORE's EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence), and through individual introductions and matching with researchers in the deep tech field through events, business hypotheses are explored.