Winner

The Creative Business Cup (CBC) is the Japanese chapter of the global world championship for entrepreneurs in the creative business space (spanning over 80 countries).  It aims to promote innovation among Entrepreneurs engaged in Creative Businesses by providing global exposure, mentoring, networking opportunities, and support structures.

Short-listed applicants will be invited to pitch their businesses, and attend the CBC Japan award ceremony and networking event on May 9, 2023 online.  The winner will receive mentoring and support from sponsors and industry professionals to help hone their presentation skills and business plans before leaving for Denmark.

All expenses for the national winner to travel to Denmark in June 2023 for pitch training, networking opportunities and participation in the international finals will be covered by sponsors. The trip includes a range of activities with fellow entrepreneurs, a market place to showcase your business, dinner with foreign ambassadors and a chance to meet VC’s and Angels from all over the world!  Oh, and just to be clear… it is a WHOLE LOT of FUN!

• Up to ten successful applicants will be invited to pitch their ideas online on May 9, 2023 to a jury of distinguished global entrepreneurs, investors and creative professionals. 

• An awards ceremony and informal networking reception will follow immediately after the pitching session. 

• The Japan National Winner will be awarded a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark to compete in CBC Global Finals along with national winners from over 80 countries!

Deadline for application: Midnight May 1, 2023. 

All finalists will be recognized at the CBC Japan awards in May. The Japan National Winner will then travel to Copenhagen Denmark to participate in the CBC Global Finals that are to be held on June 4-5, 2023. 

In Denmark, if the Japan National Winner makes it to the Top 5 in Copenhagen:  The top-five startups will be invited to pitch their ideas and concepts in front of a group of international investors!  Creative Business Investors Pitch (CBI Pitch) is a dedicated session during the Creative Business Cup (CBC) Global Finals. The jury consists of a selection of diversified international investors who have extensive experience investing in startups and creative businesses. CBI Pitch provides the finest creative startups with the opportunity to pitch in front of international investors and find potential external investments.

The CBC Japan winners will receive:

Sponsorship to attend the CBC Global final in Copenhagen, Denmark in June 5, 2023

Winner:

• Japan-Copenhagen flights and accommodation in Copenhagen to attend the CBC Global finals for one team representative. The schedule for the trip is to arrive in Copenhagen on June 3 and depart on June 5.

• An assigned Mentor to help grow your business and prepare for Copenhagen

• On-going networking and mentoring opportunities provided by our sponsors

Runner- up and 2nd runner-up

• Accommodation in Copenhagen to attend the CBC Global finals for one team representative. 

1. Applicants are invited to submit application form by May 1, 2023

2. Applications will be screened by an expert panel and finalists will be short-listed.

3. Finalists will be announced on this website on May 2, 2023

4. Finalists will be invited to pitch their ideas/concepts online on May 9, 2023.

5. Finalists and winners will be recognized that night at CBC Japan award ceremony and networking event.

6. One winner will be chosen to represent Japan at CBC Global finals in Copenhagen on June 4 and 5, 2023.  The winner must be able to travel to Denmark on the dates of CBC Global finals.

The jury will look for Creativity based on the following guidelines: 

• Innovative in terms of product/service, customer approach, markets and social relations

• Has the potential to change the value chains of the industry

• Creative skills are the key factors for the success of the business 

• Engages customers and other stakeholders in creative processes

• Market Potential: The business concepts entail a prosperous market potential

• Competitive Advantage: Show unique value propositions which are difficult to copy and can provide a clear understanding of current and potential competitors

• Team: An enthusiastic team who has relevant experience, committed with complementary skills combining creative and   business skills

• Timing: A clear overview of the reasons why there is real momentum/opportunity for the startup now 

Any entrepreneur with creative innovative ideas that are suitable and scalable as a start-up. Candidates are eligible if they are Japanese nationals, residing in Japan long-term, or are Permanent Residents of Japan (of any nationality) residing long-term in Japan as long as the start-up is (or will be) a registered Japanese entity.  Please note that although teams are welcome to enter and pitch for the Japan competition, only one representative of the team will win a trip to Denmark.

The following eligibility requirements apply:

• Have the core asset of the business based on creative competencies.

• Be commercial, the concept must have market potential.

• Own the right of the idea with which he or she is entering the competition.

• Be registered as a legal entity in their country.

• Not have received more than 1.000.000 USD of external capital investment in the past.  

• Must be able to attend CBC finals in Copenhagen on June 4-5, 2023.

• Submit your application no later than May 1, 2023

John Kojiro Moriwaka

Alana Bonzi

Daniel Harris Rosen

Patricia Bader-Johnston 

Profiles of the Jury Members > 

2014 

CBC winner, Lina Sakai, won with a sustainable and creative business concept that ferments rice into ethanol and ethanol products. Lina recently was named a semi-finalist at the international CBC finals in Copenhagen - the first ever Japanese national to compete in the CBC!

2015

Maki Nakata of Maki&Pho represented Japan the next year with her creative textiles and fashion accessories leveraging artistic designs from Africa.

2016

Yu Tazawa of BnA Hotels who have since opened 6 art-themed hotels in Japan working with local artists. 

2017

Takuya Umeda, founder of the novel on-line meeting space reservation system, Spacee.  

Creative Business Cup (CBC) Global Finals is the place where creative startups from across the world meet potential partners, investors, customers, advisors, and mentors and present their business ideas in front of the lead experts in innovations, marketing, finances, and the creative economy. Our jury members are the top experts and entrepreneurs in creative industries and beyond – these bright-minded people have seen, evaluated, and supported hundreds of startups. 

CBC Global Finals are more than just a competition; it is a business forum with a broad agenda. The program of the Finals includes keynotes from legendary entrepreneurs, panel discussions, workshops and pitches, networking activities, creative market. The program of this year will take place during Green Impact Week, which gives additional opportunities for our partners and your startups to reach new connections, promote themselves on an international level, highlight global sustainable trends, and get to know new solutions.

The CBC global winner will receive: 

• “The Most Investable Creative Startup” Title

• A cash prize of EUR 5,000

• Invitation to seminars on attracting investment

• Invitation to workshops on how to strengthen business skills

• Opportunities to network with entrepreneurs and investors from across the globe

 Know more about Creative Business Cup > 

Given the CBC is a world-wide organization, every country has its own national host, which facilitates and organizes the competition. The Japanese National Host is 5ive-Planets ISH which is a not-for-profit dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability. 5ive-Planets has been the Japanese National Host, since the first CBC Japan was held in 2014.  5ive-Planets ISH has been the recipient of two Tomodachi grants (supporting young entrepreneurs from Tohoku), as well as receiving other government and corporate funding for various entrepreneur programs. Since it was established in 2011, the 5ive-Planet’s mission has been to support entrepreneurship and innovation for a more sustainable future. And we believe the future of human-centric work lies in Creative Business!