LANDING PAD 2024

 

(the “Program”)

 

PROGRAM RULES

 

(the “Rules”)

 

This Program is sponsored by [Aichi Prefectural Government, 3-1-2 Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture] (the “Sponsor”).

 

The aim of these Rules is to set out the terms and conditions governing your participation in the Program. By participating in this Program, you fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these Rules.  If you do not agree with any of these Rules, do not register for this Program and do not submit an entry.

 

1. TERM

 

This Program begins on July 19, 2024 at 00:00 JST and ends on September 17, 2024 at 17:00 JST. The Program will be accessible 24 hours a day on the dedicated Program website operated by Agorize at [https://aichi-landing-padrize.com/edition-2024] (“the Program website”), subject to possible IT maintenance operations. Dates and times in these Rules refer to Japan Standard Time (JST/GMT+9).

*For the complete program, please refer to Section 7.

 

2. AGREEING TO THE RULES

 

Any eligible person who is registered on the Program website and enrolls to participate in the Program (“Participant” or “You”), is required to review and accept these Rules. By accessing and accepting these Rules, You:

1. enter into a valid and enforceable contractual relationship with the Sponsor regarding participation in the Program. The registration and enrolment in the Program does not set up any subordination relationship between the Sponsor and the Participant, and
2.  fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these Rules. Participants express their agreement by checking an online box while enrolling for the Program.

 

Failure to comply with these rules will result in immediate disqualification of the Participant from the Program and any further assistance. Sponsor also reserves the right to disqualify any Participant from participating in any phase of the Program if Sponsor determines that such Participant is disrupting the smooth running of the Program, including, but not limited to, any Participant who objects to the running of the Program, is disruptive, commits slander against third parties, or makes statements or behaves in a way that is disruptive to other Participants.

 

3. REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM

 

To take part in the Program, we must receive your completed registration by September 17, 2024 17:00 JST. To register, the Participant must first have created a user account on the Program website, and must have truthfully and accurately completed required information, such as full name, email address, etc.

 

Any registration based on inaccurate, false or incomplete information will result in the Participant’s disqualification. Refusing collection, recording and use of their personal data that is strictly necessary to performing the Program will result in the Participant’s disqualification. The Participant is solely responsible for the information he/she provides when registering. Any intentional or unintentional mistake, anomaly or inconsistency, regarding this information, may result in the Participant’s disqualification. The Sponsor reserves the right to proceed with all necessary verifications regarding the Participant’s identity, postal and/or email address.

 

Deletion of a Participant’s user account on the Program website will be deemed as a withdrawal from the Program. In this case, the Participant, regardless of whether the deletion results from the Participant’s personal action or not, will not participate in the Program, and will not obtain any compensation.

 

You must also have accepted the Rules as well as the Terms and Conditions of Use and the Privacy Policy, during the creation of your user account and your registration to the Program.

 

Registration for and participation in the Program is free, with no purchase or payment obligation. However, if selected for this program, participants will be responsible for all expenses incurred during their stay, including travel expenses to Japan and accommodation and meals.

 

4. ELIGIBILITY

 

This Program is open and offered solely to:

 

• Startups. A business entity, regardless of its business area. Startups may be required, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to provide proof of (i) company registration by submitting a registration certificate issued within the last three (3) months, or ongoing company registration, or any trade registry and proof ensuring the registration of the entity in the relevant country, and (ii) a valid professional insurance policy subscription.

 

All the documents that may confirm the Participant’s eligibility may be required prior to awarding any prizes (e.g. identity document, registration certificate etc.).

 

 

This Program is void in countries where it is prohibited or restricted by law.

 

5. PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM AND PARTICIPATION

 

Participation in the Program must be a Startup, represented by one individual.

 

 

• Startups. Startup Participants enter the Contest on behalf of their legal business organizations. During the registration process, Startup Participant must designate one individual who is part of the company for contact purposes with the Sponsor. This person will be responsible for registering the Startup at the Program and participate in the Program on behalf of the Startup. As a Startup participating in this Program, you represent and warrant to the Sponsor that such person (i) is an authorized representative of Startup and is participating in the Program on behalf of such company, and (ii) has obtained all necessary approvals to enter the Program, including all persons qualified to grant any intellectual property rights to Sponsor. Any individual who is employed by a Startup may also submit its participation as an Individual Participant.

 

The goal of the Program is for Participants to submit contributions (or projects) meeting the requirements determined by the Sponsor in the Program brief, and that are formalized by deliverables. The brief includes information regarding various deadlines, details of the prizes, Sponsor requirements etc. (the “Brief”). The Brief is accessible through the Program website.

