The “STARTUP LEAGUE” is a startup support initiative that began in FY2023, based on the belief that providing a place for competition and co-creation in the course of providing support and continuing the program over the long term, rather than as a one-off support program, will help startups to grow.
The Japanese economy has been in a period of low growth and stagnant prices since the 1990s, and has been called “the lost 30 years.” However, Japanese sports such as baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball have made great progress over the past 30 years.
The reason for this is the establishment of a structure that supports management and development activities as a “league,” and its development with support from various fields has led to the emergence of athletes who are active in today's world.
The “Startup League” believes that professionalism like that of an athlete is important in order to win out in the business world. We will create a future in which the future leaders of the future will aspire to become “start-up business players”.
The Startup League will establish regional leagues to discover and nurture startups from all over the country, collaborate with local communities, and create new connections through startups.
By establishing a structure that supports operations and development activities as a regional league, and by developing with support from a variety of fields, we will lead to the emission of startups that will play an active role in the world.
By establishing a structure that supports operations and development activities as a regional league, and by developing with support from a variety of fields, we will lead to the emission of startups that will play an active role in the world.
In FY2025, the ICT Startup League exhibited a booth at Japan Expo Thailand 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, and the adopters participated in MWC Barcelona 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
In addition to participating in events, the Startup League will also hold business meetings and other activities with an eye to both Japan and overseas, with the aim of creating companies that can be active overseas as well.
The Startup League works with the UPDATE EARTH Project, whose philosophy is to "realize change for a better society through the discovery and support of entrepreneurs.
UPDATE EARTH 2025, held on March 15, 2025, brought together executives from MLB and other sports leagues, including the J-League, basketball, and SUPER FORMULA, for a panel session.
During the discussion, a commitment was made to cooperate with the “Startup League,” which was started with the vision of creating world-class startups from Japan, modeled after sports leagues.
The media development of the Startup League aims to create a platform that fosters a virtuous cycle, bringing together startups, supporters, and fans to generate a continuous stream of globally successful companies.
Through our media channels, we will widely disseminate the activities, growth, and progress of the selected startups. By revitalizing Japan's entire startup ecosystem, we aim to increase the number of fans who support their endeavors—much like "oshikatsu" (fan activities)—while also fostering a healthy sense of pressure and a strong commitment to growth among the startups themselves.
Furthermore, by making the progress of other selected participants visible, we will cultivate a healthy competitive environment where they can learn from and motivate one another. We also intend to engage in friendly competition with other supporters, contributing to the overall improvement of the support quality within the ecosystem.