The Gathering of 50 Start-ups from Around the Globe! The Recruitment for the 2nd Batch of Founders to Join the Online Entrepreneurship Training Program held by the Partnership of Kobe City and 500 Global!

Press release(2021-9-21) - Japanese 🇯🇵

In partnership with the American venture capital firm 500 Global (500 Startups), the City of Kobe has begun recruitment for the 2nd Batch of the "500 Founder Academy" program from September 21st. This year, the program has expanded its cohort from 20 companies in previous years to 100 companies so that more startups can benefit from this program.

Kobe City, with the aim to foster the growth of the Japanese startup ecosystem in Kobe, has partnered with 500 Global and launched the "500 KOBE ACCELERATOR" in 2016.

In the past five cohorts, 88 startups were carefully selected out of 1000 companies to receive special training. Participants managed to raise more than 12 Trillion Yen (USD 120 million) in funding. For the 2020 cohort, the program was held virtually as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19; this resulted in the freedom to accept companies regardless of the country of origin into the program.

With the accumulated knowledge to date, this year's program will benefit more startups with potential access to 500 Global's Growth Hacks, giving the participants in the online training program a better chance to succeed. The cohort from previous years (2016-2020) was 20 startups annually and will be increased to 100 for this year. In addition, there will be opportunities to partner with other Kobe City startup support programs, resulting in an environment where a wide variety of startups can grow.

1. Program Outline 

1. Program Name: 500 Founder Academy in partnership with Kobe (2nd Batch)

2 .Program Duration: November 15th (Monday) to December 10th (Friday) 2021

3. Delivery method: Online

4. Qualifications:

• Founders or aspiring Entrepreneurs, domestic or foreign
• Seed (MVP built) or Early-stage (PoC, with customers, investors)
• Recommended for start-ups with a product and team in place

 5. Cohort: 50 teams per batch

6. Program Content:

• Marketing, Sales, Funding video training from 500 Global's experts in the industry.
• Q & A sessions with 500 Global Mentors.

Video programs are translated to Japanese. Q & A sessions will be supported by interpreters present. This program is not a funding round from 500 Global.

2. Program Application Period

September 21st to October 15th 2021

Use the link below to apply(applications will be screened by 500 Global and Kobe City):

https://ecosystems.500.co/kobe-500-founder-academy

A Word From Bedy Yang - Managing Partner at 500 Startups

We believe that the best talent resides beyond Silicon Valley, and we have seen such talent active through the programs held in the city of Kobe for the last five years. Through this new program, we hope more founders can benefit from access to 500 Global's curriculum, and we will be happy if we can be part of the growth process of these startups.

3. About the participants from the 1st Batch of the 500 Founder Academy

The 1st Batch of the program held from September 6th to October 1st 2021, it involves 50 start-ups from 22 countries.

