JStories – The Kyushu regional round of the Startup World Cup 2025, one of the world’s largest pitch competitions organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, was held last May 23 in Kumamoto City. The event drew over 2,000 attendees both online and in person, with local startup Toy Medical taking first place.
From more than 100 companies that applied, ten finalists took the stage at Kumamoto Castle Hall to present their cutting-edge business ideas, all vying for the coveted slot in the Grand Finale this October in San Francisco, United States.
The regional winner was Toy Medical, a food manufacturing and sales company based in the southern part of Kumamoto. The firm impressed judges with its salt offset technology, which partially replaces sodium in food with a seaweed-derived alginate compound and reduces the body’s absorption of salt, all without affecting the flavor.
In addition to Toy Medical’s pitch, the other finalists’ ideas were likewise interesting and innovative. Among them were a telepresence system that blends life-size video with low-latency audio for natural remote conversations, and a plug-and-play AR platform that allows users to print photos blended with digital characters or environments with no coding required.
Opening the event, Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Ōnishi voiced his support for local innovation. “We would like to foster a startup ecosystem from Kumamoto and support all of you as you spread your wings to the world”, he told the audience.
“Bringing value into the world that didn’t exist before. The best time is in your teens or twenties”
The event also featured an onstage conversation between Mayor Ōnishi and Takafumi Horie, an entrepreneur and former ambassador for the first Startup World Cup. “I’ve always loved creating things from zero, bringing value into the world that didn’t exist before,” Horie said. “If you want to start a company, the best time is in your teens or twenties. If I could go back, I would.”
U.S. Consulate Fukuoka’s political and economic officer, Rob Force, also encouraged the audience by emphasizing that the entrepreneurial journey involves more than just overcoming obstacles. He highlighted it as an opportunity to create meaningful change, where setbacks serve as valuable learning experiences and successes are the result of vision and perseverance.
The event also featured a panel discussion moderated by Seiichirō Yonekura, professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University and advisor to Pegasus Tech Ventures. Yoichiro Hirano, CEO of Asteria and chair of the judging panel, joined nine other judges in a conversation exploring the potential for unicorn startups to emerge from Japan, and the growing diversity of the country’s startup ecosystem.
A friend on dialysis saying, “I wish I could eat ramen again” sparked the idea
Toy Medical’s winning idea was inspired by a personal story. Company president Hidenori Takeshita began developing the technology after a friend undergoing dialysis told him, “I just want to eat ramen again.” That heartfelt comment sparked a mission to make flavorful, low-sodium food accessible to all.
Founded in 2013, Toy’s Medical’s name was inspired by its vision to “create products that bring smiles, just like toys.” Today, the company aims to promote its sodium-reduction technology in Japan but has ambitions beyond. “The global market for reduced-sodium food is enormous,” Takeshita said. “We’re looking to expand into Europe and the U.S. next.”
He added, “Food is fundamental to human life. I want people to enjoy it without guilt. That’s the joy this technology can bring and why we’re so eager to present it on the world stage.”
In second place was JCCL, a Fukuoka-based company that developed a sustainable carbon capture material that works without energy-intensive drying or heating.
Third place was awarded to PuREC, a biotech startup from Shimane University, in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan. The company is working on cell therapy solutions using high-purity mesenchymal stem cells derived from human bone marrow, targeting rare diseases such as hypophosphatasia and spinal canal stenosis.
Aiming to win the $1 million grand prize, advancing to the world championship
Toy Medical will now represent Kyushu in the global finals in Silicon Valley, competing alongside the winners of the upcoming Tokyo and Tohoku regionals for the top prize: $1 million in investment funding.
Judge Hirano praised the level of talent at this year’s Kyushu round, the second held in Kumamoto. “The quality has risen. In the end, we focused on the question: ‘Does this idea offer value to the world?’”
In closing, Mayor Ōnishi remarked, “I hope today’s pitches inspired some of our young people to dream of launching their own ventures. The world can change when people take that first step. Let’s keep making the future brighter through events like this.”
Translated by Anita De Michele | JStories
Edited by Desiderio Luna | JStories
Top photo: Photo courtesy of the Startup World Cup Secretariat
For inquiries regarding this article, please contact jstories@pacificbridge.jp
Click here for the Japanese version of the article
