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June 29, 2021

USF-Japan Roadshow: how it went

On June 24, the Ukrainian Startup Fund together with the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan organized USF-Japan Roadshow, an event where Ukrainian startup teams personally presented their developments to concerned Japanese corporations and investors. Presentations were held online in real-time. More than 50 representatives of Japanese business and 20 Ukrainian startups (which were selected from more than 100 applicants) participated in this event. 

The event was opened by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky, who told about the story of this initiative: «The idea to organize the event first appeared more than a year ago, when I visited one of the pitches of the Ukrainian Startup Fund, where I saw firsthand how it happens in practice. Since then, the idea to create something similar, but at the international level, has not left me and we started working on creating an opportunity to meet Ukrainian and Japanese innovative business. No one needs to explain the prospects of high technology, which is obvious, and Japan is a shining example of their implementation. That is why many people responded to our call to join the presentations of Ukrainian projects in this direction. I am sincerely grateful to the Japanese partners for their support».

Pavlo Kartashov, CEO of the Ukrainian Startup Fund, commented on the details of the organization from the Ukrainian side: «This event is a clear example of the implementation of our Fund’s strategy for non-financial support for startups. When we announced the opportunity for Ukrainian startups to make presentations for Japanese businesses and investors, we did not even expect to receive such publicity. There were so many applicants that we had to double the number of participants in today’s pitches, and the list of applications exceeded 100. Congratulations to the pioneers of the first international pitch and I wish success to the teams!».

Yoshitaka Hoshino, Executive Vice President of JETRO (a Japanese government organization dedicated to promoting trade and investment between Japan and other countries) finished greeting the participants: «We know that Ukraine, with a population of over 40 million, has prominent professionals, especially in the IT industry. Unfortunately, so far this potential of Ukraine in IT and startups is not very well known in Japan. Therefore, in order to tell Japanese companies about the Ukrainian IT industry and startups, in July 2020 we published a report on our website entitled “Unknown potential of the Ukrainian IT industry.” This report has been viewed more than 6,000 times, indicating considerable interest. What better moment than this to present 20 potential Ukrainian startups? And we are happy to help create a Ukrainian-Japanese open innovation and we will be happy if it helps to solve the challenges facing Japanese society».

After the startup presentations, the participants from the Japanese side were provided with instructions, records and contact details of the Fund’s representatives for additional consultations and face-to-face meetings with the teams as appropriate.

Which Ukrainian startups presented their projects?

  • Symptomatical. Helps organizations monitor the health of a team (employees, students) and plan the smooth operation of the business or educational process by preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases.
  • Elomia. An app with a virtual friend-psychologist who listens, understands and provides psychological help to people with depression and anxiety.
  • ApiWay. B2B software market and API integration platform where you can find various applications for your business.
  • Arina Software. Technology that allows you to automatically write source code in different programming languages by requirements in natural language.
  • ComeBack Mobility. Smart sensors for crutches to control the load after diseases and injuries of the lower extremities.
  • Djooky. A music trading platform that offers artists access to a global investment community and investors the opportunity to trade a new asset class.
  • Dnipro-MTO. The world’s first cryosurgery device that can generate temperatures down to -175 ° C without the use of liquid nitrogen or other exhaust gases.
  • IDvizer. B2B Video Verification Tool, which allows you to identify and verify a customer in less than a second at any stage of your Internet or offline services.
  • Kray Technologies. The world’s first automatic drones for the application of plant protection products and fertilization to field crops with industrial productivity.
  • Mollusca. A complete solution for automating the process of snail mucus extraction for the production of natural cosmetics.
  • MySat UA. Assemble a training kit with the functions of a real satellite. Learn the basics of programming, physics, orbital mechanics and electronics.
  • Nutroo AI. Analyses and selects best world recipes from famous food blogs and creates your personal meal plan customized to your calories, macros, vitamins, and minerals.
  • O3 Care Innovative HealthCare Solutions. Innovative devices and systems to improve the quality of life, in particular with the disinfecting function of the bed surface in hotels, medical facilities and at home.
  • obimy. Unique notification system that will remind loved ones to pay attention to each other to avoid loneliness.
  • SolarGaps. The world’s first energy – generating solar panels.
  • UniExo. Rehabilitation platform of modular exoskeletons using machine learning algorithms and doctor online – surveillance.
  • VRobot.Education. Intuitive VR game interface that mimics a real instructor, allowing students to quickly master basic assembly skills, robot programming and understanding of physics and mechanics.
  • BIOC. The project of industrial processing of corn into 100% decomposable biopolymer using a unique innovative technology of triple nanopolymerization, which allows to obtain bioplastics with high physical and mechanical properties and a controlled period of biological destruction.
  • Robo house. Online school for teaching robotics and artificial intelligence programming, for children and adults.
  • MIG-Composite. Technology of processing powders with gas mixtures that allows to create unique compositions of materials of different nature by methods of powder metallurgy.

You may watch a full record of the pitch at this link.

Note

The Ukrainian Startup Fund is a state fund launched on the initiative of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The mission of the fund is to promote the creation and development of technological startups in the early stages (pre-seed and seed), in order to increase their global competitiveness. The process of selecting startups for grants takes place on a competitive basis: companies are evaluated and elected by the board of independent investment experts.

The Fund also provides opportunities for promising startups to receive grants for educational programs of well-known Ukrainian and international accelerators. The USF Grant Acceleration Program aims to increase the number of successful startups, enhance the professional competence and improve skills related to business development and beyond.

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