<Batch 1 Companies by alphabetical order>

No.	Name	HQ	No.	Name	HQ
1	ACKTEC Technologies	Singapore 🇸🇬	26	Pafit KK.	Japan 🇯🇵
2	Big Ear Games	Finland 🇫🇮	27	PEEL Lab	Japan 🇯🇵
3	BreatheIO	Pakistan 🇵🇰	28	PJP Eye Ltd.	Japan 🇯🇵
4	Capital Entreprise ET Plus SAS	Congo 🇨🇬	29	Qlue	Indonesia 🇮🇩
5	Chargigo	India 🇮🇳	30	SALUBATA	Nigeria 🇳🇬
6	Coonectee Inc.	Japan 🇯🇵	31	Smart Tissues	Chile 🇨🇱
7	emol KK.	Japan 🇯🇵	32	SolarDuck	Netherlands 🇳🇱
8	First Brand Inc.	Japan 🇯🇵	33	Sunlit Seedlings Ltd.	Japan 🇯🇵
9	Flint	Japan 🇯🇵	34	susuROBO KK.	Japan 🇯🇵
10	FTears	Pakistan 🇵🇰	35	Swag Learning	India 🇮🇳
11	Granularity	Canada 🇨🇦	36	Tenatch	Canada 🇨🇦
12	Ima-mirai School Inc.	Japan 🇯🇵	37	The Flying Thai Food Coop.	Thailand 🇹🇭
13	Infinite Glasses	China 🇨🇳	38	Tika Health	Hong Kong 🇭🇰
14	iscream, Inc.	Japan 🇯🇵	39	Trambellir Sdn Bhd.	Malaysia 🇲🇾
15	JoyfulPerson	Singapore 🇸🇬	40	Turing Chain	Taiwan 🇹🇼
16	Kaptaine	Singapore 🇸🇬	41	Uptimai	Czechia 🇨🇿
17	KiKi Social	USA 🇺🇸	42	Virtuera	India 🇮🇳
18	KINESIX Sports Inc.	Canada 🇨🇦	43	Vivax Serviços	Brazil 🇧🇷
19	Kinix	Japan 🇯🇵	44	WeavAir	Canada 🇨🇦
20	Locogrid	Thailand 🇹🇭	45	XenoCode Inc.	Japan 🇯🇵
21	miiru	Japan 🇯🇵	46	XperiencEra	Lithuania 🇱🇹
22	More.is.More	Czechia 🇨🇿	47	KK. AMDlab	Japan 🇯🇵
23	MUSUBI BRAND AGENCY	Australia 🇦🇺	48	KK. fixU	Japan 🇯🇵
24	Noetic Digital	Japan 🇯🇵	49	KK. PROTOCOL	Japan 🇯🇵
25	Nona 911	Belgium 🇧🇪	50	KK. xCura	Japan 🇯🇵

About 500 Global

500 Global(formerly 500 Startups) is a venture capital firm that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies. We focus on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth. 500 Global has backed over 6,000 founders representing more than 2,500 companies operating in 77 countries. Our portfolio includes 33 companies valued at more than $1 billion and 120 companies valued at over $100 million. Our team members are located in more than 15 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world’s leading technology companies.

500 Global Website: https://500.co/ 

Holy Chuck! That's a Good Burger!

 Do you like hamburgers?

If you like it, you should go to HOLY CHUCK!

The shop is a 1-minute walk from St Clair Station.

Look at the appearance of the store. It looks very cute, doesn't it?

Currently, you cannot eat or drink in the store due to the influence of the coronavirus, but you can take out or eat on the patio.

You can see many menus when you enter the shop.　The price is not cheap, but if you want to eat a nice hamburger, you may try it.

I was very worried because there were too many menus. In the end, I ordered THE HOLY CHUCK burger and my friend ordered a cheeseburger.

When you place an order, the meat will be grilled right in front of you.　The meat was juicy and very delicious, so I will try other types of burgers again!

The size is not so different from Japanese hamburgers. So you will be able to eat everything by yourself.

The bag also has a cow drawn on it and is very cute.

There is also one store near bloom-yonge station.　You can order directly at the store, but you can also use Uber.

If you like hamburgers, why don't you go to HOLY CHUCK and try various menus?

Doors Open Event

Do you know “Doors Open”? This is a big annual event in Toronto.

This is a precious opportunity that our citizens can get a green light to see inside more than 150 of historically, culturally, architecturally and socially significant buildings across the city usually we cannot gain entry.

This is held for two days, 4th Saturday and Sunday in May (some buildings open only one day). You should search for a place where you want to on the website in advance. You do not need to get any special ticket for this event.

All free!!

I visited the old city hall and Toronto’s first post office. 

The old city hall is one of the famous historical buildings built in1899.
This building is used as a court. 

It is possible to enter if you pass a security gate, but usually, it’s not opened to the public.

Toronto’s first office built in 1833 is attached to a museum of the history of this post office.

You can visit the museum, or experience how people wrote a letter at that time.
The picture I posted above the right is what I wrote then.
It was a precious experience because you can hardly have a chance to write a letter with tools used at other times.

