Refining Business Concepts Born from Human Understanding and Digital Technology through Dialogue with the Outside World

yellow door Inc. (Representative Director: Shoko Hoshino), together with the Innovation Laboratory of NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd., will hold the co-creation pitch event "2nd NEC Intra Ale Pitch" on July 7, 2026. This event opens up the ideas of internal intrapreneurs to the outside world.

This event is an initiative aimed at creating new businesses that contribute to solving social issues for the NEC Group. The business concepts born in the Innovation Laboratory will be refined through dialogue with business companies, startups, and experts.

In recent years, while many companies are working on new business creation and open innovation, business ideas often remain within the company, and opportunities to gain outside perspectives are still insufficient.

At the first event held in February 2026, internal intrapreneurs shared their business ideas externally, gaining new insights and exploring possibilities for co-creation through dialogue with participants. Due to positive feedback such as "We gained perspectives that could not be found internally," "Interacting with people in charge of new business at other companies was stimulating," and "We want this to be held continuously," the decision was made to hold the second event. This time, we will explore further possibilities for co-creation under themes such as AI/agent domains, human digital twins, and the environment.

Previous event details: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000176066.html

■ Overview of the 2nd NEC Intra Ale Pitch

1. Business Concept Pitch by Internal Intrapreneurs
Those in charge of new businesses at NEC Solution Innovators will present their own ideas.

2. Dialogue with External Players
Operating companies, startups, and experts will participate and provide feedback from diverse perspectives.

3. Creating a Space Based on Co-creation
Rather than aiming for evaluation or screening, the emphasis is on "dialogue" to explore the possibilities of business implementation and collaboration.

4. Networking through a Social Gathering
After the event, there will be an opportunity for participants to interact, aiming to create touchpoints that lead to actual co-creation.

■ Presentation Themes

The second event will introduce business concepts themed around advanced technology areas tackled by the Innovation Laboratory, such as AI and human digital twins. In addition, sharing of business promotion examples by external operating companies is planned. Discussions will focus on the following themes:

- Ambient Intelligence
- Human Digital Twins
- Environment / Sustainability

[ Participating Startup Companies ]

Metagen, Inc.
A healthcare startup that scientifically elucidates the relationship between food and the intestinal environment, focusing on the analysis of the intestinal microbiome and intestinal metabolites. With a track record of joint research and product development with business companies, they are promoting the realization of personalized gut health by building evidence on individual differences in the effects of food on intestinal bacteria, immunity, and metabolism.
https://metagen.co.jp/

Together with diverse participants, we will deepen discussions on new business concepts with a view to social implementation.

■ Comments on Holding This Initiative

Tomohiro Fukui, Director, Innovation Laboratory, NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.
We are working on new businesses that create new value by taking small, quick experimental steps starting from questions. However, breakthroughs rarely happen when thinking about business ideas within the same organization. At last year's event, I realized that touching upon the diverse perspectives of entrepreneurs, experts, and those involved in business development generates new insights and stimuli, accelerating innovation. We expect this event to also be a place to refine business hypotheses through dialogue and discover new possibilities.

Makoto Kawase, Professor at Ritsumeikan University Business School / Representative, MK&Associates (Commentator)
Profile: After experiencing new business strategy and corporate acquisitions at A.T. Kearney and SoftBank, he currently handles executive training, business strategy promotion, and new business creation projects for major companies across various industries representing Japan. His book "Strategic Thinking Complete Book" is in Amazon's "Top 100 Business Books of All Time."

At a time when technological innovation is changing society, organizations must transform their business portfolios and create new businesses to survive. Business creation is a series of actions: grasping future trends, finding customers and value propositions while grounding on your own strengths, drawing the desired vision, thinking about implementation scenarios, and trying them in practice. While it is a difficult challenge, it is also fun and exciting. I would like to create a better future together with everyone.

Rei Sonoda, Representative Director & CEO, PROTOCORE / Founder, AiHUB / Director & CAIO, Voicetep (Commentator)
Profile: A business development producer specializing in new business development, product planning, and UX design in the AI era. Participated as Producer / UX during the founding period of the romance matching service "with," contributing to business launch and growth. Has supported over 30 UX / new business development projects to date, with 3 Exit experiences. Currently, centered around PROTOCORE, he engages in solopreneur support, AI creatives, AI agents, and AI product development. He provides end-to-end support from user understanding, experience design, business strategy, and revenue model design, from "let's try making it" to commercialization.

I believe the most important thing in new business development in the AI era is not to produce a completed correct answer from the start, but to first "try making it" on a small scale. Especially with business ideas born internally, there are often strong original experiences that have not yet been fully verbalized, or issues that only those on the front lines can see.
A place like this, which opens internal ideas to the outside and clashes with diverse perspectives, is not just a pitch event, but an opportunity to unearth hidden talents and the potential of ideas.
As a commentator, I hope to participate in the dialogue from the perspectives of business viability, UX, and AI utilization, and contribute so that the "next step" for the challengers becomes more concrete.

■ Event Overview

- Event Name: NEC Intra Ale Pitch
- Date and Time: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
- Venue: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd. (1-18-7 Shinkiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo)
- Format: Invitation/Permission required, advance registration required
- Organizer: Innovation Laboratory, NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.
- Planning and Hosting: yellow door Inc.

■ About Cooperating Companies / Organizations

Masato Yamaguchi, GPU Business Partner / AILab Alliance Bizdev Manager, Highreso Inc.
Profile: After studying geophysics and industrial/environmental policy at university, he engaged in CSV/SDGs-related business support (heavy machinery sharing, etc.) in the advertising and media industry. After transitioning to the tech industry, at his previous job at alt Inc., he directed multimodal AI development and business with major companies.