DoCoMo Innovation Village – Debut
As noted last October, DoCoMo setup new $125M fund and is now recruiting the first teams to join the program: http://bit.ly/W22mfv
The most interesting twist on this project came with the launch announcement today – they will colab with 500 Startups! Congrats to Dave McClure and his crew [Eds]
Under the theme To the world with docomo expect to see the website add English materials, rather a shame to set the fateful date of March 11th as deadline for entries. Based on various initial reports, seems they will target candidates who focus on a supplied list of API sets, ranging from Character Recognition to Sensor Networks. See call for applications below.
Best wishes to all as this gears-up.. meanwhile, maybe an event to celebrate the founding alumni members will be held in April.. we could do Hanami together – last year was fun!
Machine Translation
For to recruit a team with technologies and business models, and ideas along the theme, we have released to the world services and products based on the various support, DoCoMo Innovation Village is a support program for about 5 months.
Started to provide development grants, during the period, the team participation in the program, we will perform a variety of support provision of office space and development environment, such as expert advice regarding management and service development.
At the end of the program, I will hold a release event to announce the results of the development of services and products during the period. Excellent team, and consider business partnership with DoCoMo, DoCoMo funding from Innovation Fund.
Program flow
Recruitment February 7, 2013 – March 11, 2013
DoCoMo accepted on Innovation Village website application.
Admissions and other Qualifications are submitted program.
Based on the content of your application, we will conduct an examination at the Secretariat DoCoMo Innovation Village. Screening will be conducted interview and document review.
Development period Late Late April to Early September 2013
While receiving a variety of support programs, team participation program, the development of services in five months.
Release Event Mid-September 2013
The teams participating in the program, it is an event to announce the development and release over a period of five months the service version β, to show off. Then a further improvement, do promotion, etc., proceed with efforts to commercialize the service.
Development grants
I will provide 200 million yen as development grants will be offered in the Convertible Notes.
Mentor
In order to support the commercialization and development processes, etc., invited experts once every other week, we provide guidance to the participating teams. Also, we are planning a lecture by experts in various fields every month.
Qualifications
To “can be a global standard services that take advantage of the mobile” for the theme that you want to recruit, and. In particular, DoCoMo has focused on content areas, photo, machine-to-machine (M2M), health care, education, the environment, and settlement. Team to apply, it is the individual who is scheduled to be future entrepreneurs of the seed or early-stage venture firm. The case of a corporation that is less than ten employees within three years of establishment principle.