40 venture capitalists from across Japan gathered in Kanazawa for the “2nd TeSH Premium Session”
24 seeds (STEP1) were pitched, and a total of 80 matching meetings were arranged.

On August 1, 2025, 40 VCs from across Japan, including the Hokuriku region as well as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, gathered in Kanazawa (ANA Crowne Plaza Kanazawa) for the "2nd TeSH Premium Session," a pitch event for the 24 seeds selected for the FY2025 TeSH STEP1. As a result, a total of 80 "interviews between VCs and research representatives" were scheduled. We will proceed with selecting commercialization promotion organizations for STEP1, which will lead to applications for STEP2.

To apply for STEP2**, it is mandatory for seeds selected for STEP1* to submit a joint proposal with a VC. The Premium Session organized by TeSH is a matching opportunity between STEP1 research representatives and VCs. The 24 research representatives gave eight-minute pitches to introduce their seeds, followed by a five-minute Q&A session where they engaged in lively discussions with the VCs. The VCs each filled out a questionnaire stating:
1. Themes they would like to have individual meetings with
2. An S/A/B/C rating of the seed, and
3. Their comments.

As a result, all 24 seeds received requests for individual meetings, with a total of 80 meetings arranged. Some seeds received meeting requests from as many as nine different VCs. We will select a VC partner through individual meetings and proceed with the application for STEP2. All comments were fed back to the 24 principal investigators.
The top three themes in the SABC evaluation are as follows:

1st place:
KURODA, Kosuke/ Associate Professor, Kanazawa University/
Development of "ZILusion": solvent of hardly soluble drugs

2nd place:
UTA, Daisuke/ Associate Professor, University of Toyama/
Realizing a New Home Treatment Business with Low-Level Laser Therapy Devices

3rd place: vFUJITA, Hagino/ Kanazawa Institute of Technology/
Development of Elliptical Microwave Heating Chamber

The Premium Session is one of the important initiatives of the TeSH Gap Fund Program, designed to bridge STEP 1 and STEP 2, in conjunction with the call for proposals and selection process for both stages. With 40 venture capitalists from across Japan gathering in Hokuriku, the 80 meetings that resulted from the session represent a significant step toward establishing a collaborative funding network between academia in Hokuriku and external capital providers—something that Hokuriku academia had not been able to achieve until now.

TeSH will continue to focus on creating startups that can take on the world through its Gap Fund Program.

* STEP1 supports applied research from the design of use hypotheses to the pre-proof-of-concept phase
** STEP2 supports the process from proof of concept to the formation of startups

Fumihiko Uchida, Ph.D.
TeSH Program Head of Directors/ JAIST