For your information, some places have specific rules(ex: cannot use a tripod), so please check it before you visit there,

It’s time to get into buildings that you have been interested in:)

Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)

Art Gallery of Ontario located near Saint Patrick station is one of the famous galleries in Toronto. If you like arts, you should go there!!

This monument design in front of the building is sometimes changed depending on events
(when I went there, it was basketball season).

Good for us, every Wednesday night (6 pm to 9 pm) is free.
Besides, age 25 and under can get AGO annual pass for free.
Visit the website for more detail.
https://ago.ca/visitor-information/ago-annual-pass#25andunder

They have a lot of kinds of exhibitions, for instance, modern arts, europian arts, sculptures…almost paintings.
Sometimes they held a special exhibition.
When I went there, the exhibition of “Yaoi Kusama” a famous Japanese artist was held.
If you want to see a special exhibition, you have to register at the entrance beforehand.


The room design is also unique and impressive.

When you visit, a small bag is preferred for taking.
If you have a big bag like a backpack, you have to line up in a big queue for the security check.

Visit AGO to see a bunch of great arts!!!

Japanese Traditional "Noh" World (Japanese, English)

日本の伝統演劇の世界へ。

“能楽”という言葉を知っていますか？
能楽とは古くから伝わる日本の伝統芸能の一つであり、現在知られている姿になって以来、600年以上もの間受け継がれてきました。
2008年にはユネスコ無形文化遺産にも登録された歴史ある芸能であるにも関わらず、今日の日本ではその詳細が広く一般に知られているわけではありません。
私自身も、大学で能楽部に出会うまでは能とはどのようなものか、全く知識がなかったものでした。
そこで今回は、短期間であれども能楽の世界に関わった筆者が、その実を紹介していきたいと思います。

そもそも“能楽”という言葉は、”狂言“と“能”の二つを指す言葉です。
狂言とは、庶民の生活を題材に作られた演劇で、現代でいうと漫才のようなものです。
一方で能とは、神様や超常現象などの神秘的でスピリチュアルなものを題材とした演劇で、
日本版古典オペラと表現すると分かりやすいでしょうか。
筆者は主に能の方を嗜んでいましたが、能のことを知っていくにつれ、
さほど興味がなかったのが嘘のように奥が深く美しい能の世界にどんどん引き込まれていきました。

能で主に使用される道具は、面(おもて)、装束、扇、作り物です。
面はその名の通りお面であり、能に欠かせない道具となります。
役柄によって様々な顔が使用され、無表情な面は演者の表現力によって千の表情を持つ仮面となります。
また一つ一つ職人が彫っているので、同じ種類の面だとしてもそれぞれ顔が違うのも面白いところです。
舞台衣装である装束は、身分や性格などによって異なり、演じられる役によって柄や色が大まかに定められています。
例えば、若い女性が演じられるときは朱色の衣装が使われたりするのです。
鑑能する際にそういった知識があると、より能を深く楽しむことができます。
見た目こそ華やかなものですが、着物を何枚も重ねて着るので、
重いもので20キロを超えるものもあります。
そんな着物を身に着けているにも関わらず優雅に舞う能楽師たちの姿は圧巻ですね。
そして次に扇ですが、これも欠かせない道具の一つです。
扇も演じられる役によって柄が異なり、また盃やふすまなど様々なものを表現するための小道具となります。
扇一つあればどんな役柄もこなせてしまうのです。
主人公は基本的に舞台に出ずっぱりなので、できるだけ小道具を減らすための工夫なのかもしれません。
対して舞台セットとなる大道具は作り物と呼ばれます。
これも演目によって既に定められており、大きいものだとお寺にある鐘ほどのサイズのもの、
もしくは全く使用しない演目も少なくありません。

