Asuiku, a Temporary and Experience-Based Childcare Service, Wins the "Kiraboshi Bank Award" at "NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026"!

Asuiku, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Keiko Sakiwaki), which operates the temporary childcare search and reservation service "Asuiku" and the experience-based temporary childcare service "Wakuiku," received the "Kiraboshi Bank Award" at the pitch contest "NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH 2025-2026," hosted by Nikkei Inc. on Sunday, March 8, 2026. "NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH" is a national pitch contest hosted by Nikkei Inc. for startups and successor ventures. Companies that win their way through document screening and regional block competitions advance to the finals, where they present their business in a four-minute pitch. They are evaluated on marketability and growth potential, as well as their contribution to solving social issues and the originality of their business and technology. Through "Asuiku," which allows users to find and book temporary childcare facilities entirely online, and "Wakuiku," an experience-based temporary childcare service focused on the value of children's experiences, our company is not only solving problems for families, such as "not being able to find childcare" and "the limited number of trusted places," but is also proposing a new way of temporary childcare that allows parents to leave their children without guilt and refresh themselves both mentally and physically. In this competition, our initiatives were highly praised as an innovative business model for pioneering the new market of experience-based temporary childcare and creating a service that enriches people's lives, leading to our winning the "Kiraboshi Bank Award." With this award as a catalyst, we will proceed with expanding the adoption of the "Asuiku" temporary childcare service and promote the popularization of the "Wakuiku" experience-based temporary childcare service. Furthermore, by introducing a point system and gift cards, we will create mechanisms to make temporary childcare more accessible, generate new usage opportunities, and expand environments where parents can refresh themselves. This will allow us to evolve the state of childcare in Japan for the better and expand the diverse range of experiential opportunities available to children. [Reference URL: https://pitch.nikkei.com/library/97/] ■ Comment from Keiko Sakiwaki, CEO, Asuiku, Inc. I am thrilled to receive the wonderful 'Kiraboshi Bank Award' for Asuiku's initiatives. I still vividly remember our first experience-based childcare event at Ueno Station in 2023, seeing the children's excited, engrossed faces as they interacted with things they love. I also remember how seeing their children like that instantly eased the parents' guilt about taking time for themselves, replacing it with smiles as they said, 'I'm so glad we did this.' This award has renewed my determination to expand this initiative—which creates value for so many people, including children, parents, our partner companies in "Wakuiku," and childcare workers—all across Japan, in line with our vision, "Excitement for you, and for me." ■ About "NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH" "NIKKEI THE PITCH GROWTH" is a pitch contest hosted by Nikkei Inc., continuing the legacy of the "Start-up Pitch" series that began in 2019. It is a national competition where startups and successor ventures, selected after document screenings and regional rounds, pitch the growth potential of their new businesses. URL: https://pitch.nikkei.com/contest/NIKKEI%20THE%20PITCH%20GROWTH/ ■ About the "Wakuiku" Experience-Based Temporary Childcare Service Our company, in addition to its matching platform, has been developing the "Wakuiku" series since 2023, including "Eki-iku," "Tan-iku," and "Car-iku." These are "experience-based temporary childcare programs" that combine authentic experiences at real workplaces—such as train stations, department stores, and companies—with childcare. The program is a service where childcare workers look after children on holidays, providing them with special experiences while their parents enjoy free time. Among these, "Eki-iku," set in railways and stations, has been so popular that it consistently sells out with a waiting list. It has received extremely high praise, with an average parent satisfaction score of 9.6 (out of 10) and a repeat participation rate of over 60%. Furthermore, collaborations with partner companies are expanding nationwide. ■ About Asuiku, Inc. Asuiku, Inc. aims to create a society where both parents and children can achieve well-being. Centered on the keyword "childcare," the company operates "Asuiku," a matching platform on the LINE app that helps users find temporary childcare in as little as one minute. Since 2023, in addition to the matching platform, it has developed experience-based temporary childcare programs. Under the support of childcare workers, it implements the "Wakuiku" series, including "Eki-iku," "Tan-iku," and "Car-iku," as "experience-based temporary childcare" where children can learn while experiencing the unique attractions of professional environments. Company Name: Asuiku, Inc. Location: G-STA SQUARE, Sumitomo Fudosan Toranomon Tower 2F, 2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo CEO: Keiko Sakiwaki Established: December 2017 Business Activities: Development and operation of the temporary childcare search and reservation service "Asuiku," and provision of the experience-based temporary childcare service "Wakuiku." URL：https://asuiku.co.jp/