TechGALA Side Event Held! Expanding the "Related Population" through ASNOVA x KUROFUNE

The Venture Client Model (VCM) is an open innovation model where companies, rather than investing in startups (CVC investment), adopt products and services as "customers" and promote co-creation through on-site verification. Its key feature is that it leads to growth for both parties by providing a testing ground for real-world problems. ASNOVA also took inspiration from this concept, and its deepening relationship with KUROFUNE, which has solutions to strategic challenges, led to this side event.

Q. What roles did each of you play in this event?

Kakuta: I was mainly in charge of attracting participants from the business companies. To be honest, attracting participants was quite a struggle. It was the last day of "TechGALA," and the weather was bad that day, so I was worried until the very end that "we won't be able to gather any participants." ASNOVA's recognition is still not very high, and I was worried that even if we announced "ASNOVA is doing this," people wouldn't be very interested.

I think the term "VCM" itself wasn't very well-known to begin with. Those who heard the explanation at the venue understood it, but getting to that point was difficult.

Arai: I put out a call for pitch presenters from the startup side. As a startup company, we are used to events, so I thought we were relatively good at attracting attendees. However, we are constantly struggling with a shortage of manpower, and naturally, each person is juggling various tasks, so preparing for the event and attracting attendees while managing our work was very difficult.

Kakuta: I could see that Arai-san was very busy. That's why I made a conscious effort to proactively support him as much as I could from ASNOVA. I made sure to check things in advance before sending emails so that he wouldn't have to contact me frequently, and I was careful about how I passed the ball to him.

Arai: That was a huge help! I really felt that they were accommodating us, and besides, it was me who suggested that we do a side event for TechGALA. I was worried about whether they would say yes, but ASNOVA readily agreed, so I was very happy.

Furthermore, ASNOVA held study sessions about our company and our employment system for foreign staff, and they actively reached out to us. It was very reassuring to feel that we shared the same core values.

Kakuta: It's nice to hear that our company's stance is being appreciated. When collaborating with startups, the biggest thing I noticed was the difference in culture. Everyone makes decisions quickly, swiftly, and flexibly. I think we should learn from KUROFUNE's good points.

Arai: Speed is certainly a strength of startups, and it's a culture we value.

On the other hand, I think we still have a long way to go in terms of compliance compared to other companies. To be honest, I hadn't given much thought to things like permission for video filming or handling personal information, so I was grateful that Ms. Tsunoda taught me about them. Working together like this, I felt like we were able to blend the best aspects of each other's cultures.

Also, personally, I found being the MC difficult (laughs). I usually work in sales, so I'm confident in my ability to handle unexpected situations, but being the MC requires a different set of skills. I felt like I still have a lot of room to improve!

Q. Could you also reflect on the event itself? What was the participants' reaction like? Were there any moments when you felt it was worthwhile?

Kakuta: We received a lot of positive feedback from the participants. It was great to hear them say things like, "It was fun!"

Also, I was surprised by some of the unexpected reactions. Some people were hearing a startup pitch for the first time and said things like, "Startups are amazing!" or "I didn't know ASNOVA did this kind of thing!" I was especially happy because I hadn't anticipated it.

Arai: The startups are used to pitching, so I think all five participating teams were able to present in a good atmosphere. The feedback I received was, "It was a good idea to have a voting period after each pitch!" We didn't decide on this from the beginning; we came up with the idea as we were planning the event and thought, "This might be a good approach," so I'm glad that it was well-received.

Kakuta: Personally, I had a strong feeling of "It was fun!" and it didn't really feel like work. As a company, there are various challenges and things to reflect on, but I think the excitement of the get-together said it all.

Arai: We often hold events with a lively atmosphere, but this time it was more business-oriented and focused on open innovation, so there were many new experiences for me. To make the most of this experience, I would like to collaborate with ASNOVA on future events!

This event is positioned as a "gateway" that connects startup ecosystem players from all over the world to this region, with the aim of promoting co-creation among diverse players, strengthening the branding of the region's startup ecosystem, and enhancing its international presence.
Official website: https://techgala.jp/

Representative Director: Ryo Kurata
Head office: 1-10-29 Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Fushimi FG Building 8th floor
Overview: A start-up company that operates around two core businesses: "Introduction and Retention of Foreign Human Resources" and "Registration Support Business". In the "Foreign Human Resources Introduction and Retention Business", we are developing our business by making full use of the power of technology to solve the problems of foreigners and companies who want to work in Japan but have difficulty finding a job at the company they want to work for because they have limited opportunities to find a place to work, or who have found a job but have not been able to settle down because the company is not used to hiring foreigners.

Official website: https://kurofune-inc.com/