筆者は、能は空間を作る演劇だと捉えています。
それは能の根本が神様に供えるためのものであり、演じられる舞台が最小限の狭さであり、
道具が極端に少なく演技に重点が置かれているということからも感じられます。
狭い舞台上に無限の空間を作り出す、もっと言うと、観客がその空間を感じられる魅せ方をする。
十人いれば十通りの受け取り方があり、演者の解釈によって同じ演目でも魅せ方が異なります。 あらすじは決まっていてもそれ以上は各々が生み出すものであり、
こういった柔軟性がこれまで人々を魅了し、600年以上もの間受け継がれてきた所以なのでしょう。
そしてこういった分かりにくさが、抽象的なものや感覚に敏感な日本人により生み出された日本の伝統文化であるのです。
このように、能が決して分かりやすいものではないのは明らかですが、
いざ踏み込んでみると奥が深い日本の伝統演劇の世界。
しかし現在もなお存続の危機に瀕しているのも事実です。
もっと多くの方に能の魅力を知ってもらい、これから日本だけでなく世界に羽ばたき、
いつかカナダでも人気の演劇の一つになる日が来るのを願うばかりです。

 Japanese Traditional “Noh” World   

Do you know the word "Noh"?
Noh is one of the traditional Japanese performing arts that has been handed down since ancient times,
and it has been passed down for more than 600 years.
Despite being a historic performing art that was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008,
the details are not widely known even in Japan.
I had not any knowledge of what Noh is like before I met the Noh club at university.
So now, I, was part of the Noh world even for a short period, would like to introduce the truth of this world.
In the first place, the word "Noh" refers to two words, "Kyogen" and "Noh".
On one hand, Kyogen is a play made based on the life of the common people,
and it is like manzai comedy in modern times.
On the other hand, Noh is a play based on mysterious and spiritual things such as myth and paranormal phenomena
and is it easy to understand when explained as a Japanese version of classical opera.
As I learned more about Noh, I was more and more drawn into the world of Noh, which was ever so deep and beautiful art.
The tools mainly used in Noh are masks, costumes, fans, and set pieces.
The masks are a signature tool for this performing art.
Various masks are used depending on the character,
and the expressionless side becomes a mask with a thousand expressions depending on how performers act.
In addition, it is interesting that each facial expression is different even if it is the same kind of mask
because they are made by artisans one by one.
Costumes, which are stage costumes, vary depending on the characters’ status and personality,
and the pattern and color are roughly defined depending on the role in which they are played.
For example, when a young woman is performed, a costume colored bright red is used.
You can enjoy it more deeply if you have such knowledge.
It looks gorgeous, but because they wear many kimonos on top of each other, some of them are heavy and weigh more than 20 kilograms.
The acting of Noh performers who dance gracefully even though they wear such a heavy costume is a masterpiece.
And next, they use a fan is also one of the essential tools.
The pattern is different depending on the role in which the fan is used,
and it becomes property to express various things such as a sake cap or a sliding door.
If you have one fan, you can become any character.
Since the main character is basically on the stage, it may be a device to shed properties as much as possible.
On the other hand, the large tools which are used as the set pieces are called tsukurimono.
This is already defined by a title.
The largest one is the size like a bell in a temple, or there are some titles that do not use at all.
I think Noh is a play that creates space.
It is felt that the root of Noh is for offering to God, the stage in which it is performed is minimally narrow,
and the tool is extremely few and the emphasis is placed on acting.
Creating an infinite space on a narrow stage, more to say is a way of enchanting the audience to feel the space.
If there are ten people, there are ten ways to receive them, and depending on how they are interpreted by the performers.
Even if the synopsis is decided, the other things are produced by each one,
and this flexibility is the reason why it has fascinated people up to now and has been passed down for more than 600 years.
This unintelligibility is a traditional Japanese culture created by the Japanese who are sensitive to abstract things and sensitive stuff.
In this way, it is clear that Noh is not easy to understand,
but when you step into it, you can realize that the world of traditional Japanese theater is really deep and interesting.
However, it is also true that it is still in danger of survival.
I hope that more people will learn about the charm of Noh,
and that the day will come when Noh will spread not only to Japan but also to the world.
I hope that one day it will become one of the most popular plays in Canada.