~The four winning companies will be giving lightning pitches at StARTs UPs on July 23rd~

The Osaka Kansai International Art Festival Executive Committee (Secretariat: ARTLOGUE Inc., Chairman: Suzuki Daisuke) is running the acceleration program "Blooming UPs" in collaboration with Sakura Internet Inc., and selected four companies for the Excellence Award at the final pitch on July 5th. The four companies will make a lightning pitch at the business contest "StARTs UPs 2025" to be held on July 23rd.

What is the acceleration program "Blooming UPs"?

Blooming UPs, an acceleration program specializing in the creative economy that supports challenges in a variety of fields such as art, music, fashion, architecture, tourism, and food, is finally about to start. The kickoff will be held at Blooming Camp, an open innovation facility run by Sakura Internet. Here, entrepreneurs will meet with peers and supporters, nurture their ideas, and take a step toward execution. Dialogue with instructors and community managers will greatly expand the possibilities for participants.

[More about Blooming UPs here]
https://osaka-kansai.art/pages/blooming-ups

 

Four Excellence Award winners selected!

 

Judges

After rigorous screening by a panel of three distinguished judges, the above four companies were selected as winners.

Masako Osaki
Executive Officer, Sakura Internet Inc.

Born in Tokyo. After working in HR, corporate planning and secretary, and PR/IR and secretary at game companies, she was involved in back office work, IPOs, M&A, etc., before joining Sakura Internet in August 2012. In addition to management support, M&A, investment, and director and division manager of group companies, she also served as secretary to the CEO for about 10 years, and will take up her current position in October 2023, overseeing the CEO's office. Graduated from the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Sophia University, the Graduate School of Commerce, Waseda University, and the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Welfare, Seitoku University. She is a Master of Business Administration (MBA), certified psychologist, and wine expert.

 

Naotaka Hosono
CEO, BIG Impact Inc.

Joined a major system integrator as a new graduate. After working at a management consulting firm and going independent, he joined OPT (now Digital Holdings, Inc.). He has served as head of new business development, group corporate planning, and M&A. In 2013, he launched an investment incubation business, and in 2015, OPT Ventures (now Bonds Investment Group, Inc.). In 2022, he went independent and established and launched BIG Impact Inc., which focuses on innovating Japan through the startup ecosystem. He was ranked 3rd in 2018 and 5th in 2020 in Forbes Japan's "BEST 10 Most Influential Venture Investors in Japan." Major achievements include Raksul, Gunosy, Genie, Jimoty, rakumo, and WealthNavi.

 

Daisuke Suzuki
CEO, ARTLOGUE Inc.

Founder and General Producer of the Osaka Kansai International Arts Festival / Visiting Researcher at the Osaka University Social Solutions Initiative (SSI) After participating in a research project at the Global COE of the Urban Research Plaza of Osaka City University, on July 7, 2017, he founded Artlogue Inc. with the vision of "Arts for Human and Planet" and became its CEO.
Selected as a finalist in the startup battle at TechCrunch Tokyo 2018. Aiming to establish the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival on the occasion of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, the company will hold the Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival from January 2022.

 

What is "StARTs UPs"?

This is a business contest specializing in the creative economy ^* , with the aim of developing the culture, arts, and leisure industry, which can solve social issues across sectors. It seeks new business approaches in the culture, arts, and leisure industry, maximizes the appeal of culture and the arts in Japan, and contributes to the realization of sustainable development.

*Creative economy: Art, design, music, fashion, tourism, urban development, architecture, manga, anime, entertainment, food, events, entertainment, etc.

Click here for details on the creative business contest [StARTs UPs]

 

■ The final pitch will be held on Wednesday, July 23rd.

In this contest, eight finalists, selected from over 77 applicants from Japan and overseas, will take to the stage. Over the course of about three months, they will have hands-on practice with 20 mentors, brush up on their ideas, and then take to the stage for the final round of judging.

 

■Introduction of the 8 StARTs UPs finalist companies (in alphabetical order)

ACTA PLUS Co., Ltd.
This waste art project has a network of 500 artists from Japan and overseas, and aims to transform the rationale behind sustainability into something to aspire to.
https://acta-plus.com

AMATELUS Inc. 
Provides "SwipeVideo," a free viewpoint video distribution/multi-angle video distribution technology. Anyone can now have the "right to switch," which was previously only available to broadcasting rights holders.
https://swipevideo.jp/

lolol Inc.
Runs the online distribution system "lolup," which values "making people smile" and "making yourself smile." The representative of the company aims to build a world where "laughter and smiles make people smile and save them" through his own difficult times.
https://lollol.co.jp

VIE Inc. 
Creating a rich and emotional society through the power of neurotechnology and entertainment.
https://www.viestyle.co.jp/

Red Cliff Co., Ltd.
The mission is to "bring surprise and excitement to the night sky," and they are hosting the Cool Japan Drone Show, which aims to impress the world with Japanese drone shows.
https://redcliff-inc.co.jp

Sally127 Inc.
We develop and operate "Try-On Camera," a virtual try-on service for smartphone browsers that eliminates the anxiety consumers have about whether clothes will look good on them when purchasing clothes online.
https://sally127.co.jp/

STYLY, Inc.
A spatial layer platform that connects the digital and physical in the era of "Spatial Computing = wearing space."
https://styly.inc/

CLIMBERS Inc.
A global art commerce platform where you can discover unique works by independent Asian artists through AI-based curation.
https://www.chopsticks.market/

 

Blooming Camp Overview

Blooming Camp, which is providing the venue and other support for this event, is a facility for open innovation run by Sakura Internet Inc. Located in Gran Green Osaka, a redeveloped area in Umeda, Osaka, the facility provides a place where diverse people and companies can meet and turn what they "want to do" into what they "can do." By fusing the online and real worlds, the facility aims to create a place where new challenges and value are born.

About Blooming Camp: https://bloomingcamp.sakura.ad.jp/

 

■Blooming UPs Event Overview

 

 

 

■Company Profile

ARTLOGUE Inc.
- Representative: Daisuke Suzuki, CEO of ARTLOGUE Inc.
- Head office location: Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
- Date of establishment: July 7, 2017
- Business details: Planning and management of "Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" / Planning and management of web media such as "ARTLOGUE" and "Art Tourism"