Startup World Cup 2026 Kyushu Regional to be Held in Kumamoto for the 3rd Consecutive Year

Pegasus Tech Ventures (Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA; Representative: Anis Uzzaman) will hold the 'Startup World Cup 2026' Kyushu Regional on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Kumamoto-jo Hall, with the co-sponsorship of Kumamoto City and the support of local governments throughout the Kyushu and Okinawa regions.

Last year's Kyushu Regional attracted approximately 2,000 participants both at the venue and online. A diverse array of players gathered, including startup companies from various parts of Kyushu centered around Kumamoto, local governments, 13 regional banks from Kyushu and Okinawa, the Kumamoto Keizai Doyukai, and Kumamoto University. Furthermore, numerous executives from large corporations such as Saishunkan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hirata Corporation, and Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories, Ltd. also participated. The unified collaboration among industry, academia, government, and finance expanded the platform for innovation connecting Kyushu to the world.

This year's Kyushu Regional will once again host the startup exhibition, which was highly acclaimed last year. The venue will provide opportunities for direct interaction among promising startups, investors, business companies, and attendees, expanding the possibilities for new business creation and collaboration. Furthermore, following the Nagoya and Tokyo regionals, a youth pitch—a business plan contest targeting elementary, middle, high school, and technical college students in Japan—will be held for the first time at the Kyushu Regional.

Following Toy Medical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kumamoto Prefecture; Representative: Hidenori Takeshita), who won last year's Kyushu Regional, which startup will conquer the Kyushu Regional this year to secure a spot in the World Finale and the championship investment prize? We invite everyone to witness the passionate pitches at the venue.

Pitch entries are currently being accepted on a rolling basis. We look forward to applications from startups aiming to take on the world.

## Kyushu Regional Overview

- Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- Venue: Kumamoto-jo Hall (3-40 Sakuramachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 860-0805)
- Organizer: Pegasus Tech Ventures

## About the Startup World Cup

The Startup World Cup is one of the world's largest pitch contests, where qualifiers are held in over 130 countries and regions worldwide, gathering innovative startup companies. From among over 30,000 startup entries globally each year, the representative companies that win their respective regional qualifiers participate in the World Finale in San Francisco, USA, competing for a $1 million (approx. 150 million JPY) investment prize.

The 2025 Japan qualifiers were held in Tokyo, Kyushu, and Tohoku, with a total of over 8,000 major corporations, investors, and media representatives participating as sponsors or audience members, both physically and online. For startups aiming for business expansion, it presents an unparalleled opportunity leading to fundraising, business partnerships, and marketing. Additionally, a special investment prize pool of 150 million JPY is uniquely available for the Japan regionals, offering a chance for all applying startups to secure funding.

## About Pegasus Tech Ventures

Pegasus Tech Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, receiving LP investments from over 40 major global corporations. They have invested in over 300 startups, primarily in the US, Japan, and Southeast Asia. In Japan, they have invested in already-listed companies such as Money Forward, Metaps, Airtrip, Monstarlab, and AI CROSS, as well as Mujin, SkyDrive, Terra Motors, Unifa, FiNC Technologies, Life is Tech, and WizWe. They have a proven track record of supporting their portfolio companies with overseas expansion, business tie-ups, and fundraising.