Scrum Studio’s SmartCityX program has just begun recruitment through the end of 2021. The program, started last year, is described as an immersive year-long startup program aimed at helping seed- to growth- stage companies advance smart city product and business development through in-depth collaboration with leading corporations, technology experts and investors from Japan and around the world. Scrum Studio has gathered an impressive group of partner cities, companies and organizations for SmartCityX 2021, especially in Japan, and the City of Yokohama has joined that list this year alongside others like Japan Post, Japan Airlines, and Kaga City.
The United Nations estimates that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, and these cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global carbon emissions every year, according to UN-Habitat. Cities have faced increasing pressure and challenges to adapt to new technologies and standards, so Yokohama city is excited to be a partner city (“Observer municipality”) in the SmartCityX 2021 program.
SmartCityX is seeking to elevate startups that are generating new ideas for the “city of the future,” and is focused on six core verticals: Consumer Products & Service, Mobility, Smart Building, Sustainability & Climate Change, Connectivity & Infrastructure, and Social Innovation. Startups participating in the SmartCityX 2021 program will be “put on a fast track to create, launch, and scale their products, resulting in lasting business development and long-term growth opportunities,” and will be introduced to opportunities for business development, network expansion, and showcasing their companies.
Entrepreneurs and startups can apply here: SmartCityX Startup Application (2021-22)
Deadline: December 31, 2021
SmartCityX collaborators:
- Observer municipalities: Yokohama City, Kaga City, Fukui Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, Shibuya City, Kashima City, and The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Partner companies: Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co.,Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd, Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. (Community Partner), NTT West Corporation, Japan Post Co., Ltd., Nihon Unisys, Ltd., East Japan Railway Company
- Supporter companies: JCB Co., Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., Japan Tobacco Inc., Hakuhodo Incorporated, Lion Corporation
- Resource Partners: Amazon Web Services Japan K.K., ACCIÓ Tokyo-Catalonia Trade & Investment, CIC Japan G.K., Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO)
Related Links:
Learn more about how Yokohama is supporting startups
