Gateway to Global Impact: Innovation Starting from Okinawa

OIST Innovation has supported 15 teams through the OIST Innovation Accelerator program, and many graduating teams have established their companies and expanded their business in Okinawa.

At the event, EF Polymer, an accelerator program graduate, shares their experiences and episodes about their project and entrepreneurial activities in Okinawa.

MTG Ventures, a venture capital firm certified as “Okinawa Partner VC” by Okinawa Prefectural Government, also participates and discusses the potential of Okinawa and OIST startups from a VC perspective.

Let’s take this opportunity to think together about the innovation that begins in Okinawa!

• Date 14:00-16:00, Friday September 20, 2024 (Doors Open at 13:30)

• Venue: OIST Main Campus, Seminar Room B250 (Center Building, B Floor)

For directions to the main campus is here. On the day of the event, there will be signboards from the main entrance to guide you to the venue. For information on parking and the location of the main reception, please check here. *Please note that it takes 5 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the venue.

• Registration Form: Register here.  The registration form is closed. Please contact bd@oist.jp if you attend the event.

• Program:

   13:30 Doors Open

   14:00-14:10 Opening (OIST)

   14:10-14:30 Presentation 1（EF Polymer）

   14:30-14:50 Presentation 2 (MTG Ventures)

   14:50-15:20 Talk Session (OIST, EF Polymer, MTG Ventures)

   15:20-16:00 Networking

*Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

• Speaker:

          EF Polymer  Founder/ CEO  Narayan Lal Gurjar

He was born in Rajasthan, India, and graduated from an agricultural university there. During high school, he developed the idea for this technology after seeing his father, a farmer, struggle with water shortage. In 2019, he came to Okinawa after being accepted into OIST’s accelerator program, where he later established his headquarters. Guided by the belief that “Nature has a solution for every problem,” he is dedicated to developing solutions that fully harness the power of nature.

MTG Ventures  Representative Partner  Yoshinari Ito

After gaining experience in investment banking at a securities firm and IPO practices at a startup, he moved into venture capital. At the startup, he handled fundraising, IPO preparation, investment and M&A, and investor relations in roles such as management planning and the president's office. In his previous position at Global Brain, he supported investments and growth for startups, as well as the establishment of CVCs and open innovation activities for large corporations. He joined MTG Ventures in 2020, leveraging his experience in financial institutions and startups to invest in and build ecosystems for startups.

OIST Innovation Business Development Section  Senior Manager  Anna Nagamine

At OIST Innovation's Business Development Section, she oversees the establishment of partnerships between OIST and the industry, supports startup activities, and manages the operations of the incubation facility.