Maki-Challe 2026 Open Pitch has taken place
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, we held the Open Pitch (third screening), the final round of judging for Maki-Challe 2026, online. The 11 finalists, selected from a record 230 entries, presented their business proposals. Thank you to everyone who watched and cheered them on. The full session can be viewed in the recording below.
The 11 finalists who presented
The finalists presented in the order below. You can learn more about each company on the finalists page.
| Order / Company | Location | Proposal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 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 |
| 2. 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 |
| 3. 株式会社MINORICA | Okinawa | Research and development of technology to control photosynthetic efficiency |
| 4. 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 |
| 5. Zenmov株式会社 | Tokyo | Fare-free, on-demand transport that runs existing vehicles on sponsorship funding rather than public subsidy |
| 6. 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 |
| 7. 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 |
| 8. 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 |
| 9. 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 |
| 10. MORPHING I Inc.（モーフィングアイ） | 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 |
| 11. MarinaTex | United Kingdom | A phased rollout of a natural polymer coating to replace plastic coatings on paper packaging |
Award ceremony on October 20
Based on the results of the Open Pitch, the winners will be announced at the award ceremony. The Grand Prize carries an award of 2 million yen. The ceremony will also be streamed live on YouTube.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 15:00–18:00 JST Award ceremony (venue: Makinohara City Community Center "Iira") Streamed live on YouTube
Collaboration meetup on October 21 (new this year)
The day after the ceremony, we will hold our first “collaboration meetup,” where participants can talk directly with sponsor companies (venue: Makinohara Incubation Center).