Record Breaking! 10 Teams Chosen from 3,020 Ideas Pitch World-Changing Concepts at Red Bull Basement Japan Final 2026
Red Bull hosted its global incubator program 'Red Bull Basement Japan Final 2026' on May 17 at STATION Ai. Selected from a record-breaking 3,020 entries, the winning team—Danishi Ai and Ryoji Nagahara—proposed 'Lu-MoS', an AI-based OS for lunar rovers. They will represent Japan at the World Final in San Francisco this June.
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- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 21, 2026 at 15:31
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Energy drink brand Red Bull hosted the Japan deciding match for its global incubator program, 'Red Bull Basement Japan Final 2026', on Sunday, May 17th, at STATION Ai (Nagoya, Aichi), one of Japan's largest open innovation hubs. The program supports students and first-time entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into products through mentoring and the use of AI tools.
Winners Ryoji Nagahara (left) and Danishi Ai (right) - Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool
Aiming to represent Japan, a record-breaking 3,020 ideas were submitted nationwide (approximately three times the 1,191 ideas from the previous 2024 tournament). Globally, submissions have also increased from 110,000 to 130,000, showcasing the event's expanding scale. The 10 teams that advanced to the Japan Final delivered passionate presentations, pitching their respective ideas to an audience and a diverse panel of four judges: Hironori Nozaki (Executive Officer and CTO of Microsoft Japan), Masato Sekine (Sales Engineering Manager at AMD Japan), AK-69 (Aichi-born hip-hop artist and entrepreneur), and Ruy Ueda (Red Bull Athlete and entrepreneur).
Among them, Tohoku University's Danishi Ai (born in Saitama, living in Miyagi) and Keio University's Ryoji Nagahara (born and living in Tokyo) emerged victorious. They conceptualized 'Lu-MoS', a base OS that utilizes AI to develop and operate stable lunar rovers (rovers) at a low cost, targeting a market where high development costs have traditionally acted as a barrier to entry. As the winners, they have been selected to represent Japan at the 'Red Bull Basement World Final 2026', to be held from June 1st (Monday) to 3rd (Wednesday) in the technology mecca of San Francisco, USA. As secondary prizes, global partner AMD awarded an AMD AI-compatible laptop, and global partner Microsoft awarded $5,000 in Microsoft Azure credits.
[Comments from the Japan Representatives]
Danishi Ai, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Meeting the other candidates through 'Red Bull Basement' has been incredibly moving for me.
Everyone was earnestly working out ideas on 'how to make the world a better place'. Seeing that was a great opportunity for us to reflect and ask ourselves, beyond our own passion, 'Have we truly faced the real challenges of space development?'
Winning here in Japan is what I consider the real starting line. We need to perform well at the world championship and gain recognition from people worldwide, as well as on the global front lines of space exploration. If we can't achieve that, I believe our future path will remain very steep. We have little time left before the global finals, but we will do our utmost. And we want to show you a vision for the future, and for space exploration, that exceeds all your expectations. Thank you so very much.
Ryoji Nagahara, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
My hands and legs won't stop shaking, I feel like I'm actually getting wings (laughs).
Having been involved in making things since elementary school and participating in robot contests, what I truly felt was the financial challenge in robot development. Hardware development requires an enormous initial investment, making it difficult to even start. Even in business contests, software development, which is more tolerant of 'failure' due to low initial costs, has become the trend.
On the other hand, the hardware development we are undertaking comes with massive risks. For instance, in another project we previously worked on, just manufacturing the rover has already cost tens of millions of yen. There has always been this fear that even if we spend such vast amounts, if there is no demand in the world, it will end, leading to nothing. However, knowing that there are people who support us like this is incredibly reassuring. It made me feel, 'We can proceed with confidence down the path we believe in at this pace.' Thank you so much. We will continue to do our absolute best.
[Questions to the Japan Representatives regarding the World Final]
Q. Heading into the World Final
Winners Ryoji Nagahara (left) and Danishi Ai (right) - Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool
Aiming to represent Japan, a record-breaking 3,020 ideas were submitted nationwide (approximately three times the 1,191 ideas from the previous 2024 tournament). Globally, submissions have also increased from 110,000 to 130,000, showcasing the event's expanding scale. The 10 teams that advanced to the Japan Final delivered passionate presentations, pitching their respective ideas to an audience and a diverse panel of four judges: Hironori Nozaki (Executive Officer and CTO of Microsoft Japan), Masato Sekine (Sales Engineering Manager at AMD Japan), AK-69 (Aichi-born hip-hop artist and entrepreneur), and Ruy Ueda (Red Bull Athlete and entrepreneur).
Among them, Tohoku University's Danishi Ai (born in Saitama, living in Miyagi) and Keio University's Ryoji Nagahara (born and living in Tokyo) emerged victorious. They conceptualized 'Lu-MoS', a base OS that utilizes AI to develop and operate stable lunar rovers (rovers) at a low cost, targeting a market where high development costs have traditionally acted as a barrier to entry. As the winners, they have been selected to represent Japan at the 'Red Bull Basement World Final 2026', to be held from June 1st (Monday) to 3rd (Wednesday) in the technology mecca of San Francisco, USA. As secondary prizes, global partner AMD awarded an AMD AI-compatible laptop, and global partner Microsoft awarded $5,000 in Microsoft Azure credits.
[Comments from the Japan Representatives]
Danishi Ai, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Meeting the other candidates through 'Red Bull Basement' has been incredibly moving for me.
Everyone was earnestly working out ideas on 'how to make the world a better place'. Seeing that was a great opportunity for us to reflect and ask ourselves, beyond our own passion, 'Have we truly faced the real challenges of space development?'
Winning here in Japan is what I consider the real starting line. We need to perform well at the world championship and gain recognition from people worldwide, as well as on the global front lines of space exploration. If we can't achieve that, I believe our future path will remain very steep. We have little time left before the global finals, but we will do our utmost. And we want to show you a vision for the future, and for space exploration, that exceeds all your expectations. Thank you so very much.
Ryoji Nagahara, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
My hands and legs won't stop shaking, I feel like I'm actually getting wings (laughs).
Having been involved in making things since elementary school and participating in robot contests, what I truly felt was the financial challenge in robot development. Hardware development requires an enormous initial investment, making it difficult to even start. Even in business contests, software development, which is more tolerant of 'failure' due to low initial costs, has become the trend.
On the other hand, the hardware development we are undertaking comes with massive risks. For instance, in another project we previously worked on, just manufacturing the rover has already cost tens of millions of yen. There has always been this fear that even if we spend such vast amounts, if there is no demand in the world, it will end, leading to nothing. However, knowing that there are people who support us like this is incredibly reassuring. It made me feel, 'We can proceed with confidence down the path we believe in at this pace.' Thank you so much. We will continue to do our absolute best.
[Questions to the Japan Representatives regarding the World Final]
Q. Heading into the World Final
FAQ
What was the winning idea at Red Bull Basement Japan Final 2026?
The winning idea was 'Lu-MoS', an AI-driven base OS designed to reduce the cost of developing and operating lunar rovers.
Where was the event held?
It was held at STATION Ai in Nagoya, Aichi, one of Japan's largest open innovation hubs.
Where is the World Final?
The World Final will take place in San Francisco, USA in June, where the Japanese team will compete.