About this opportunity
A social problem, a student team and five minutes to make a judge believe it. That is the shape of the Tokyo Global Innovation Challenge, a contest organised by its own committee and run day to day by its secretariat, built to grow global entrepreneurship in students who have not started a company yet.
The door is deliberately wide. Teams of three to six undergraduate or graduate students may enter, and the organiser states plainly that members may come from universities in Japan or abroad, with mixed international and Japanese teams, Japanese only teams and international only teams all accepted. Doctoral students are included in the wording on the official page. What is not accepted is a faculty idea wearing a student's name: the business idea must be student led.
You choose one of two tracks. Idea is for a concept at an early stage, and five to seven teams from the whole field move forward to the finals. Seed or Startup is for teams already implementing the idea or running a business less than two years old, and here you still do not need to be incorporated or earning revenue, though you do need evidence that real users have reacted to what you built.
Everything is delivered in English, and the entry itself is a pitch video of up to five minutes uploaded to a cloud storage link and pasted into the form. One warning worth reading twice: the terms state that a pitch using AI generated voice narration will not be eligible for judging, so the team's own voices are part of the entry. Screening results come out on Friday 13 November 2026, and the closing dates fall on 18 October 2026, which is two days away, so this is a sprint rather than a plan.
What you receive
- Five to seven Idea Category teams are selected from all applicants to advance to the Final Competition in Tokyo
- A pre event on 19 December 2026 and a Final Competition and Awards Ceremony on 20 December 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base, near Yurakucho Station
- Exposure to industry leaders, investors and partner universities through the contest programme
- Structured feedback on the idea from the judging panel, covering social impact, market potential, feasibility and growth strategy
- Recognition as a finalist or award winner in an international student entrepreneurship contest
- A route to develop the idea further with the network the contest brings
Who can apply
- Teams of three to six members who are undergraduate or graduate students, including international students, from universities in Japan or abroad
- Teams may be mixed international and Japanese, Japanese only, or international only
- The business idea must be student led, and ideas based on faculty led research are not eligible
- You must enter one category: Idea for a concept addressing a social issue at an early development stage, or Seed or Startup for teams already implementing the idea or in business under two years
- Pitch video and all presentations must be delivered in English
- By submitting the application the team agrees to the participation terms, which are governed by Japanese law
Who should not apply
- Business ideas based on faculty led research are not eligible
- Pitch videos using AI generated voice narration will not be eligible for judging
- The organiser and secretariat do not answer enquiries about the reasons for evaluation or selection, or about acceptance and rejection results
- The organiser may cancel, suspend or modify the contest without prior notice if natural disasters or other unavoidable circumstances affect its operation
- Participants must not include third party intellectual property, trade secrets or material they have no authority to use in the proposal
Documents to prepare
- A completed application form for the category you are entering
- A pitch video of up to five minutes, recorded by the team and uploaded to a cloud storage platform such as Google Drive
- The shareable URL of that pitch video, pasted into the application form
- Team name and the name and email address of the team representative, both written in English
- For the Seed or Startup category, evidence of idea validation such as user feedback and early user responses
- Confirmation that you have read the participation terms and conditions for the 2026 contest
How to apply
- Form a team of three to six students and choose the problem your idea addresses
- Decide which category fits: Idea for an early concept, or Seed or Startup for work already begun or a business under two years old
- Read the participation terms at https://tokyo-global-innovation-challenge.jp/wp-content/themes/tgic_2026/document/tgic_application_terms_en2026.pdf
- Record a pitch video of up to five minutes in English using your own team voices, then upload it to a cloud storage platform and copy the link
- Open the Idea Category application form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScs1QrALzMeglE7t2f1lLJqtySwQc17fyPiOI2Gp4319vTU8w/viewform, or the Seed and Startup Category form linked from the same official page, and fill in the team name and representative details in English
- Paste the pitch video URL into the form and submit before Sunday 18 October 2026, since the organiser states applications must be received by the deadline
- Watch for the screening results on Friday 13 November 2026, and if you are selected plan for the pre event on 19 December and the final competition on 20 December 2026 in Tokyo
Selection process
- The organising committee and secretariat evaluate and select entries for the finals from the submitted proposal materials after the application period closes
- Judging looks at understanding of the social issue, the suitability of the solution, originality, feasibility and market potential
- Weight is also given to social and market impact, opportunities for expansion in Japan and internationally, and the ability to tell a compelling story in English
- Seed or Startup entries are further assessed on idea validation, including feedback obtained and the responses of early users, and on growth strategy and scalability
- Five to seven teams from the Idea Category advance from all applicants to the Final Competition
- Screening results are announced on Friday 13 November 2026, with the pre event on 19 December and the Final Competition and Awards Ceremony on 20 December 2026
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
When is the deadline?
Applications must be received by Sunday 18 October 2026, the closing date printed on the official contest page. The application period opened on Tuesday 28 July 2026, so the window is short and there is no published extension process.
Can students outside Japan apply?
Yes. The organiser states that teams of three to six undergraduate or graduate students, including international students, may come from universities in Japan or abroad, and that mixed, Japanese only and international only teams are all accepted. African student teams are therefore able to enter, though travel to Tokyo for the December finals would need to be arranged by the team.
Do I need a registered company?
No. Incorporation and revenue generation are not required. The Seed or Startup category does expect evidence that you have validated the idea, such as user feedback and the responses of early users, and you may present incorporation and fundraising as part of your future plans.
What does the entry consist of?
An application form for your category plus a pitch video of up to five minutes, uploaded to a cloud storage platform with the link pasted into the form. Everything is presented in English.
Is there a cash prize?
The official page for the 2026 contest does not publish a cash prize amount. What winners advance to is the Final Competition and Awards Ceremony in Tokyo on 20 December 2026, along with the recognition and investor exposure the contest brings.
Can the pitch video use an AI voice?
No. The participation terms state that pitching videos using AI generated voice narration will not be eligible for judging, so record the pitch in the team's own voices.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
