What’s your moonshot idea to improve the quality of life of 100 million Japanese people over 5 years using exponential technology?
2018 Winner
Takao Watanabe
Left to right: Tomohito Yamazaki, Yasuhito Sakuraba, Naoki Yamamoto, Takao Watanabe, Kyohei Kondo, Tomoki Nakano
Project: OpenCradle
An open research platform for early childhood education
2018 Winner
Jun Suto
Left to right: Jun Suto, Katsuki Ikeda, Yoshiko Takahashi, Yukou Enomomto
Project: Oya Book
Digitized and globalized book that significantly improves elderly care, elderly care fatigue/burnout, and related financial burdens
The purpose of the SingularityU Japan Global Impact Challenge is to foster moonshot innovations and startups that positively impact the lives of people living in Japan, with an ability to scale and impact a billion people worldwide in 10 years.
What moonshot innovation would you develop to solve a global grand challenge (environment, energy, water, food, health, disaster resilience, governance, learning, space, security, prosperity, and shelter) using exponential technology that would impact the lives of a billion people in the next 10 years?
The winner receives a seat at the SU Ventures Incubator Program. The Incubator Program is a 10-week program that fosters the development of viable start-ups (for profit or not-for profit).
The SU Ventures Incubator Program runs from April 2, 2018 to May 18, 2018.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
We look for people from all professional backgrounds, but will be really thrilled to find you if:
We will evaluate submissions using the following criteria:
Lead Organizer
GSP09 Alumnus
GSP14, GSP15, GSP16, GSP17
Faculty in AI & Robotics: Fellow
Organizer
EP2015 Alumnus
Organizer
Global Impact Challenges (GICs) are annual incentive competitions held in partnership with sponsor organizations worldwide and organized by geography and theme. These challenges act as a platform to identify outstanding entrepreneurs, leaders, scientists, and engineers with the most innovative ideas for moonshot innovations and startups that can positively impact a billion people in 10 years. The winner of each challenge receives a full sponsorship to attend an SU program.
We are looking for early-phase startup ideas or individuals with a moonshot ideas. Judging criteria is based on the grandness of the idea—such as whether it solves a problem with a potential to positively impact millions of people, technological novelty, viability of implementing it and applicants leadership potential.
If you’re a later-stage venture, check out the SU Ventures program.
Intellectual property resulting from a GIC belongs to the applicant(s).
The selection process has 2-3 phases, depending on the GIC. The first phase involves a review of all applications to determine 5-10 finalists, and the second phase involves final judging to select the winner at a pitch event.
GIC winners are responsible for their own travel expenses to/from SU.
In all cases where a winner cannot attend the Incubator program, the winner forfeits their seat to the GIC first runner-up and would have to then re-apply for admission in a future year.
Get in touch with the Japan GIC organizers by emailing them at [email protected], or contact the Global Impact Challenges team at SU at [email protected].