 

6. DELIVERABLES

 

During the Program, Participants may upload any documents or other materials (such as texts, presentations, videos, etc.) relating to their project to the Program website in response and as a solution to the Sponsor’s Program (the “Deliverable”).

 

To be eligible, Deliverables must (i) address the specific issue set out in the Brief, (ii) be in a common digital format, such as, DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPT, PPTX, KEY, ODT, MP3, MPEG, MOV, MP4, and (iii) be in English or Japanese, and in general terms must comply with these Rules.

 

If a Deliverable cannot be downloaded, is not in the right format or is incompatible, illegible, or unintelligible, the Deliverable will be disqualified.

 

By submitting a Deliverable, the following needs must  be respected:

 

• The Deliverable includes exclusive contributions from an Individual representing a Startup.

 

• Otherwise, if content from a third party has been used in the development of the Deliverable, all rights, authorizations and agreements necessary to submit the Deliverable and grant the rights mentioned herein have been obtained. The existence of uncredited third-party contributions in the Deliverable will result in the disqualification of the Deliverable and the related Participants;

 

• No other individual and/or entity is entitled to claim any rights from the use of the Deliverable; and

 

• The content of the Deliverable does not and will not infringe or violate any rights of any third party or entity, including, without limitation, intellectual property rights, privacy, competition law, confidentiality, or any contractual or extracontractual right. All deliverables suspected of any law(s) and/or any third party’s right will be ineligible.

 

Participants are responsible for and shall bear any costs or expenses associated with preparing and submitting Deliverables. Participants assume all risk for  damaged, lost, late, incomplete, invalid, incorrect or misdirected Deliverables.

 

7. PROGRAM PROCESS

 

Program Rounds. The Program consists of several rounds:

 

• Application Phase: Entries and submissions will be accepted from 00:00 JST on July 19, 2024 until 23:59 JST on September 17, 2024.
• Selection Phase: About 15 startups will be selected through a rigorous selection process. The selected startups will be announced around September 25, 2024.
• Matching phase: After October 1, 2024, the selected startups will participate in online/offline events and provide matching services.
• Follow-up phase: A phase to support collaboration between startups matched in the matching phase and business companies until March 31, 2025, the end of the program.

 

 

Deliverable. If a Participant does not upload a Deliverable on the Program website before the deadline, this will be considered as a withdrawal from the Program. The Participant may not join the Program, and may not obtain any compensation from the Sponsor.

 

Selection Criteria. Deliverables will be judged according to the Selection Criteria, described below. You agree and acknowledge that the Program relies on your creativity, capacity, ability, and ingenuity to solve difficult problems. The Program does not depend, even partially, on chance or luck, and therefore should not be considered as a lottery. Under no circumstances are factors such as appearance, religion, membership in a trade union, political opinions or sexual orientation considered.

 

Notification to Participants. Once selection has been completed, Participants will be notified by email, phone, or by other means of the results of each Round. The Sponsor will be free to alter the dates on which results are released should this become necessary due to the number of projects to be assessed.  The ranking decided by the final jury will be announced on the day that presentations are made and will identify the Participants that are finalists.

 

1. Application Phase

 

Registration and submissions for the application phase will be accepted beginning July 19, 2024 at 00:00 JST and must be received by September 17, 2024 at 17:00 JST.

 

An Early Bird entry benefit period: startups that submit fully filled out Participation Forms and slide-deck, by 10:00 JST on September 3, 2024 will be able to receive answers to any questions they may have from the sponsor and participating companies, or advice on brushing up their submissions, as needed.

 

In addition to the specifications listed in Section 6 above, submissions must meet the following

Deliverables must meet the specifications set out in Section 6, above, and include:

 

1. Brief introduction of the company's business and products/services
2. What problem are you trying to solve?
3. How the product/service works
4. How will the company generate revenue?
5. Who are the competitors
6. What traction have you had?
7. Team composition
8. What prompted you to apply, what you feel is attractive about the Japanese market, or your business development plans
9. Whether or not you have experience in the Japanese market (if so, please describe in detail).

 

 

Selection phase following will proceed as follows:

 

2. Selection Phase

 

Voting based on the selection criteria will take place from the entry deadline until approximately September 27, 2024.

