Stayway, Operator of Subsidy Cloud, Partners with Nishinihon Gas to Accelerate Open Innovation and Create New Customer Experiences Addressing Regional Business Challenges

Stayway Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director: Jun Sato; hereinafter "Stayway"), operator of the "Subsidy Cloud," has initiated a business partnership with Nishinihon Gas Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President and Representative Director: Takumi Kato; hereinafter "Nishinihon Gas").

This partnership represents an open innovation initiative between Stayway and Nishinihon Gas, combining Nishinihon Gas's customer base with Stayway's expertise in subsidy support to create new customer experiences that address diverse business challenges. As a result, Nishinihon Gas customers will now be able to access support for utilizing subsidies not only for energy investments but also for equipment upgrades and new business development, contributing to the growth of Kyushu-based enterprises and the revitalization of the regional economy.

Background of the Partnership

Stayway aims to provide equal growth opportunities to all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Under its medium- to long-term strategy, the "47 Prefectures Local Startup Strategy," Stayway established its Fukuoka branch in July 2023 and has been advancing collaborations with financial institutions, professionals, and corporations across the Kyushu region.

Nishinihon Gas, now entering into partnership, operates primarily in northern Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki), with core businesses in gas and electricity supply, alongside a wide range of services supporting customers' daily lives. The company has previously supported client companies' energy-saving investments through guidance on energy-related subsidies. However, as business challenges have become increasingly diverse, there is growing demand for swift and accurate responses to broader subsidy needs.

Additionally, the Nishinihon Gas Group launched an open innovation platform called "TOMOSHIBI" in October 2024, aiming to create new value and businesses by combining the group’s customer base, infrastructure, and trust with innovative ideas and technologies from startups.

Stayway has been selected as a partner on this platform, and its proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives have been highlighted as a successful example of open innovation in Fukuoka.

This new partnership takes the prior co-creation efforts within "TOMOSHIBI" one step further. Starting with this collaboration, Stayway will strongly support Nishinihon Gas in expanding its business support beyond energy supply, driving the creation of new added value through subsidies and contributing to regional economic revitalization.

Overview of the Partnership

The partnership will deliver new customer experiences through open innovation between Nishinihon Gas and Stayway. Specifically, Nishinihon Gas sales representatives will identify and interview customers with subsidy needs during their regular sales activities. For subsidy programs that are difficult for Nishinihon Gas to handle internally, they will refer these customers to Stayway. Stayway’s experts will then provide support in selecting appropriate subsidies and assisting with applications.

This integrated workflow enables a broader range of subsidy recommendations than Nishinihon Gas could offer alone, creating a new experience for customers: "By consulting Nishinihon Gas, I can receive operational support (subsidy assistance) beyond just energy investment."

Comment from Jun Sato, Representative Director of Stayway

"This partnership with Nishinihon Gas marks a significant step in strengthening our co-creation through open innovation. By combining Nishinihon Gas’s long-standing trust within the local community with our specialized expertise and data infrastructure in subsidies, we can deliver faster and more accurate support to businesses in the Kyushu region. Starting with this partnership, we will intensify our efforts in Kyushu alongside Nishinihon Gas to support regional economic development and realize our vision of providing equal growth opportunities to all SMEs."

About the 'Subsidy Cloud' Series

'Subsidy Cloud' is a digital transformation (DX) service for subsidy applications, designed for financial institutions, corporations, and professionals. It collects and centralizes complex subsidy information scattered across national and local government bodies, aiming to build a platform where all SMEs can access fair growth opportunities through subsidies. The platform offers tailored information delivery, visualization, analysis, and efficiency improvements using data and technology.

For detailed features and pricing plans, please contact us.

Website: https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/

About Stayway Co., Ltd.

Stayway is a professional services firm composed of certified public accountants with backgrounds at Deloitte, possessing strong expertise in technology. The team, primarily experienced in M&A advisory, financial due diligence, valuation, and IPO support at major firms, delivers high-quality services.

Additionally, in the challenging field of subsidies and grants, Stayway promotes 'Subsidy Tech,' leveraging technology to improve efficiency through collaborations with regional financial institutions and corporations nationwide. At FIN/SUM 2025, Stayway was selected as a FinTech startup by Japan's Financial Services Agency and the Nikkei newspaper (https://stayway.co.jp/news/1367/).

■ Company Name: Stayway Co., Ltd.

■ Representative: Jun Sato, Representative Director, Certified Public Accountant / Certified Support Institution

■ Established: July 7, 2017

■ URL: https://stayway.co.jp/

■ Offices:

Osaka HQ: 8F, Osaka Tiger Building, 4-3-4 Bingo-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Tokyo HQ: 3F, Sumitomo Fudosan Tamachi Building, 3-12-7 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Growth Tamachi ROOM2

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Other Offices: Sapporo, Sendai, Niigata, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kobe, Okayama, Fukuoka

■ Business Activities:

① Subsidy DX Business

② BPass (BPO × SaaS) Business

③ Consulting Business

■ Key Services:

① Subsidy and Grant Support Tool: 'Subsidy Cloud' Series

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/

Subsidy Cloud for Bank [For Financial Institutions]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/bank/

Subsidy Cloud for Pro [For Professionals, Chambers of Commerce, and Business Associations]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/pro/

Subsidy Cloud for Sales [For Corporate Sales Teams]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/sales/

Subsidy Cloud for ESG [For Companies Utilizing ESG-Related Subsidies]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/esg/

Subsidy Cloud for Startup [For Venture Capital Firms]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/forstartup/

Subsidy Cloud for SMEs [For Companies Applying Themselves]

https://www.hojyokincloud.jp/smes/

Subsidy Cloud for Government [For Municipalities]

https://stayway.co.jp/contact/

*"Subsidy Cloud" is a registered trademark of our company (Trademark Registration No. 6488996)

② Expert-supervised subsidy