OKAYAMA STARTUP SCRUM
Overview
A business-exchange symposium hosted by Okayama City that brings startups together with local companies, financial institutions, and municipalities through keynotes, panels, a 15-startup pitch session, and matchmaking booths. First held in 2025, the second edition adds reverse pitches from major corporations such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Shimadzu, serving as a benchmark for a regional startup ecosystem.
Program
- Two keynotes (Rina Akimoto and Masahiro Shimizu) and three talk sessions
- Three startup pitch blocks of five companies each (Setouchi startups / startups from outside the prefecture looking to enter Okayama / student founders and next-generation family business ventures from Setouchi)
- Reverse pitches by six local governments (Hiroshima, Ehime, Kagawa and Okayama prefectures, Okayama City and Tottori City), followed by one-on-one meetings (speed dating)
- Reverse pitches by five companies (Daikin Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Shimadzu, Ryobi Systems and Sanyo Shimbun), followed by one-on-one meetings (speed dating)
- Two stages running in parallel, plus exhibition booths
Speakers
- Rina Akimoto (President and CEO, Vivid Garden Inc., 2026 keynote)
- Masahiro Shimizu (CEO, ZEALS Co., Ltd., 2026 keynote)
- Jun Hori (journalist, CEO of 8bitNews, 2025 and 2026)
Speakers from past editions
- Tomoaki Yagi (Director and CFO, Timee, Inc., 2025 keynote)
Foundation
- Founded
- 2025
- Founder
- Started by Okayama City as an inter-company exchange symposium (first edition co-hosted with the Jichi Sogo Center and operated by Creww)
Created to spark collaboration and business growth through encounters between startups and regional companies, banks, universities, and municipalities, aiming to revitalize the local economy. The 2026 edition continues under new operator LETT Inc.
Transition
- 2025 First held by Okayama City as a symposium promoting inter-company exchange (September 9, Okayama Convention Center, about 500 expected)
- 2025 The U-25 Okayama Pitch Fest side event featured speakers from junior high schoolers to working adults
- 2026 Second edition on September 29, with keynotes by Rina Akimoto (Vivid Garden) and Masahiro Shimizu (ZEALS)
- 2026 Corporate reverse pitches from five companies: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, The Sanyo Shimbun, Shimadzu, Daikin Industries, and Ryobi Systems
Voices
The U-25 Okayama Pitch Fest side event featured six speakers ranging from junior high schoolers to working adults, with a local coworking space staffer praising the energy of Okayama's young challengers (from Hitoyane's report, in Japanese)
Okayama University reported its ventures ABABA and Aqzoo pitching on stage, describing a venue filled with enthusiasm for building a regional startup ecosystem (from the university's news report, in Japanese)
In the News
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