 

Voters (sponsors, contractors, the Agorize community, and judges determined by the sponsors and contractors) (voting members) will evaluate and adopt entries and submissions based on the following criteria:

 

• Innovation: How innovative is the solution in the use of new or existing technology to solve the problem described in the brief? How does it differ from other available solutions? Can it be differentiated?
• Relevance: How well do the entries and submissions address the specific needs described in each category/theme?
• Feasibility: Is there an MVP? What stage of development is the service/product, how feasible is it? Is it economical? Sustainable in the long term?
• Market size: What is the market size? Is it possible to develop markets that have not yet been identified? Do you have a clear advantage to expand your market share?
• Clarity: How clearly does the proposal express the potential impact on society, business, and manufacturing?
• Affinity with Aichi Prefecture industries: How well does the proposal match the needs of industries in Aichi Prefecture? Does the business need to be in Aichi Prefecture for its development?
• Fit with the issues of companies in Aichi Prefecture: Does the proposal/solution fit the specific business issues and needs obtained from interviews, survey results, etc.?

 

Except as otherwise provided below, the 15 Participants with the highest score at the end of this vote will win this vote and proceed to the next round.

Startups that are found to be cheating, using forged profiles, using third-party applications that enable fraudulent voting, or any other double participation and fraudulent voting perceived by the sponsor will be disqualified and will not receive any support. The Sponsor's decision regarding disqualification is final and its decision will not be contested by any other participant.

 

Each startup will be notified of the results of the selection by approximately September 27, 2024.

 

3. Matching Phase

 

Selected startups will be notified directly via email to the address specified during registration. If a participant does not accept the Program's acceptance notification within the specified timeframe, the Sponsor reserves the right to revoke the selected startup's right to participate in the Matching Phase. Participants may not claim compensation of any kind from the Sponsor for this disqualification.

 

The selected startups will be required to participate in online seminars and online pitches organized by the Sponsor, as well as in-person Demo Day and matching events at various facilities in the Aichi Prefecture startup ecosystem. In addition, the startups are required to stay in Japan from 11/20/2024 to 12/3/2024. During the period of stay, up to two seats per startup will be provided at STATION Ai, the largest startup support center in Japan.

 

 

Scheduled events include:

 

 

Date	Time	Event Name	Overview	Details
2024/10/16 (Wed)	1600~1700 JST	Online Seminar for Startups #1: The Japanese Market	Introduction to Aichi's startup ecosystem and stakeholders in Japan and the big picture of the Japanese Market.	Online participation. Lectures will be recorded.
2024/10/23 (Wed)	1600~1700 JST	Online Seminar for Startups #2: Japanese Business Mindset and Culture	Introduction to the culture of Japanese companies, the mindset required for open innovation with Japanese companies, and basic business etiquette.	Online participation. Lectures will be recorded.
2024/10/30 (Wed)	1700~1800 JST	Online Seminar for Startups #3: Market Entry, Business Development and Legal	Introduction to legal matters associated with business in Japan: Laws, licensing, contract and agreement etc.	Online participation. Lectures will be recorded.
2024/11/20 (Wed)	1000 JST	Welcome Session	Introduction to STATION Ai and individual work space.	Venue: STATION Ai
2024/11/22 (Fri)	1700 JST	Pitch Event #1	Pitch event targeted to leading companies in Aichi and chance to migle with local start community.	Venue: Nagono Campus
2024/11/25 (Mon)	1700 JST	Demo Day	Startups' proposal pitches and presentation of their technologies, solutions to participating companies and leading companies in Aichi prefecture.	In-person demo speech. Venue: STATION Ai
2024/11/27 (Wed)	1800 JST	Matching Event #1	Matching opportunity with participating companies and leading companies in Aichi prefecture.	Venue: STATION Ai
2024/11/29 (Fri)	1500 JST	Matching Event #2	Matching opportunity with leading companies in Aichi prefecture.	Venue: Innovation Garage
2024 Oct~ 2024 March		Matching Support Period	Provide matching support between companies and startups in Aichi Prefecture	Online and In-person (In principle, in-person during your stay in Japan)

 

4. Follow-up Phase

 

Even after the end of the matching phase, until March 31, 2025, the company will continue to provide support as necessary for the conclusion of matching, such as introductions to business companies, assistance in setting up meetings, and consultation services.

 

 

8. COMMUNICATION

 

The Participant acknowledges and consent Sponsor’s use, throughout Japan and for the duration of the program and for a period of one (1) year following the Final Round use the Program for publicity, including for Sponsor’s advertising or other marketing purposes, (by any means and through any format (website, advertising banners, social networks, newsletter, press release) now known or unknown to date, free of charge or for a consideration.

