K-NIC, Operated by TuCreations, Announces 6 Selected Participants for Deep Tech Entrepreneur Support Program
Program Overview
Kawasaki-NEDO Innovation Center (K-NIC), operated by TuCreations Inc. under commission from Kawasaki City, has selected six participants for the first half of fiscal year 2026's "K-NIC Startup Hands-on Program." The program targets entrepreneurs and R&D-focused startups possessing proprietary technology seeds in the deep tech sector.
Selected Participants and Business Plans
The business plans of the six selected entities are as follows:
- T1D Scout (Yuta Matsuda): Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) genetic screening business tailored for East Asians
- Rewind Inc. (Yasuhiro Maruya): Treatment of decompensated liver cirrhosis using small-molecule-induced autologous liver progenitor cells
- Movies Inc. (Jiahong Wei): Social implementation of all-weather robotaxis in domestic and international markets
- Encarmus Inc. (Akihito Wakaguchi): Manufacturing and sales of recycled carbon fiber using supercritical and subcritical fluids
- Phase Changer (Takehiro Yamamoto): Zero-emission heat utilization based on phase-change heat storage capsules
- Apollon Inc. (Yuto Kido): Non-invasive, multi-parameter biomedical measurement requiring only 5 seconds of light exposure
Program Details and Support Structure
This acceleration program is designed to support entrepreneurs aiming to apply for NEDO support programs, secure venture capital funding, and foster business collaborations with corporate partners. For approximately two months, from September to the end of October 2026, a team of experienced mentors—including Noriaki Ozaki, Yasunori Okajima, Izuho Takeda, and Nobutoshi Maeda—will provide hands-on guidance to refine and elevate their business plans. The commercialization of diverse technology seeds spanning life sciences, robotics, and environmental energy is highly anticipated.