Impact Startup Association

Name

Impact Startup Association

Legal name

一般都社法人インパクトスタートアップ協会

Website

https://impact-startup.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Industry Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Impact startup ecosystem
• Industry association
• Policy advocacy services
• Membership community programs
• Social enterprise support

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Supporting Member Fees: Annual membership fees from regular members (正会員) — impact startups meeting association criteria. 会期: December 1 to November 30 of following year. Fee: 30,000 JPY per year.
2. Supporting Member Fees: Platinum tier: 5,000,000 JPY/year; Gold tier: 3,000,000 JPY/year. Supporting members include financial institutions, funds, and corporations interested in impact investing or collaboration with impact startups.
3. Event Revenue: IMPACT STARTUP SUMMIT 2025 charged 3,000 JPY admission fee per attendee. Additional revenue may come from event sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Impact Startup Association is a Tokyo-headquartered, non-profit general incorporated association that builds and operates Japan's impact-startup ecosystem through tiered membership programs (Regular Members for impact startups; Platinum and Gold Supporting Members for financial institutions, funds, and corporations), the annual IMPACT STARTUP SUMMIT flagship conference, peer-learning retreats under the IMPACT CAMP program, virtual workshops under IMPACT ONLINE SESSION, and structured policy advocacy with Japanese government ministries including the Cabinet Secretariat, METI, and MIC. The association curates matchmaking, learning, and policy influence opportunities for its 325 regular member startups and 15 supporting member organizations.

