The General Incorporated Association TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP), based in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture and led by Representative Director Shingo Kokudo, has announced the start of applications for the 11th J-TECH STARTUP 2026 certification program, opening at 13:00 on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The program certifies seed- and early-stage technology startups in deep-tech fields that show high growth potential. Applications close on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
Program Overview
• Organizer: General Incorporated Association TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP), a technology startup support organization founded in 2009 and based in the Tsukuba Express area with leading universities and research institutions
• Program: J-TECH STARTUP 2026, the 11th annual certification program for seed- and early-stage deep-tech startups
• Application period: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 13:00 to Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 23:59
• Summit presentation date: Friday, February 26, 2027, in Tokyo
• Program URL: https://www.tepweb.jp/event/j-tech-startup-2026/
• Past results: 65 certified startups over the past 10 years; total post-certification funding exceeding 53 billion yen; cumulative new employment exceeding 600 people; based on follow-up responses from 49 of 65 companies (75.3% response rate); actual totals are likely higher because non-responding companies also have funding and hiring
• Certified startups: seed- and early-stage technology startups expected to grow in global markets
Selection Criteria
• Business innovativeness: technology that has the potential to change industrial structures
• Economic development: large target industry scale with broad-ranging effects
• Social impact: large impact on the global society
• Business execution: competitive advantage, management team, and overall strategic consistency
Application Requirements
• Core requirement: a startup operating a business centered on its own proprietary technology
• Eligible fields: hardware and software are both accepted; examples include biotechnology, advanced materials, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, application software, cloud-based processing engines, and related fields
• University/Research Institution Startup Award: in addition to the core requirement, the business must utilize research or technology from a university or research institution; details are requested in the application form
• Seed category: companies before venture capital investment; includes angel-funded companies, crowdfunding-funded companies, and prospective founders
• Early category: unlisted companies that have received venture capital investment and meet all of the following: capital of 300 million yen or less; 50 or fewer employees; not a subsidiary of a large company
• Company age: no founding year restriction; second startups are also eligible
Application Method
• Application form: https://forms.gle/3gFdfQgZkJ4qFcBN7
• Required submission: presentation materials summarizing the business overview at the time of form entry
• Presentation points to address: whose problem and what kind of problem the business aims to solve; an overview of the product or service that solves it; technical features and technological advantages; economic and social impact
• Confidential pages must be clearly marked 'confidential'
• Selection process: document screening and online interviews
• Application deadline: Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 23:59; the deadline is strictly enforced based on the operation office receipt time
Awards and Benefits
• J-TECH STARTUP SUMMIT: certified startups gain the opportunity to present at the event on Friday, February 26, 2027, in Tokyo
• Matching: the summit creates opportunities to meet VCs, CVCs, and large enterprises considering investment, business partnerships, or collaboration
• Post-event support: media exposure support, continuous individual matching support, expert mentoring by TEP mentors, and support for overseas market expansion
• University/Research Institution Startup Award: awarded to the most highly evaluated university- or research institution-originated startup among certified companies
• KOIL Award: all certified companies receive a one-year free usage right for Kashiwa-no-ha Open Innovation Lab (KOIL), provided by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.; KOIL URL: https://www.koil.jp/koil/
• Additional special awards are under adjustment
Deep-Tech Support Context
• Deep tech encompasses advanced technologies based on scientific discoveries, including AI, space technology, robotics, quantum computing, biotechnology, clean energy, and nanotechnology
• Japan has been expanding deep-tech startup support: the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has implemented a 100-billion-yen-scale Deep-Tech Startup Support Program since FY2023
• In August 2025, the government announced a new support package of up to 27 billion yen over three years under the Global Startup Campus Concept to boost AI, robotics, and bio startups through international research, commercialization, and talent development
• In June 2025, Japan's AI law came into effect, and a 100-billion-yen-scale NEDO support program is also being implemented
• TEP has been engaged in deep-tech-focused startup support continuously since 2009, ahead of these national trends
• References: METI basic policy (March 2023): https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/sankoshin/sangyo_gijutsu/kenkyu_innovation/pdf/028_s01_00.pdf; Nikkei article (June 10, 2025): https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOSG09B430Z00C25A6000000/; Cabinet Secretariat Global Startup Campus Concept: https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/campus/index.html
TEP Partners
• Advisory Board: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ibaraki Prefecture; Chiba Prefecture; Tokyo Metropolitan Government; Kashiwa City; Tsukuba City; Kashiwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Kanto Headquarters; Chiba Prefecture Industrial Promotion Center; Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center; Tsukuba Research Support Center; National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; Japan External Trade Organization Kanto Trade Information Center; University of Tsukuba; Tsukuba Global Innovation Promotion Organization; New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization; Chiba University; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency; Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International; National Institute for Materials Science; Japan Patent Office; National Cancer Center Hospital East; Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology; National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
• Corporate Member: TMI Associates
• Project Members: Joyo Capital Partners Co., Ltd.; Japan Management Association; Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
About TEP
• TX Entrepreneur Partners (TEP) is a technology startup support organization that aims to commercialize and disseminate Japan's top-level technologies
• TEP centers on deep-tech startups with core technologies aiming for business commercialization
• Members include angel investors with startup and management experience, expert mentors, and large companies seeking collaboration with startups
• TEP's network extends to universities, research institutions, regional governments, and overseas startup communities
• TEP has developed one of the world's leading technology startup ecosystems
• Website: https://www.tepweb.jp/
J-TECH STARTUP 2026 provides certified deep-tech startups with an integrated package of presentation, investor and corporate matching, mentoring, media visibility, and overseas expansion support. With a track record of more than 53 billion yen in post-certification funding and over 600 new jobs among past certified companies, the program serves as a significant launch point for seed- and early-stage ventures pursuing global growth.