Winners' VoicesGrand Prix Recipients

“What made me happiest was being 'recognized.' Since founding the company, I had been working alone while carrying anxiety and doubt about my choices. Being recognized and evaluated by people outside the company who didn't know me at all gave me the conviction and confidence to push forward on my path. People from various countries and regions gathered, and I strongly felt how much each of them was thinking about Japan and the world from many different perspectives.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“Our solution can contribute to regions where businesses are disappearing due to labor shortages and low profitability. Makinohara also faces the social challenge of stores closing due to such negative factors, and we applied because our solution is relevant to this problem. I'm genuinely happy about winning. But at the same time, I feel we can't just stop at receiving the award. The real challenge starts now — we need to deliver results.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“The main reason was that I deeply resonated with the contest's vision of 'supporting new businesses born from local communities.' It turned out that Ms. Makiko Noda, who served as a special judge, was actually a senior colleague from my venture company days. Her encouragement to 'give it a try' ultimately pushed me to participate. Despite our proposal being at a stage without concrete results or tangible form, I'm truly grateful that they empathized with our vision and awarded us this prize.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“What surprised me first was how high the level of participating companies was. Everyone at MakiChalle seemed to have solid, well-thought-out ideas. Beyond the contest itself, they introduced startup financing schemes and provided networking opportunities, making it a uniquely valuable pitch contest. We want to build the first green data center on abandoned farmland.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“The opportunity came quite by chance — a consultant who was supporting us at the time introduced us to MakiChalle. We also wanted to increase our visibility in Japan. It felt less like a competition and more like a festival everyone enjoys together. The judges evaluated not just the numbers, but the philosophy and human story behind them. What made me happiest was having my ideas and products objectively recognized.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“The journey to the MakiChalle finals reaffirmed that 'the best opportunities arrive quietly when you least expect them.' Our vision was not merely technical — it was 'integrated.' We proposed connecting IoT analytics, AI-driven prediction systems, and smart city technology with the people of Makinohara, especially the next generation, on a unified and sustainable platform.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“It started with an introduction from Mr. Denawa, the founder of MakiChalle. I had never participated in a business contest before, so wanting to experience it for myself was a major reason. It has become a wonderful memory in my career as a business leader. At the contest, I was amazed at how different people had completely different ideas.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“In Makinohara, how to circulate regional waste is a key challenge. We believed it was important to complete the entire process of creating value-added products within the region. Specifically, we proposed a regional circulation model: purchasing tea husks from Ito En, processing and manufacturing them locally, and selling the products. fabula is also working on branding waste in Tokyo — not mere recycling, but creating markets where materials are valued because they come from a specific brand.”

(Excerpt from interview)

“In launching Zenkou Research Institute, we needed to pursue growth as a startup. To achieve this, we felt it was important to actively seek opportunities for regional collaboration, fundraising, and business partnerships. We were drawn to the practical, region-based approach to business development and decided to participate. Under the strong leadership of Makinohara's mayor, we've been able to work with the stance of 'creating new models together.'”

(Excerpt from interview)