Product overview

Impact Startup Association (ISA) is a membership-based industry organization that supports and promotes impact startups in Japan. Rather than a unified technology product, the association offers a portfolio of programs including the annual IMPACT STARTUP SUMMIT event, IMPACT CAMP member retreats, IMPACT ONLINE SESSION virtual workshops, and the IMPACT STARTUP CATALOG publication. ISA also provides policy advocacy services and member information exchange programs. Membership consists of regular members (impact startups) and supporting members (financial institutions and corporations), organized across six impact sectors: environment/energy, healthcare/welfare, education/childcare, food/agriculture, financial inclusion, and human capital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Member Program (正会員 Program) Annual paid membership tier for impact-driven startups whose mission is to solve social problems while achieving sustainable growth. Members must pass a screening process administered by the board of directors and demonstrate social mission alignment, active impact creation, defined impact indicators, growth orientation, and willingness to participate in association activities. Annual fee is 30,000 JPY with a December 1 to November 30 membership year. As of February 2026 the program counts 325 member companies.
• Supporting Member Program (賛同会員 Program) Annual paid membership tier for Japanese and international financial institutions, venture capital funds, and corporations interested in impact investing or collaborating with impact startups. Available as Platinum (5,000,000 JPY/year) and Gold (3,000,000 JPY/year) tiers with a December 1 to November 30 membership year. As of February 2026 the program includes 15 supporting member organizations spanning major banks, brokerages, professional services firms, real estate companies, and impact-focused foundations.
• IMPACT STARTUP SUMMIT Annual flagship conference bringing together impact startups, investors, corporations, government officials, and researchers for leader sessions, startup pitch contests, exhibition booths, and networking. The 2025 edition charged a 3,000 JPY admission fee per attendee (with free admission for under-30 attendees via the U30 coupon code) and attracted 1,100+ participants, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Cabinet ministers.
• IMPACT CAMP Intensive cohort-based peer-learning retreat program where Regular Member companies share and work through management challenges in areas such as finance, organization, and marketing. Functions as both an onboarding program for new member cohorts and an ongoing learning community for existing members.
• IMPACT STARTUP CATALOG Annual publication showcasing Regular Member impact startups, organized by industry sector (environment/energy, healthcare/welfare, education/childcare, food/agriculture, financial inclusion, and human capital), used to facilitate matchmaking and visibility for supporting members, investors, corporations, and government stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew to 325 regular member companies within ~4 years of founding (Oct 2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Cabinet Secretariat / 日本成長戦略本部事務局 (Japan Growth Strategy Headquarters Secretariat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA participated in formulating the 'Startup Comprehensive Strategy Package' through committee membership. Hosted the first-ever closed-door policy dialogue between startup founders and government ministries (Cabinet Secretariat, METI, MIC) in July 2026. The association serves as a bridge between the policy-making and startup communities.
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業省)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted 'Startup Policy Sharing Symposium' with ISA in July 2026. METI officials participated in policy dialogues with ISA member companies. Association contributes to SBIR reform discussions and government procurement initiatives.
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted policy symposium in July 2026. Shared details of 'Category 4 Direct Contract' utilization for local government procurement from startups. Collaborating on simplifying certification processes for direct government contracts with startups.
• Nomura Holdings (野村ホールディングス)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Serves as judge in startup pitch contests. Provides financial industry perspective on impact investing. Part of the financial institution ecosystem supporting ISA events and programs.
• Mizuho Financial Group (株式会社みずほフィナンシャルグループ)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Participates in ISA events as pitch contest judge and ecosystem supporter. Provides banking/financial perspective on impact investment.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (三井住友信託銀行)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Contributes to ISA pitch contests as judge. Provides trust banking perspective on impact finance.
• SMFG (株式会社三井住友フィナンシャルグループ)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Active in ISA programs and pitch contest judging.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities (三菱UFJモルガン・スタンレー証券)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Provides investment banking perspective on impact startup ecosystem. Participates in pitch contests.
• Tokai Tokyo Securities (東海東京証券)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Contributes to ISA ecosystem as financial services partner.
• Chuo-Nittochi (中央日本土地建物)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Real estate company supporting impact ecosystem.
• Tokyo Tatemono (東京建物)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Venue sponsor for IMPACT STARTUP SUMMIT 2026 at Tokyo Tatemono PIA Theatre & Conference in Yaesu Tower.
• Deloitte Tohmatsu (合同会社デロイト トーマツ)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Provides 'Deloitte Tohmatsu Risk Advisory Award' in startup pitch contests. Contributes secretariat staff to ISA operations.
• PwC Japan Group (PwC Japan グループ)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Supporting Member. Professional services firm supporting impact ecosystem development.
• Marui Group (株式会社丸井グループ)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Supporting Member. Contributes to ISA pitch contests. Supports sustainable scholarship initiative through member company Gakushii.
• SIIF (公益財団法人社会変革推進財団)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Supporting Member. Social innovation foundation providing impact economy expertise and co-sponsoring ISA activities.
• Mistletoe Japan (Mistletoe Japan合同会社)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Supporting Member. Social impact-focused investor and ecosystem builder contributing to ISA programs.
• AGS Consulting (株式会社AGSコンサルティング)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Supporting Member. Tax and consulting firm supporting impact ecosystem.
• Scope (株式会社スコープ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Supporting Member. ESG/sustainability services firm supporting ISA ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GSG Impact Japan (formerly G8 Impact Investing Initiative): Japanese arm of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment focused on impact-investing policy and standards. Comparable convening role in the impact-economy ecosystem with overlapping government (Cabinet Secretariat) engagement.
• Social Enterprise Japan (SEJ): Domestic organization promoting and certifying social enterprises in Japan. Directly comparable as a domestic nonprofit association advancing the social-enterprise ecosystem.
• Social Innovation and Investment Foundation (SIIF / 社会変革推進財団): Japan's leading impact investment foundation that is itself a Gold supporting member of ISA. Overlapping mission of building the Japanese impact economy and co-sponsoring ISA's policy and ecosystem programs.
• Impact Hub Japan: Japanese node of the global Impact Hub network supporting purpose-driven entrepreneurs through community, programs and events. Comparable convening function for impact-oriented startups in Japan.
• Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA): Japan's primary industry association for venture capital and private equity. Structurally analogous to ISA as a membership-based industry association that advocates for its sector with government and convenes members through events and committees.
• Japan Association of New Economy (新経連 / JANE): Industry association representing new-economy firms in Japan including startups and digital-platform businesses. Models the same playbook of policy advocacy plus member convening that ISA is pursuing for the impact segment.
• Mistletoe Japan: Social-impact-focused investor and ecosystem builder founded by Atsushi Taira. Operates as a partner and Gold supporting member of ISA while running its own founder support programs, making it the closest functional twin of ISA's venture-philanthropy angle.

Regional players

• NASSCOM (India) - Startups & Innovation Council: Indian industry body's startup council facilitating similar ecosystem-building, investor matchmaking and policy advocacy functions for that country's startup sector. Operates in a different geography but provides a useful analog for ISA's growth trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Asia Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN): Pan-Asia venture philanthropy and impact-investing network with broader geographic mandate. Same operating logic as ISA (membership-funded ecosystem builder connecting capital with social-purpose enterprises) but at Asia-wide scope.
• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): Global network supporting small and growing businesses in emerging markets. Comparable as a membership-funded ecosystem organization with research, capacity-building and policy-advocacy functions for impact-oriented entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/impact_startup
• Facebookfacebook.com/impactstartups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Impact Startup Association