Kobe City: Kobe City Sector-Specific Incubation Project: Determination of Subsidized Businesses

Press Release (June 3, 2024)
New Industry Creation Division, Bureau of Economy and Tourism

　In order to realize sustainable growth of the city, the City of Kobe is working to form a startup ecosystem where innovations are generated one after another through the accumulation and establishment of startups and collaboration with local companies.
　In order to accelerate the formation of an ecosystem centered on Kobe City, the City of Kobe has issued a call for applications for a subsidy program for startups that continuously implement ^{field-specific*} incubation projects in the city, start a business in the city, and register their headquarters in the city. Five applications were received, and the following two were selected as the recipients of the subsidy.
　The City of Kobe will support the creation of startups in Kobe by promoting exchanges with various companies and organizations through public relations support and membership in the “Hyogo Kobe Startup Ecosystem Consortium” to promote the adopted projects.
(*) For the purpose of this project, “incubation business” is defined as “a business that (1) gathers human resources and startups who wish to start or grow businesses from all over Japan, (2) nurtures them at a base (Kobe), and (3) sends them to the market.

1. Selected Businesses (*in alphabetical order)

1) Adlib Works, Inc.
Specialized in: Social Impact
– Address: 8N-10 Kobe Fashion Mart, 6-9 Koyo-cho Naka, Higashinada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
– Representative: Kento Yamaoka
– Business: Generating AI products & Customer Success in the BizDev-tech area to create an environment where everyone is close to new business development. The company has identified more than 600 business ideas from more than 6,000 members and is constantly engaged in more than 60 business development projects at the same time.
Official website: https://adlibworks.co.jp/

2) Light Up Ventures, Inc.
Specializes in: High-value-added mature industries
・Address: QUINTBRIDGE 3F, 4-15-82 Higashinodacho, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
・Representative: Tadatsugu Nakamura
・Business description: Providing IT and services in Kansai and western Japan, and university-launched tech businesses. Venture capital firm that invests mainly in pre-seed to seed stage startups operating in the IT, service, and university-launched tech sectors in the Kansai and Western Japan regions. Provides thorough, run-by-owner support in business development, investment, sales channel expansion, etc.
Official website: https://lupv.co.jp/

2. [Reference] Kobe City Subsidy Program for Field-Specific Incubation Projects

(1) Eligible period
Maximum 36 months from the date of subsidy ^{decision*
*Subsidies} are not guaranteed for the second and subsequent years, as they are contingent on the screening process and budget approval for each fiscal year.
(2) Subsidy rate and maximum subsidy amount
The maximum subsidy amount is 10 million yen per fiscal year, within one half of the subsidy eligible expenses. However, if there is a donation from the corporate version of Hometown Tax, the donation will be added to the subsidy amount only within the scope of the subsidy eligible expenses.
(3) Expenses eligible for subsidy
Personnel expenses, travel expenses, advertising and publicity expenses, expert fees, event hosting expenses, base usage fees, and other expenses directly related to the execution of the adopted project that are recognized as necessary for the implementation of the incubation project and paid directly by the subsidized business are eligible.