Leave a Nest

What Leave a Nest does

Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. (株式会社リバネス) is a Tokyo-headquartered, privately held 'knowledge manufacturing' company founded on June 14, 2002 by 15 science and engineering graduate students. Operating with 51-100 employees, it functions as a multi-sided platform connecting young researchers (a network of 2,000+), research supervisors (1,000+), schools (2,300+ teachers and 8,000+ students annually), large Japanese corporations (100+ partners), regional governments, and deep tech startups through an integrated portfolio of programs and events. Its core products span the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference (超異分野学会), TECH PLANTER (Asia's largest realtech venture ecosystem), Science Castle (Japan's largest K-12 student research platform), L-Nest Research Grants, the L-RAD open-innovation web platform for unfunded research proposals, and education development programs developed with corporate CSR/CSV partners. The company is also expanding internationally through Tech Planter Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia) and partnerships such as the 2026 MOU with National Taiwan University.

Leave a Nest monetizes through four primary revenue streams: corporate partnership and sponsorship fees from 100+ enterprise partners (Nippon Steel Engineering, Toray, JT, Astellas, Daikin, Daiwa House, SMBC, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, DNP, Terumo), event and conference operations across HIC and Science Castle, R&D support services including grant administration and L-RAD platform participation, and educational program development delivered to schools and corporate CSR initiatives. GTM is community-led and event-driven: flagship annual conferences serve as top-of-funnel community aggregation events that feed mid-funnel corporate partnership conversations, with deep tech startups recruited through regional Tech Planter programs in Tochigi, Kyoto, Aichi, Hokkaido, and other Japanese prefectures. Distribution is direct via dedicated business development teams and academic liaisons (science bridge communicators). Strategic activity through 2026 includes the acquisition of Japan Moss Factory (September 2024), co-development of an AI-based structural design judgment system with Ando Hazama (March 2026), selection into NEDO's MPM 2026 acceleration program, MOUs with University of Tsukuba and National Taiwan University, and partnership with Tonari for a remote 'Global South Campus' concept, signaling a shift from organic-only growth to a combination of inorganic expansion, applied AI services, and cross-border platform extension.

Name

Leave a Nest

Legal name

株式会社リバネス

Website

https://lne.st

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leave a Nest is a Tokyo-based 'knowledge manufacturing' platform founded in 2002 that connects 2,000+ researchers, 100+ corporate partners, and 2,300+ schools through deep tech venture programs, science education platforms, and open innovation services across Japan and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Deep Tech Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• STEM education services
• Deep tech venture ecosystem
• Researcher network platforms
• Open innovation consulting
• Knowledge manufacturing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnership & Sponsorship Fees: Revenue from companies that participate in Leave a Nest's programs as partners, sponsors, or co-developers of educational/research programs. Companies gain access to the researcher network, student talent pipeline, and open innovation opportunities in exchange for program sponsorship.
2. Event & Conference Operations: Fees and operational support revenue from organizing large-scale conferences (超異分野学会), startup programs (Tech Planter), and educational events (Science Castle, 青空サイエンス教室). Revenue includes participation fees, exhibition fees, and organizational service fees.
3. Research & Development Support Services: Services supporting research activities including the L-RAD platform, リバネス研究費 grant program administration, and research community facilitation. Revenue derived from corporate co-funding of research grants and platform participation fees.
4. Educational Program Development: Development and delivery of custom science education programs for corporate partners (CSR/CSV initiatives), schools, and government bodies. Programs include experiment workshops, entrepreneurship education, and STEM curriculum development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Leave a Nest is a knowledge manufacturing company that designs, operates, and co-funds a portfolio of science education programs, researcher support services, deep tech venture ecosystem platforms, and industry-academia-government bridging initiatives. Its commercially active offerings include the TECH PLANTER deep tech venture ecosystem, the Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference series, the Science Castle K-12 research platform, the Leave a Nest Research Grant program, the L-RAD open-innovation platform, and the Teacheer education support project, serving corporations, schools, researchers, and deep tech startups.

