ICONN NINJA COHORT 2
Driving Innovation, Accelerating Growth
ICONN NINJA India Programme Cohort 2 is a premier corporate acceleration program curated by CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Startups (CIES), in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) & Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support (DTVS) this program connects selected startups with Japanese global corporate leaders, enabling them to access market opportunities, mentorship, funding, and strategic partnerships.
NINJA (Next Innovation with Japan) is JICA’s flagship programme to support entrepreneurs and startups across the world. Through this program, Japanese corporations are looking to engage with Indian startups that can solve their major challenges through Innovative solutions.
Meet the Corporate Innovation Partner(s):
Komatsu India Private Limited is a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, utility, forestry, and industrial machinery, committed to innovation and technology-driven growth. As Komatsu approaches its 20th anniversary in 2025, the company seeks to ensure sustainable growth by prioritizing the health and well-being of employees and their families.
Komatsu is seeking innovative, scalable solutions from startups to drive health improvement initiatives for employees and their families.
Komatsu is seeking innovative, scalable solutions from startups to drive health improvement initiatives for employees and their families.
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Greenway Grid Global (GGG), a Singapore-based subsidiary of Tokyo Electic Power Company (TEPCO) Power Grid, is dedicated to investing in and operating sustainable infrastructure projects across Asia.
Greenway Grid Global aims to collaborate with startups who are solving critical challenges in energy, smart cities, and agriculture sector(s).
Greenway Grid Global aims to collaborate with startups who are solving critical challenges in energy, smart cities, and agriculture sector(s).
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Rakuten Group, a global leader in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications, is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to create value for society by addressing critical challenges through digital solutions.
Rakuten aims to collaborate with startups to develop innovative, scalable solutions that can address challenges related to rural economies by enabling local entrepreneurs with digital tools and platforms.
Rakuten aims to collaborate with startups to develop innovative, scalable solutions that can address challenges related to rural economies by enabling local entrepreneurs with digital tools and platforms.
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Focus Areas
Health Tech, Wellness & Consumer Electronics
Advanced Manufacturing & Industry 4.0
AI, Automation, IoT, Robotics & Drones
Agritech and Water Harvesting Solutions
Smart Energy & Grid Technologies
Program Structure:
| Phase | Timeline | Description |
| Applications Open | 3rd March - 30th March | Startups can submit applications |
| Screening & Shortlisting | 31th March - 10th April | Evaluation of applications based on innovation, suitability to the challenge statement & scalability |
| Orientation session of the program | 14th April - 18th April | Overview of the program and expectation from start-ups will be discussed. |
| Corporate Startups Matchmaking & Acceleration Programme (Knowledge Sessions) | 21th April - 31th May | Startups engage with corporate partners for initial discussions. Selected startups work closely with corporates and JICA experts on collaboration proposals |
| Final preparation for Demo day | 2nd June - 6th June | Start-ups will finalize their proposals and prepare demo for Challenge owners and eco-system audience. |
| Demo Day | June 2025 | Startups showcase/present their innovations to corporate(s). |
Key Benefit(s):
- Direct Access to Corporates – Work closely with Komatsu, GGG, and Rakuten.
- Mentorship & Industry Insights – Learn from top experts and corporate leaders.
- Funding & Market Expansion – Get investment and explore global market opportunities.
- PoC & Pilot Support – Test your solutions with corporate partners and scale globally.
For any queries, feel free to drop us an email at info@ciicies.in
