Welcome Entrepreneur!
Step0 Outline
If your idea or technology meets the application requirement below, apply now
Application requirement
– Your problem is not a field of study but a challenging issue of humanity.
– Your team needs to provide a technical reference of your solution or product.
– You may apply if you are single founder. We advise and help you to seek co-founders who balance your skill-set.
1.Choose program or events
2.Send applications
3.Interview With Mentors
4.Join pitch competitions
1.Choose program or events
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2.Send applications
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3.Interview With Mentors
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4.Join pitch competitions
How to Apply
Step1 Criteria
At TECH PLANTER, we spend countless hours appraising over 300 ideas. We do this because we are truly passionate about the ideas we hear – they excite every single one of us.
Tens of successful applicants have joined our programs and raise investment. To ensure your startup has the best chance, we have listed our criteria below.
One of critical thing we look into is novelty of the plan. We really like to see a scientist or engineer applying their new technology or findings into business with deep understanding of existing unanswered questions.
All too often, a founder tends to express their newness with the only technological term. It’s okay to use the technological term while you are applications to us. We will leverage our science communications experience to re-write in a plain but powerful word.
This reflects the ability to execute, availability of technologies and team members. If your idea needs moonshot research before launching the product, it will lower the practicability. To overcome this situation, you need to formulate a highly dedicated research team and show everyone that you are the best team to achieve the research.
Whether it could bring about change in the world (Wild idea of technology or hard-will to solve the problem), It doesn’t depend on how big is the market. We want to see that you have an insight derived from a deeply thoughtful process of research.
Passion (of the team or a single entrepreneur him/herself). The final piece of the puzzle is your ability to pitch your idea with passions. If you can convey your idea with passion, your chance of being accepted are high. We want to see well rehearsed pitches, not boring academic oral presentations. If you are not experienced in natural communications without academic conference manner, you should be trained.
Step2 Frequently Asked Questions
What types of technologies are best suited for the TECH PLANTER?
TECH PLANTER is looking for technology-powered startups from around the world with innovative ideas for products and services in fields of robotics, IoT, hardware, biotech, healthcare, food and agriculture. We are looking for research-based technologies which do not end up with just code or apps. We are looking for entrepreneur or researcher who wants to be entrepreneur. Not just patent or research paper either.
How will the winner be chosen in grand prix? What are the criteria?
TECH PLANTER is looking for the technology-based thoughtful novel idea with great passionate team, available technologies and ability to execute.
In the competitions, team will submit their applications and do short pitch and Q&A with judges. Judges will rate with 4 criteria.
#1 Novelty,
#2 Practicability (This reflects ability to execute, availability of technologies and team members),
#3 Whether it could bring about change to the world(Wild idea from technology or hard will to solve problem),
#4 Passion (of the team or a single entrepreneur him/herself).
- Title (1)
- Problem (1) #Who will be the customer? What is customer's problem?
- Solution (1-2) #How do you gonna solve it? What feature or technology you will use.
- Achievement (1-2) #data, customer interview, prototype design etc.
- Team (1) #name, role, background, passion, degree etc.
- Future (1) #What kind of vision do you have?
What resources will Leave a Nest provide to TECH PLANTER?
Leave a Nest will provide access to industry executives, key decision makers, and mentors to help startups realize their technology into business and build great companies of their own.
Where is the TECH PLANTER?
Leave a Nest office is located in Tokyo, Japan. We have branch in Singapore, Malaysia and United States also. Mainly, our program is handled in Tokyo. We do qualify round in several city such as Singapore, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and etc.
Is their funding opportunities?
The winner of pitch competition in Japan Final round will receive upto 5M JPY investment funding and 300,000 JPY for prize.
How detailed does my idea need to be in the application?
In this initial application process, we ask applicants to describe how the technology will change the world, the team, the idea, and how you plan to execute it.
Will the information in my application be treated as confidential?
Please do not submit any business plans, trade secrets, or “secret sauce.” Your application must include only non-confidential information. All information disclosed to us in your application will be considered non-confidential public information. Leave a Nest will only treat information as confidential if the information is covered by a formal, written confidentiality agreement signed by Leave a Nest prior to disclosure. So, please check the contract (NDA and etc) with your institution/lab/company, whether you can submit your idea or not. It is your responsibility to check your status.
Does Leave a Nest own the intellectual property (IP) developed by my company during the pitch competition?
IP developed by a participating company is retained by that company.