Product overview

Leave a Nest operates as a 'knowledge manufacturing company' offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected platforms, programs, and services that bridge science and technology from research to social implementation. The core ecosystem includes TECH PLANTER (deep tech venture platform), 超異分野学会 (interdisciplinary conference), サイエンスキャッスル (youth science education), and various research support programs like リバネス研究費 and L-RAD. Additional services include education support projects through ティーチア, knowledge sharing via L Slide, unified account management through リバネスID, award programs like Deep Tech Venture of the Year, and international initiatives through Global Bridge Program. These products collectively support researchers, startups, corporations, and students in advancing science and technology from academia to market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TECH PLANTER: Asia's largest realtech venture ecosystem that solves deep issues through deep tech, supporting startup creation from university research.
• 超異分野学会 (Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference)
• サイエンスキャッスル (Science Castle)
• リバネス研究費 (L-Nest Research Grants)
• ティーチア (Teacheer)
• 情熱・先端 Mission-E
• L-RAD

Products and services

• TECH PLANTER (テックプランター) Asia's largest realtech venture ecosystem that connects researchers, startups, manufacturers, investors, and large corporations to solve unresolved 'deep issues' with deep tech; designed for university-born startups, SMEs, corporate innovation teams, and investors seeking to commercialize or socially implement science and technology.
• Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference (超異分野学会, HIC) Interdisciplinary conference bringing together specialists from diverse fields to discuss science and technology from basic research through commercialization; designed for corporate R&D managers, researchers, startups, and students to discover cross-disciplinary collaboration opportunities.
• Science Castle (サイエンスキャッスル) One of Japan's largest academic-style conferences for middle and high school students to present their research, supported by research grants and consultation services; designed for K-12 students and their teachers nationwide.
• Leave a Nest Research Grant (リバネス研究費) Research grant system supporting young researchers (PhD students, postdocs, principal investigators) with unrestricted-use funds to activate research activities; for young researchers seeking funding outside traditional competitive grant pathways.
• L-RAD Open-innovation web platform on which researchers upload unused research ideas (such as grant applications not selected for funding) and member companies review and re-evaluate them from an industrial perspective to accelerate joint research creation.
• Education Support Project / Teacheer (教育応援プロジェクト / ティーチア) Educational support project that promotes industry-academia-education collaboration to develop cutting-edge science education programs; designed for corporate partners, schools, and educational institutions delivering inquiry-based and STEAM programming.
• Deep Tech Venture of the Year Award system recognizing deep tech ventures tackling deep issues, with categories for early-stage startups, growth-stage companies, and post-IPO/M&A boost stage.
• Global Bridge Program (GBP) International cross-border knowledge sharing and collaboration program creating globally focused knowledge manufacturing businesses; for researchers, startups, and corporate partners outside Japan seeking entry into the Japanese ecosystem and Japanese partners seeking international expansion.
• Germination Reactor Venture builder program that forms teams of researchers with world-changing ideas and passionate management talent to tackle challenges together; for scientist-entrepreneurs seeking co-founders and management talent for deep tech venture creation.
• L Slide Slide-sharing platform for researchers and partners to upload and share research presentations; for researchers seeking visibility and corporate partners seeking curated research content.
• National Knowledge Manufacturing Conference (全国知識製造業会議) National conference creating opportunities for medium-small enterprises and ventures with cutting-edge technology to meet and form new initiatives; for Japanese SMEs and technology ventures seeking collaboration and ecosystem support.
• LNest ID (LID) Unified Account System Unified authentication system providing single-sign-on access to multiple Leave a Nest web services including TECH PLANTER entries, research grants, and Teacheer programs; for researchers, startup founders, educators, and partner companies accessing Leave a Nest's services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8,000 students participate in outreach experiment classes annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NEDO (国立研究開発法人新エネルギー・産業技術総合開発機構)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Selected for the NEDO MPM Acceleration program in 2026 to support university-born startups in securing management talent. This validates Leave a Nest's startup ecosystem capabilities.
• National Taiwan University Biotechnology Center (国立台湾大学生物科技センター)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026MOU signed to promote researcher and student exchange and entrepreneur training between Japan and Taiwan, supporting cross-border knowledge manufacturing activities.
• University of Tsukuba (筑波大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026MOU signed to promote education and research personnel exchange, social implementation of research outcomes, and support for university-born ventures.
