Thinker Wins Startup Grand Prize at 13th JR East Startup Program DEMO DAY

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and JR East Startup Corporation held the "13th JR East Startup Program DEMO DAY" on June 4, an event for creating new businesses in collaboration with venture companies. Thinker Inc. was awarded the overall "Startup Grand Prize."

Additionally, the "Excellence Award" went to Kailas Robotics Inc., the "Special Jury Prize" to Smart City Technology Research Institute Inc., and the "Audience Award" to ECOMMIT Inc.

The CTO of Grand Prize winner Thinker, Mr. Nakano, stated with enthusiasm, "The quality of Japan's infrastructure is remarkable from a global perspective. I was happy that they recognized our potential to contribute. We want to gradually scale this up and connect it to a larger impact."

The seven selected companies from this round are sequentially rolling out test marketing. The JR East Startup Program started in fiscal year 2017 and this marks its 13th iteration.

[Award Winners by Category]
■ Startup Grand Prize: Thinker Inc.
Collaboration: Improving the efficiency of track maintenance work using picking robots. The project aims to reduce workload and increase efficiency by using picking robots for arranging and preparing fastening devices (rail clips) during rail replacement, a task previously done manually by workers.

■ Excellence Award: Kailas Robotics Inc.
Collaboration: A challenge to save labor and improve safety in high-altitude railway facility inspections using the "MobiRobo" robot arm.

■ Special Jury Prize: Smart City Technology Research Institute Inc.
Collaboration: Supporting track maintenance operations by introducing high-precision image diagnostics and on-site implementation support AI.

■ Audience Award: ECOMMIT Inc.
Collaboration: A challenge to create a resource circulation model along railway lines, starting a "no-waste society" from the station.

The "JR East Startup Program" is a program that invites venture companies and individuals with various ideas to propose businesses and services that utilize the management and information assets of stations, railways, and group businesses, which are then refined and realized. Since its launch in fiscal 2017, a total of 162 proposals have been adopted.

JR East Startup Co., Ltd. is a corporate venture capital firm that promotes co-creation between the JR East Group and startup companies.