On October 31 an opening event will be held to celebrate the establishment of Yokohama’s new startup growth center—YOXO BOX.
YOXO BOX will be located in Kannai, one of Yokohama’s major business districts, and will offer mentoring, individual consultation with specialists in startup growth, space for exchange and business events focused on creating innovation, and a special in-house accelerator program called the “YOXO Accelerator Program.”
“YOXO Accelerator Program” is an intensive short-term (3-4 month) growth program for startup companies that will take place at YOXO BOX. This program will provide participants with mentoring, seminars with highly specialized instructors, and opportunities for meetings with investors, other startups, and companies interested in engaging in exchange and open innovation with startups. Recruitment for participants has already begun, and an information session about the YOXO Acceleration program will be held earlier in the month before YOXO BOX’s official opening. Entrepreneurs who are currently located in Yokohama or planning on establish their business in Yokohama within the next three years are eligible to apply.
YOXO stands for “Yokohama Cross Over” and is a branding of Yokohama’s “Innovation City” declaration, and symbolizes the city’s dedication to creating an environment of corporate and individual collaboration, business development, and open innovation. The “BOX” in the title references this center’s goal of becoming a “creative sandbox” where the exchange and nurture of new ideas can take place.
This news of YOXO BOX’s opening comes hot on the heels of the recent announcement that the former City Hall building in Kannai is being renovated into an innovation center complex. Through new initiatives such as YOXO BOX, its associated accelerator program, and this new planned innovation center, Kannai district is rapidly positioning itself as an attractive hub for startup companies and entrepreneurs in Yokohama.
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Services provided by YOXO BOX (Innovation School and YOXO Accelerator)
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