How the University of Tokyo supports startups
Commitment to Innovation
How the University of Tokyo supports startups
The Division of University Corporate Relations of the University of Tokyo has since 2004 been providing various assistance to University-related startup companies aiming to commercialize the University’s research results. We asked Project Professor Katsuya Hasegawa, who has been working at the forefront of these support efforts since 2009, to introduce these initiatives, which aim at going from the pursuit of knowledge to the application of that knowledge to everyday life.
Katsuya HasegawaProject Professor,
After earning an MS from the Graduate School of Engineering of the University of Tokyo, he joined Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (currently Panasonic Corporation), engaging in large-scale integration (LSI) semiconductor research and development. He was also involved in venture investment activities in Silicon Valley. He later became a professor at Waseda University in the Management of Technology (MOT) Program, before assuming his current position in 2009.
Book by Project Professor Katsuya Hasegawa
Startups 101
(University of Tokyo Press/Published April 2019/2,500 yen + tax)
Incubation and education as the two pillars
In the Division of University Corporate Relations, startup support is built on two pillars — incubation after launching a new company, and education before creating a company. In the incubation area, financial support from investment companies, including ) and , are not to be overlooked, but the University itself also provides support in many forms, such as operating incubation facilities. Additional assistance is given by making available buildings where startup companies can enjoy low-rent spaces, along with other “soft infrastructure” support. For example, the University contracts with corporate lawyers and certified public accounta