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Kyoto Hub: KRP + Omron + Makers Boot Camp supporting entrepreneurs.

Makers Boot Camp was an invited speaker at Samurai Island Expo, in Tokyo, to take part on a panel by Kyoto Research Park (KRP).

The session, introduced and mediated by Yuya Tanaka, Tunagum.inc. Director, also had Tomonari Imabayashi, from Omron Corporation - Business Incubation Division, and Isao Sawamura, Kyoto Research Park Co., who manages a local incubator support unit.

Our CEO Narimasa Makino explained how Makers Boot Camp is part of a growing  local ecosystem supporting and leveraging the quality of startups in Kyoto: the incubators and accelerators help makers with their first prototype, so they can get prepared for the next steps - faster and cheaper.

Omron, Kyoto-based leading company known for fomenting innovation and technology aligned to key industry sectors, have already started its own program - KOTO Challenge, from where top startups can be introduced to Makers Boot Camp, that supports them on crossing the gap of industrial manufacturing - also know as the "valley of failure for hardware startup", to finally get ready to reach the market.

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Photos by Waiston: the startup won Omron prize Koto Challenge and joined Makers Boot Camp Summer Batch 2015.

Waiston, startup co-founded by students from Nara Institute of Technology was the first case of this special cooperation: after winning KOTO Challenge prize, they were introduced to Makers Boot Camp Program and could improve their business counting on KSN Mentorship.

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The results: prototype improvement beyond Business plan Mentorship.

"Diversity and Empathy of human race" was the main theme during the 2 days-event, aiming to create a new collaboration beyond the various areas and regions that have never intersected before, specially from the perspective of local supporters bringing outsiders cases of how collaboration can lead to a win-win result.

Hopefully in the future, startups from all over the world can experience a taste of start-up ecosystem in Kyoto.