In Okinawa, challengers gather in the shopping district of Koza, creating encounters and giving birth to new challenges.
KOZAROCKS, a urban conference that began in July 2022 with the opening of Koza Startup Shopping Street, is set in Koza, a town that once flourished as a gateway to a U.S. military base and continues to thrive with a unique culture that transcends borders.
Featuring the latest in tech, creators, entertainment, politics, economics, startups, and small businesses, KOZAROCKS delivers encounters leading to new innovations through various content such as talk sessions, startup pitches, and networking parties.
Press release is available here
The KOZAROCKS 2023 Summer Executive Committee will host the urban startup conference "KOZAROCKS 2023 Summer" on September 2, 2023, at Koza Startup Shopping Street, a rapidly growing center of the startup ecosystem in Okinawa, aiming to bring a new breeze to the Japanese economy by gathering challengers and innovators.
Here, encounters lead to something happening - the first pitch event is also held simultaneously.
This conference marks the third edition. In the past, more than 1000 participants, including startups, venture capitalists, businesses, and financial institutions from various regions, gathered to challenge and aim for the growth of startups from different perspectives. Through sessions and networking events, they have generated the seeds of new innovation.
Additionally, as a first attempt this time, the startup pitch event "KOZAROCKS PITCH AWARD" will be held simultaneously. Ten companies, including 5 startups from Okinawa and 5 from outside the prefecture, will compete. Judges, including Mr. Yosuke Aso, President and CEO of Alpha Drive Co., Ltd., and entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from inside and outside the prefecture, will evaluate business ideas based on global standards. The winning company is expected to receive benefits such as the right to occupy a space in Koza Startup Shopping Street, priority consultation rights with venture capitalists, and various other benefits from sponsor companies.
During the event period, welcoming events will be held in Okinawa City in conjunction with the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, creating a great opportunity for the excitement of sports and business to blend.
The participation of Anna Makino from Okinawa Actors School and Shoma Akira, a member of the House of Representatives, has been confirmed!
In the main content of the conference, sessions featuring luxurious guests challenging in various fields such as startups, finance, education, entertainment, and art have been confirmed one after another. The real words of the guests, possible to hear due to the close distance unique to urban conferences, are sure to be an opportunity to broaden your perspective and raise your viewpoint.
Koza Startup Shopping Street, as a gathering place for various challengers, consists of coworking spaces, share offices, offices of startups and companies from inside and outside the prefecture, share houses for engineers, hotels for workations, social bars, art galleries, free schools, and more. It continues to grow as a platform that facilitates the flow of people and capital as the foundation for the growth of startups and challengers originating from Okinawa, aiming to be a "shopping street that produces challengers who innovate the world."
[Official Koza Startup Shopping Street Accounts]
Twitter：https://twitter.com/Kozarocks
Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/Kozarocks/
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/kozastartuparcade/
