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Unclaimed
Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Credits and in-kind

J-Startup

Status

Status not published

Selection is by nomination, not open application: top venture capitalists, accelerators and corporate innovation officers recommend companies and an external review committee (外部審査委員会) screens them. METI publishes periodic reviews of selected companies (選定企業の見直し); the most recent announcements on the site were dated May 2026, November 2025 and July 2025. Regional tracks such as J-Startup KANTO, J-Startup KYUSHU and the thematic J-Startup Impact run their own calls.

Check with the funder
Amount
Not published

J-Startup is a selection and endorsement programme, not a cash grant. Selected companies receive the J-Startup designation plus concentrated public and private support. The official site does not publish a monetary value for the support package, so amounts are null.

Funder

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業省 / METI)

ppp · national

Deadline: One call a year — Selection is by nomination, not open application: top venture capitalists, accelerators and corporate innovation officers recommend companies and an external review committee (外部審査委員会) screens them. METI publishes periodic reviews of selected companies (選定企業の見直し); the most recent announcements on the site were dated May 2026, November 2025 and July 2025. Regional tracks such as J-Startup KANTO, J-Startup KYUSHU and the thematic J-Startup Impact run their own calls.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

Who can apply

Aimed at startups capable of becoming globally competitive and delivering innovative value worldwide. Selection is by nomination and external committee screening rather than open application, which makes it materially different from a grant scheme. A Japanese entity is required.

How to apply

  1. Build a relationship with a recommending body: a leading VC, accelerator or corporate innovation officer recognised by METI. — link
  2. Be nominated by that recommender when METI opens a selection review round.
  3. Undergo screening by the external review committee; selected firms are announced as J-Startup companies. — link
  4. Alternatively, apply to a regional or thematic track such as J-Startup KANTO or J-Startup Impact when its call opens. — link

What you will need

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.j-startup.go.jp/

"経済産業省が推進するスタートアップ企業の育成支援プログラム"

Verified on 14 August 2026

Source: funder's homepage — the programme page was not found

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