What HARADA ACCELERATOR / Japan Entry Program does

HARADA ACCELERATOR is a corporate accelerator program operated by Harada Corporation (原田産業株式会社), a Japanese general trading company (sogo-shosha) founded in 1922 and approaching its 100th anniversary, in partnership with 01Booster, Japan's first GAN (Global Accelerator Network) member. Launched in December 2019 with the theme 'Challengers x Challengers' (挑戦者×挑戦者), the program runs from July to December annually and selects 5-8 startups per cohort via a three-stage process culminating in a Business Plan Contest. Selected participants receive 100,000 JPY prize money, co-working space access at Com-path Semba (Osaka) and 01Booster facilities (Tokyo), mentorship from 01Booster's network, and consideration for equity investment from Harada.

The accelerator's core offering is open access to Harada Corporation's proprietary B2B and B2B2C networks spanning shipbuilding/ocean, construction/infrastructure, electronics, healthcare/life sciences, food, and lifestyle sectors, plus 8 countries and 10 overseas locations across Asia and Europe for international trade and expansion support. A pre-accelerator called HARADA INCUBATOR (January-April 2020, capacity 20) provides business plan brush-up and 1-on-1 mentoring as a feeder. The 2020 cohort included nine startups (AZOO, EAGLYS, KaaP, OceanEyes, OpenFactory, Tech Design, Tokyo Factory, Alacarte Ventures, Mi Terro) across Technology, Food & Beverage, and Sustainability verticals. The program is free to participants, with revenue generation indirect and intended to flow through equity gains and future business collaborations with portfolio companies.

Program operations are led by Satoru Harada (原田暁, President and CEO of Harada Corporation) and Norifumi Suzuki (鈴木規文, CEO of 01Booster), supported by a dedicated Business Co-Creation Team at Harada. Marketing and recruitment leverage pre-seminars in Osaka and Tokyo, online webinars, business plan contests, and 01Booster's entrepreneur network. The 2020 cycle appears to have concluded; subsequent cohort continuation is not documented in the source material.

Name

HARADA ACCELERATOR / Japan Entry Program

Legal name

原田産業株式会社 (Harada Corporation)

Website

https://haradacorp2020.01booster.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HARADA ACCELERATOR is a corporate accelerator run by Harada Corporation (1922-founded Japanese trading company) with 01Booster, giving startups access to Harada's century-old B2B/B2B2C networks across six industries and Asia/Europe for Japan market entry. Program is free, selects 5-8 teams per cohort, awards 100,000 JPY, and considers equity investment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and Business Incubation Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Corporate accelerator program
• Startup incubation services
• Japan market entry
• Open innovation platform
• Mentorship and co-working

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Services: Harada Corporation operates this accelerator in partnership with 01Booster to identify and support startups. The program provides investment consideration (equity) to selected startups in exchange for program participation. Revenue generation is indirect through potential equity gains and future business collaborations with portfolio companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HARADA ACCELERATOR is a corporate accelerator program run by Harada Corporation together with 01Booster that supports startups—particularly those seeking to enter the Japanese market—with mentorship, business co-creation support, networking, dedicated co-working space at Com-path Semba, and consideration of investment from Harada Corporation. The program is structured as a roughly three-month cohort that selects around seven teams per round through a Business Plan Contest, with no participation fee and no equity taken from the startups.

Product overview

HARADA ACCELERATOR is a corporate accelerator program operated jointly by Harada Corporation (a Japanese trading company with over 95 years of history) and 01Booster (a business creation accelerator). The program consists of HARADA INCUBATOR (pre-accelerator), the main HARADA ACCELERATOR program, and a Business Plan Contest for selection. Participants gain access to Harada's B2B and B2B2C networks, 01Booster's mentorship network, co-working spaces (Com-path Semba in Osaka, 01Booster offices in Tokyo), and potential equity investment. The program targets startups across six business domains: shipbuilding/ocean, construction/infrastructure, electronics, healthcare/life sciences, food, and lifestyle, as well as new innovative fields including IoT, AI, blockchain, and drones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HARADA ACCELERATOR

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 6 core business domains with specialized expertise
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 01Booster (Zero One Booster)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 December 201901Booster operates as the accelerator operator and co-creator of the HARADA ACCELERATOR program. As Japan's first GAN (Global Accelerator Network) member, 01Booster provides its mentor network, incubation facilities in Tokyo, and business creation expertise. The partnership combines Harada's corporate network and resources with 01Booster's startup ecosystem experience.
• 原田産業株式会社 (Harada Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 December 2019Harada Corporation is a general trading company (sogo-shosha) approaching 100 years of operation, with six core business domains: shipbuilding/ocean, construction/infrastructure, electronics, healthcare/life sciences, food, and living. It provides the accelerator's corporate backing, B2B/B2B2C network access, potential investment capital, and co-working space (Com-path Semba in Osaka).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator operator with mentorship-driven cohort programs and corporate partnership arms. It is a direct functional peer given the standardized accelerator model, mentor network, and equity-for-services structure.
• 01Booster: 01Booster is the co-creator and operator of HARADA ACCELERATOR and operates multiple corporate accelerator programs in Japan. It is the most direct peer given the partnership structure and shared program design.
• Honda Innovations: Honda Innovations is Honda's corporate accelerator and venture arm, supporting startups in mobility, energy, and enterprise technology. It is a direct peer as another Japanese-headquartered corporate accelerator targeting startup-corporate collaboration.
• Plug and Play Japan: Plug and Play Japan runs multiple corporate accelerator programs partnering with Japanese enterprises across fintech, mobility, and brand & retail. It is a direct functional peer, offering corporate-backed accelerator cohorts with mentorship and corporate network access.

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Corporation: Mitsubishi Corporation operates corporate venture and innovation programs across its diversified business portfolio. Comparable as a Japanese sogo-shosha with broad sector reach and startup engagement initiatives.
• Mitsui & Co. Mitsui & Co. operates a corporate venture arm and business creation initiatives across diverse sectors. It is comparable as a Japanese sogo-shosha with cross-industry networks and startup collaboration programs.
• KDDI (αU / KDDI Open Innovation): KDDI runs multiple corporate accelerator programs and open innovation initiatives supporting startups in telecom, IoT, and digital services. Comparable as a large Japanese corporate operating accelerators with network access.
• Sumitomo Corporation: Sumitomo Corporation runs corporate venture and innovation activities across multiple industries. Comparable as a Japanese sogo-shosha with diversified B2B/B2B2C networks and startup engagement capacity.
• SoftBank Group (Corp. Innovation): SoftBank Group operates corporate venturing and innovation programs supporting startups in AI, mobility, and emerging technology. Comparable as a large Japanese corporate with significant global accelerator and CVC activity.
• Recruit Holdings (Startup Studio): Recruit Holdings operates internal startup incubation and accelerator initiatives leveraging its HR and consumer platform network. Comparable as a Japanese large-corporate operator of startup support programs with B2B/B2C distribution access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HARADA ACCELERATOR / Japan Entry Program