• Tonari ( пространственная система совместного использования / tonari Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Leave a Nest Group is promoting the 'Global South Campus Concept for Knowledge Manufacturing' through Tonari's spatial sharing system, enabling regional companies to participate in the knowledge manufacturing campus concept. This addresses the challenge of knowledge base building amid rising travel costs.
• Kyoto City / Kyoto Association for 高度技術研究所 (京都市・(公財)京都高度技術研究所)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Leave a Nest is implementing the 'Kyoto Deep Tech Commercialization Support Project' in partnership with Kyoto City and ASTEM. The project supports researcher-entrepreneur pairing for deep tech startup creation in Kyoto.
• Ando Hazama (安藤ハザマ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Large-mid-venture-small manufacturer collaboration to co-develop an AI system that reproduces skilled structural design judgment. Successfully standardized within Ando Hazama.
• National Institute for Environmental Studies (国立環境研究所)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Collaboration to support inquiry-based learning activities for junior high and high school students through special classes using questionnaire surveys in Kanto and Kansai schools.
• Toray Industries (東レ株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting the 'Blue Sky Science Classroom' (青空サイエンス教室) program for elementary school students. Toray provides scientific content and sponsorship; Leave a Nest provides program operation and science bridge communicators. Program has been running since 2015.
• Japan Tobacco (日本たばこ産業株式会社 / JT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly established the D-0. (ディーゼロ) incubation platform with JT, focused on co-creating future 'wealth.' JT and Leave a Nest co-develop programs to support entrepreneurs and startups.
• Nippon Steel Engineering (日鉄エンジニアリング株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developing the 情熱・先端Mission-E STEAM education program since 2015. Nippon Steel Engineering provides engineers as advisors and program sponsorship; Leave a Nest provides program planning, operations, and educational expertise. The program has won multiple awards.
• East Japan Railway Company (東日本旅客鉄道株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeave a Nest participates as an operational partner in JR East's TAWANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars' Hub Lab (LiSH Lab), a large-scale wet lab sharing facility within the TAWANAWA GATEWAY CITY development.
• Daiwa House Industry (大和ハウス工業株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Regenerative Product Cycle' demonstration at Daimaru Tokyo and Asuwa MISE, testing circular economy concepts in retail settings.
• Astellas Pharma (アステラス製薬株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative health education program 'Thinking about each person's health' providing outreach classes and educational materials to junior high and high schools nationwide.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group / SMBC (株式会社三井住友フィナンシャルグループ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsoring the 超異分野学会 Tokyo 2026 as a session partner. Collaboration on the 'Knowledge x Finance' session exploring new models for accelerating research social implementation through financial mechanisms.
• JTB Corporation (株式会社JTB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-hosting the 青空サイエンス教室 program with Toray. JTB handles travel/logistics for the outdoor science classroom program while Leave a Nest handles science program delivery.
• Terumo (テルモ生命科学振興財団)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeave a Nest serves as planning and operation partner for the Terumo Life Science Foundation's 'Medicine x Engineering' symposium for middle/high school students, combining medical and engineering perspectives.
• Daikin Industries (ダイキン工業株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSession partner at 超異分野学会 Tokyo 2026. Collaboration on cold chain and microbiology topics, exploring how microbial control technology can contribute to food freshness preservation.
• Kyoto University (京都大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey university partner for the Kyoto Deep Tech Commercialization Support Project. Kyoto University researchers are targeted participants for the entrepreneur-researcher matching program.
• Panasonic Automotive Systems (パナソニック オートモーティブシステムズ株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSession partner at 超異分野学会 Tokyo 2026, exploring the session 'Who holds the steering wheel — questioning the illusion of behavior change' around mobility and human behavior.
• Challenge Field Hokkaido (チャレンジフィールド北海道)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to build an open innovation ecosystem in Hokkaido by connecting local universities and research institutions with industry. The collaboration includes the 超異分野学会 Hokkaido Forum and ecosystem building activities.
• Tochigi Prefecture / Tochigi-Nexus (とちぎ次世代産業創出・育成コンソーシアム)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperation of the Tochigi Tech Planter program, supporting deep tech venture creation in one of Japan's leading manufacturing prefectures. Consortium includes universities, banks, and local companies.
• Kyushu University (九州大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the Science Castle Kyushu Conference. Kyushu University provides venue and academic support for the regional student research conference.
• Ibaraki Prefecture / Tsukuba Science High School (茨城県・つくばサイエンス高等学校)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrusted by Ibaraki Prefecture Board of Education to develop teaching materials for inquiry-based science education linking to the opening of Tsukuba Science High School.
• DNP (大日本印刷株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSession partner at 超異分野学会 Tokyo 2026, exploring Organ Twin Technologies and compact biological model applications.