 

In particular, you consent to the use, by the Sponsor, of your name and surname, your city and region of residence, the name of the institution in which you studied or in which you obtained your diplomas and other biographical information, your image, the information regarding the Prize (if you are a winner), the name of your company and its distinctive signs (if you are a Startup) and any other personal data that you submit with your Deliverables as well as the content of your Deliverables relating to the Program.

As an example, each Participant authorizes the Sponsor to use  the photographs taken during the Final to disseminate them via any communication medium.

 

Such use does not entitle the winner to any other payment than the Prize he/she received.

 

9. CONFIDENTIALITY

 

The Sponsor has no obligation to keep the information contained in the Deliverables confidential. In general terms, when submitting any Deliverables, the Participants understand, agree and accept that any information contained therein may be publicly disclosed by the Sponsor.

 

If you are a prize winner, the Sponsor may request that you execute a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement for the purpose of entering into negotiations regarding the further development of your project, as described in your Deliverable.  Such confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement will be directed to your Deliverable and all intellectual property that it may contain.

 

Furthermore, Participants acknowledge that the Sponsor may currently or in the future be developing information internally, or receiving information from other parties, that is similar to the information contained in any of the projects. Accordingly, nothing herein shall prohibit the Sponsor from independently acquiring, developing, or having developed for it, products, concepts, systems, services, or techniques that are similar to or compete with the products, concepts, systems or techniques contemplated by or embodied in any Deliverable.

 

The Participants recognize that other Participants, individuals or entities may have provided to the Sponsor or others, or made public, or may in the future submit, or make public, content that is the same or similar to any piece of information contained in any of the projects. Hence, the Participants acknowledge, agree and accept that the Sponsor shall have the right to use such same or similar materials, and that the Participants will not be entitled to any compensation arising from the Sponsor’s use of such materials.

 

10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

Definitions. For the purposes of this section,

• "Intellectual Property” means inventions, devices, new varieties of plants, designs, copyrighted works and other products of human creative activity (including discovered or elucidated laws of nature or phenomena that have the potential for industrial application), trademarks, trade names and other indications of goods or services used in business activities, and trade secrets and other technical or commercial information useful in business activities.

 

• "Intellectual Property Rights" refer to any copyright or other rights over a brand, a design or a model, a patent and, more generally, any element, (including trade secrets and knowhow), that may be protected by national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property (“Intellectual Property Rights”)

 

• “Previous Rights” refer to any Intellectual Property Rights and/or any associated know-how held by the Participants before the start date of the Program (“Previous Rights”)

 

• “Creations” refer to any software (including source and object code software), database, technical specifications, text, design, model, information, knowledge, method, process or product, as well as any resulting elements and/or processes likely or otherwise to be protected according to national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property developed by any Participant as a part of any submitted deliverable throughout the Program (“Creations”).

 

Warranty of non-infringement. When submitting any Deliverable, at any stage of the Program, each Participant guarantees to Sponsor that he/she is the co/owner and/or co/holder of the Intellectual Property Rights regarding all or part of the Creations  contained in the Deliverables submitted at any stage of the Program, and that he/she has obtained all rights and permissions regarding all pre-existing Creations and any elements of the Deliverables for which he/she does not hold the relevant rights.

 

Each Participant guarantees (i) that his/her contribution is original and unprecedented; (ii) that it does not infringe upon the copyright or any Intellectual Property Rights of any third party; (iii) that all the elements of which his/her submissions are formed, as well as all pieces of contributions and information communicated in the submission presentation documents are accurate, reliable and complete; and (iv) that the submission of the relevant Deliverables does not constitute an act of unfair competition of any kind.

 

It is compulsory for Participants to indicate the source of any pre-existing Creations of whichever nature and on whichever support that are included in any submitted deliverable. Any Deliverable involving several Participants constitutes a collaborative work and it should be treated as such in accordance with the applicable regulation in force.

 

Liability. Sponsor cannot be held liable for any infringement of the above provisions by Participants. Each Participant shall indemnify the Sponsor against any disturbance, action, claim, opposition and demand or eviction attempt from any third party in connection with any Creation in the Deliverables (Intellectual Property Rights included).

 

By submitting a Deliverable and participating in this Program, you are not granting the Sponsor any rights to any intellectual property supporting all of part of the Deliverable and the Sponsor makes no claim to ownership of your Deliverable or any intellectual property that it may contain.

