Protostar Inc., a company dedicated to supporting innovators (Headquarters: Chuo City, Tokyo; Representative Director: Eimaru Maekawa), will host a pitch event featuring young successors of small and medium-sized enterprises (Atotsugi) on July 3 (Fri), 2026, as the 17th installment of the City of Kyoto's event series "KYOTO Innovation Studio."
▼ Registration (Free)
https://kisvol17.peatix.com
※ Registration may close once capacity is reached. Early registration is encouraged.
Background and Objectives
"KYOTO Innovation Studio" is a collaborative public-private co-creation project launched by the City of Kyoto in FY2022 as a platform for "exploring knowledge." The 17th edition will be held in collaboration with "Atotsugi Ennichi," a festival created by young successors of SMEs.
How can we preserve the valuable assets and traditions passed down from previous generations, and how can we grow them for the future? The next generation of Atotsugi will passionately present their business visions.
They will face a panel of distinguished judges actively leading in their fields, who will deliver candid, no-holds-barred "serious feedback" from their unique perspectives. This event showcases unique survival and growth strategies only possible through Atotsugi—strategies distinct from typical startups. It marks the beginning of a transformative "rebellion" that redefines traditional business succession and opens the door to the future.
Recommended for:
- Young successors (Atotsugi) and SME leaders seeking next-generation management insights
- Those interested in open innovation
- Individuals interested in business succession and traditional culture
- Anyone wishing to support and encourage Atotsugi-led businesses
Speakers, Judges, and Facilitator
Facilitator
KEY FIGURES
Akie Iriyama (Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Waseda University; Kyoto City Urban Management Strategy Advisor)
Judges
Chie Yamano (Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Venture-Type Business Succession; Representative Director, Sen'enzuke Shoten Co., Ltd.)
Yudai Maeda (Representative Director, Yagomaru Project Co., Ltd.)
Takayuki Sakakida (Chairman, Kyoto Shinkin Bank)
Presenting Companies (in no particular order)
Kaede Kurokoshi (Director, Coletter Foods Company Inc. / Kyoto)
Tomie Oda (Director, Rakusai Seikosha Co., Ltd. / Kyoto)
Yugo Wada (Director, Wada Rikosha Co., Ltd. / Kyoto)
Keita Kawamura (Representative Director, Kandoku Shoji Co., Ltd. / Kyoto)
Kengo Shimizu (Managing Director, Technofront Co., Ltd. / Osaka)
Yusuke Onishi (Director, Mizuho Co., Ltd. / Nara)
Yasuyuki Takamaru (Managing Director, Takamaru Kogyo Co., Ltd. / Hyogo)
Yukihiro Kuga (General Manager, Product Strategy Division, Kitao Cosmetics Department, Kitao Co., Ltd. / Osaka)
Event Overview
Date and Time: July 3 (Fri), 2026, 14:00–16:00 (Registration from 13:30)
※ An after-talk session with judges will follow the event
Venue: B1 Open Space, Kyoto City Hall
Admission: Free
Organizer: City of Kyoto
Planning and Operations: Protostar Inc.
Cooperation: General Incorporated Association Ouen-do
※ "Atotsugi Ennichi," a festival, will be held after the event from 17:00 at the plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall.
\ For details on Atotsugi Ennichi, click here \/
https://www.instagram.com/atotsugi_ennichi
Inquiries
Protostar Inc.
Alliance Division
enterprise@theprotostar.co
About Protostar Inc.
Protostar supports innovators through a wide range of services, including "StartupList," Japan's largest entrepreneur-investor matching platform, and "JP STARTUPS," a media platform promoting Japanese startups.
In addition to existing businesses such as alliance initiatives that promote collaboration and acceleration between large corporations and startups, and "Kigyō LOG," Japan's largest media platform supporting entrepreneurs, Protostar recently launched "Startup M&A," offering M&A support as a growth and exit strategy for startups.
The company has established a comprehensive support system for "innovators."
Address: Nihonbashi-Tomizawa Building 501, 9-4 Nihonbashi-Tomizawa-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0006
Capital: 89,098,750 JPY
Founded: November 30, 2016
URL: https://www.theprotostar.co/
Affiliations:
・Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI): J-Startup Supporters
・METI Kyushu Regional Economic Affairs Bureau: J-Startup KYUSHU
・Tokyo: Tokyo Innovation Base Starting Member
・Tokyo: Tokyo Innovation Base Partner
・Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor: Incubation HUB Promotion Project, selected in FY2016
・Japan Development Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMRJ): Member of the Startup Angel Network Promotion Council (SAN)
・Tsukuba Startup Ecosystem Consortium: Full Member
・Diagonal Run Tokyo: Official Supplier
・General Incorporated Association Japan Venture Capital Association: Supporting Member
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: Event