Marubeni Selected for Gifu Prefecture’s FY2026 Project to Support Open Innovation with Startups

May 27, 2026
Marubeni Corporation

Marubeni, together with eiicon Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, “eiicon”), has been selected by Gifu Prefecture to undertake its FY2026 Project to Support Open Innovation with Startups. Marubeni and eiicon will establish the “Gifu Open Innovation Program” (hereinafter, “Gifu-OI”),  leveraging their respective regional co-creation hubs and co-creation platforms to promote collaboration between startups across Japan and companies in Gifu Prefecture seeking to utilize startup technologies and solutions.

Background and Significance
While facing a wide range of challenges—including labor shortages, changes in industrial structures, decarbonization, digital transformation (DX), and the need to strengthen supply chains—the importance of open innovation is increasing for regional companies seeking to incorporate technologies and ideas that are difficult to develop on their own. At the same time, many companies also face challenges in identifying appropriate startups and establishing internal systems for collaboration, leading to a growing need for hands-on support.

Key Features of Gifu-OI

• End-to-end support aimed at commercialization-oriented co-creation
  Awareness-raising seminars will be held in three areas within Gifu Prefecture. For selected local companies with particularly strong interest, support will be provided for clarifying business challenges, designing co-creation themes, and developing demonstration plans.
  
• Collaboration with Agora*, Marubeni Chubu Branch’s regional co-creation hub
  Leveraging the co-creation expertise and network developed through Agora with companies, financial institutions, and startups in the Chubu region, Marubeni will provide marketing support. Even after the program concludes, Marubeni will continue to offer hands-on support based on participants’ needs, proposing highly specific solutions and aiming to create new businesses.
• Utilization of one of Japan’s largest co-creation platforms operated by eiicon
  The program will utilize AUBA, an open innovation platform with more than 38,000 registered companies, to facilitate high-quality matching with startups across Japan.

Future Outlook
Leveraging the co-creation expertise and network cultivated in the Chubu region through Agora, Marubeni will continue to support collaboration between companies in Gifu Prefecture and startups nationwide. Through Gifu-OI, Marubeni will also broadly expand co-creation projects generated under the program and contribute to the creation of new regional businesses, the revitalization and enhanced competitiveness of local industries, and the development of an ecosystem in which startups can grow and establish a lasting presence.

*Agora is a membership-based coworking and event space opened by Marubeni’s Chubu Branch in September 2023 (https://marubeni-agora.com/). As of the end of April 2026, Agora had 2,297 individual members and 805 corporate members. By connecting companies, startups, local governments, financial institutions, and other stakeholders in the Chubu region, Agora continues to generate regionally driven open innovation through interaction and in-depth exploration of business challenges.

eiicon Overview

Company Name:	eiicon Co., Ltd.
Location:	2F Toranomon 36 Mori Building, 3-4-7 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Establishment:	April 3, 2023
Representative:	Ayuko Nakamura, President and CEO
Business:	• Operation of the open innovation platform “AUBA” • Operation of “TOMORUBA,” a media platform designed to promote business creation • Provision of promotional support related to open innovation, consulting services, event planning, and open innovation support services
Website:	https://corp.eiicon.net/

Program Details for Companies in Gifu Prefecture (Japanese only):
https://marubeni-agora.com/gifuoi2026

Inquiries and requests for materials regarding this project can be made from the following inquiry form:
Inquiries regarding news releases

News