 

 

11. MODIFICATION OF RULES, SUSPENSION AND CANCELLATION OF THE PROGRAM

 

Update of the Rules. The Sponsor reserves the right to amend these Rules at any time, including the Program duration in case of operational imperatives, without prior notice to Participants regarding the enforcement or the validity of these amendments.  Participants are encouraged to consult these Rules regularly. Participants expressly waive all claims or disputes related to any amendment to these Rules by the Sponsor.

 

Should any paragraph of these Rules be declared or judged illegal, unenforceable or void by a court decision, the paragraph in question will be considered null and void, but all other unaffected paragraphs will be enforced within the limits of the law.

 

Program Cancellation or Suspension. The Sponsor reserves the right in its discretion, to (i) cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Program and these Rules, for any reason, at any time and without any liability, and (ii) to limit or restrict participation in the Program. The Sponsor will not be held liable for the modification, cancellation or suspension of the Program and no compensation or remuneration will be due to the Participants.

 

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

The Sponsor will in no way be held liable in the event of breakdown or failure, regardless of the cause, of any telecommunications network used that causes Participants difficulty in or prevents Participants from identifying themselves on or gaining access to the Program website.

 

Participants agree that company, its affiliates and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, representatives and agents (“released parties”) will have no liability whatsoever for, and will be released and held harmless by participants for any claims, liabilities, or causes of action of any kind or nature for any injury, loss or damages of any kind including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages to persons, including without limitation disability or death.  Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the program website and in connection with the program is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.  Some jurisdiction may not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusion of implied warranties, in which case such limitation or exclusion shall apply only to the extent permitted by the law in the relevant jurisdiction.

 

Participation in the Program implies acknowledgement and acceptance of the characteristics, limits and risks of the internet and related technologies, particularly with regards to performance, response time, security of software and computer equipment against various potential attacks, such as viruses, logic bombs or Trojans, and loss or misuse of data. As a result, the Sponsor will not be held liable in any way for any damage incurred by Participants arising from these characteristics, limits and risks, which Participants accept by registering and taking part in the Program.

 

The Sponsor will not in any case be held liable for damages resulting from faults with or delays in the submission of deliverables by Participants, including refusal to accept these deliverables as a consequence of their submission outside the deadlines set out in the Rules, from faults with or delays to the sending of any emails by the Participant sent as part of the Program, or from any alterations made to the deliverables independently of the Sponsor.

 

The Sponsor will not in any case be held liable for damages resulting from services provided by a third-party relating to the prizes.

 

The Sponsor will not be held liable for the consequences of a Participant’s disqualification from the Program as a result of their violation of these Rules.

 

13. PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION

 

Participation in the Program requires the communication of the Participant's personal data ("Personal Data").

 

Participant’s personal data is subject to processing within the meaning of the regulations on the protection of personal data (The EU 2016/679 General Data Protection Regulation and the Council of 27 April 2016, known as GDPR or Act No. 57 of 2003: Act on the Protection of Personal Information in Japanese laws) for which the Sponsor defines the purposes and means and is, as such, “Data controller” within the meaning of the GDPR.

 

The purposes of the processing are:

• To meet the organization of the program needs 
• To organize the intermediation between the Participant and the Sponsor, to ensure identification, communication and preservation of the exchanges with the Participant

 

In accordance with the provisions of the GDPR or Act on Protection of Personal Information, the Sponsor undertakes to implement organizational and technical security measures in order to protect all Participant’s Personal Data. The Sponsor undertakes these measures to allow the exercise of Participants’  rights from GDPR.

 

14. CLAIMS

 

Any Participant’s claims arising from the Program, should be addressed no later than thirty (30) days following the Program end date to JPABAICHIGSUDL@abeam.com. All claims must include: (i) the Participant’s complete contact details (name, address, email address and phone); (ii) the name of the Program; and (iii) a clear and detailed explanation for the claim.

 

15. APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTES RESOLUTION

 

The Program and any action related thereto shall be governed by the law applicable  by Japanese Laws.

 

In case of persistent litigation beyond a period of fifteen (15) days after the Participant has filed a claim, the Sponsor and the Participant undertake to submit their dispute to an amicable conciliation prior to any legal proceedings. The party wishing to initiate conciliation shall inform the other party by means of a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in which it will inform of its intentions and will explain the cause. If no agreement is reached between the parties within thirty (30) days after receipt of the registered letter, the parties regain their freedom of action.

 

In case of persistent disagreement on the application or interpretation of the Rules, and in the absence of an amicable settlement, any dispute that may arise between the parties, will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Japanese courts to which the parties expressly grant jurisdiction, even in the case of multiple defendants, in summary proceedings, appeal by guarantee or by motion. or any other jurisdiction.