Maki-Challe 2026: 12 Finalists Announced
A record 230 companies (156 domestic and 74 international, from 11 countries) entered Maki-Challe 2026, the 5th Makinohara Challenge Business Contest. Following the document screening (first round) and the closed pitch screening (second round), the 12 finalists advancing to the final round have been decided.
The 12 finalists (in Japanese alphabetical order by company name)
Eight companies from Japan and four from overseas (two from Korea, one from India, one from the United Kingdom) were selected. The order shown does not indicate ranking.
| Company | Location | Proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Abnous Podia Invest&Architect株式会社 | Tokyo | Develops bio-based wallpaper, naturally derived adhesives, fire- and water-resistant timber, and long-lasting bio deodorizers from unused biomass and microorganisms |
| IN-NATURE | Korea | Smart window film integrating light control, shading, privacy and heating in a single sheet, plus a water-based façade, applied across architecture, mobility and smart agriculture/tourism |
| INNFRA株式会社 | Yamanashi | “Profitable disaster preparedness” built on INNFRA Water, an off-grid water recycling system that purifies and reuses household wastewater while generating revenue in normal times |
| 株式会社エースワン | Shizuoka | Supports health promotion, lasting exercise habits and new opportunities for interaction among residents of all ages |
| エンゲート株式会社 | Tokyo | A service that makes the passion of sports fans visible and turns it into value |
| Zenmov株式会社 | Tokyo | Fare-free, on-demand transport that runs existing vehicles on sponsorship funding rather than public subsidy |
| 株式会社はんぽさき | Tokyo | LivMap, a shared mapping app for field teams, bringing digital transformation to the maintenance of roads, water systems and other infrastructure |
| Farm Gulp Private Limited | India | A bio-materials business refining high-purity tannins and polyphenols from areca nut processing waste liquor via a patented multi-stage separation process, for leather, wine, cosmetics and functional foods |
| MarinaTex | United Kingdom | A phased rollout of a natural polymer coating to replace plastic coatings on paper packaging |
| 株式会社MINORICA | Okinawa | Research and development of technology to control photosynthetic efficiency |
| Morphing I | Korea | Inspection and predictive maintenance of water and sewer pipelines using a pipe robot that surveys up to 3 km from a single entry point, combined with AI diagnostics |
| 株式会社UBIQS | Tokyo | Selling fukamushi green tea and matcha to 150,000 people a year through a tasting experience leading to QR codes, cross-border e-commerce and subscriptions |
How the finalists were selected
From the 230 entries, 40 companies were chosen as semi-finalists in the document screening. The closed pitch screening then ran from August 19 to September 18, 2026. Entries were assessed on five criteria — innovation, potential for regional collaboration, growth potential, the team's ability to execute, and social impact — and 12 companies were selected as finalists.
Open Pitch (third screening round)
The Open Pitch, the final round of screening, will be held entirely online. Presentations by all 12 finalists are free for anyone to watch, with no registration required.
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 14:00–17:00 (JST) Open Pitch (third screening round) Live on YouTube / free to watch, no registration
Award ceremony and collaboration meetup
The winners will be announced at the award ceremony on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 15:00–18:00 at i-Ra. The grand prize carries an award of 2 million yen. On the following day, October 21, a “collaboration meetup” will be held for the first time, giving participants a chance to talk directly with sponsor companies.