• Metagen (株式会社メタジェン)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration partner on gut microbiome/gut design research. Multiple 超異分野学会 sessions co-hosted, including 腸内デザイン学会 activities. Metagen CEO Fukuda Masatsugu is a key collaborator.
• Rhelixa (株式会社Rhelixa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSession partner at 超異分野学会 Tokyo 2026, focusing on epigenetics and aging control research.
• Osaka Chamber of Commerce / KanSAI Science Yard partner companies (川崎重工業, 積水化学, 大阪ガス, 武田薬品 etc.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly educational program partners for the KANSAI SCIENCE YARD initiative in 2012-2013, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Sekisui Chemical, Osaka Gas, Takeda Pharmaceutical, and others who provided science workshops for elementary students.
• Shiseido (資生堂) and multiple partner companiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partner companies co-develop science education programs under the Education Support Project (教育応援プロジェクト). Over 100 companies participate across programs like Science Castle grants, outreach experiments, and specialized STEM programs.
• Singapore Enterprise (加坡企業) / Global Innovation AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeave a Nest exhibited at Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH) 2025 and was selected for Singapore's official Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) program, enabling cross-border startup support.
• TSUNEISHI CAMTEX (ツネイシカムテックス), Platinum Bio, Fight Lipid Technologies (ファイトリピッド・テクノロジーズ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on a carbon recycling supply chain project, establishing a low-cost algae seed production model using exhaust gases from industrial operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Idealab: Long-running technology startup studio that creates and incubates science-based companies. Adjacent to Leave a Nest's Germination Reactor venture builder, with a comparable focus on turning frontier research into ventures, though without a K-12 education or corporate open-innovation franchise of similar scale.
• General Assembly: Global corporate training and tech-education provider acquired by Adecco, offering reskilling, career transition, and enterprise learning programs. Comparable to Leave a Nest's human resource development division and corporate-sponsored upskilling offerings, with a similar community-led, partner-driven GTM but focused on digital/tech skills rather than science research.
• MassChallenge: Global non-profit accelerator with deep tech and health tech verticals and a strong network of corporate partners and universities. Comparable on the startup acceleration and corporate partnership dimensions of Leave a Nest's Tech Planter, but operating without the integrated researcher-development or K-12 education layer.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global startup accelerator operating programs across verticals including deep tech, health, and sustainability with corporate partner sponsorships. Shares the model of pairing startups with corporate sponsors, but does not integrate K-12 STEM education or researcher career development the way Leave a Nest does.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: One of the world's largest startup accelerators and open innovation platforms, with active deep tech verticals including brand & retail, health, and sustainability, and a Japan presence. Overlaps with Leave a Nest on corporate open innovation matchmaking, though Plug and Play does not run the K-12 STEM education programs that distinguish Leave a Nest.
• Discovery Education: Global K-12 digital education platform with a strong STEM content portfolio, school district partnerships, and corporate-sponsored educational programming. Comparable to Leave a Nest's Science Castle, outreach experiment classes, and Teacheer education support projects in operating science programs at scale inside schools through teacher networks.
• Miraikan: Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation operated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency. Comparable through its mission of advancing science communication, K-12 STEM engagement, and dialogue between researchers and the public, though anchored in a museum footprint rather than a multi-sided platform.

Direct peers

• SGInnovate: Singapore government-backed deep tech venture builder that funds and supports science-based startups across Asia. Closest comparable peer to Leave a Nest's Tech Planter Asia deep tech venture creation mission, with overlapping investor and corporate partner ecosystems and similar cross-border knowledge-sharing programs.
• Real Tech Holdings: Japan-based deep tech-focused investment and venture building platform founded by Mitsui Chemicals and other Japanese corporates. Most directly comparable to Leave a Nest's Tech Planter for its focus on commercializing Japanese university research and connecting deep tech startups with manufacturing partners.

Others

• AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science): U.S. non-profit scientific society that publishes Science, administers research grants, and runs K-12 science education programs. An ecosystem comparator rather than direct competitor, showing the model of combining research grants, science publishing, and education programs in a single mission-driven organization, as Leave a Nest does through L-Media and L-Nest Research Grants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeaveaNest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/leaveanest
• Facebookfacebook.com/leaveanest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments38 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leave a Nest