Startup Lady Announces Sponsorship of “TOKYO GLOBAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE” to Support Aspiring Student Entrepreneurs

Tokyo, Japan — Startup Lady (Head Office: Shinjuku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Moeko Suzuki) will  be sponsoring the international business competition “TOKYO GLOBAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE,” aimed at university and graduate students from both Japan and abroad. Through this initiative, we will provide support to students in areas such as application promotion and mentorship, as part of the Startup Lady Award.

• Event Name: TOKYO GLOBAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE (TGIC)

• Dates: December 13 (Sat) – 14 (Sun), 2025

• Venue: Tokyo Innovation Base (Yurakucho, Tokyo)

• Overview: A business competition in which Japanese and international students collaborate in teams and pitch their business ideas in English, developed through partnerships with  several universities primarily based in Tokyo.

  For more details, please visit the official website.

  Official Website:https://tokyo-global-innovation-challenge.jp/

  
  

Startup Lady has been committed to empowering entrepreneurs by supporting women founders, nurturing English-language pitching skills, and building global networks.

However, opportunities for students to collaborate in multinational teams and present their ideas in English remain limited in Japan.

TGIC provides a unique platform where students can channel their curiosity and entrepreneurial mindset to take on a global challenge. From developing business ideas, delivering pitches in English, to working with peers from diverse backgrounds, participants can gain valuable cross-border experience at an early stage.

We believe that our experience, accumulated know-how, and international network strongly align with the goals of this competition. Based on this alignment, we decided to sponsor TGIC and  support participants through application outreach and mentorship initiatives.

• Application Promotion & Recommendations

  We will encourage motivated students to apply for TGIC, and help expand participation opportunities.
  

• Mentorship Support

  We will set up a consultation channel for participants and provide mentoring to interested students.

  We are also considering introducing additional support for business idea refinement as part of the Startup Lady Award.
  

• Public Relations & Community Engagement

  Through Startup Lady’s domestic and international networks, we will promote awareness of TGIC amongst students and young entrepreneurs, and encourage a diverse range of applications.

Startup Lady is a Japan-based accelerator dedicated to developing women entrepreneurs and next-generation leaders.

Guided by the vision of creating an international community and startup ecosystem where women founders can pursue what they truly want, we focus on three pillars: education, inspiration, and community.

Through our bilingual community, international network, and development programs, we aim to nurture globally-minded women with strong entrepreneurial capabilities.