Now in its 4th year, this highly selective program is designed to help you build business partnerships in Japan, secure financial support, and connect with curated investors for firsthand networking opportunities.
This program is powered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and ANGIN as the implementing partner.
The choice of mentors based on the diagnostic call was excellent, and the learnings were immediately applicable to our fundraising process. I personally expect the mentorship program to be quite general, especially because the sessions were conducted online. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that online sessions accommodated interactive screen sharing and in-depth discussions with our mentors.
Throughout NINJA’s journey, several key learnings have emerged that have significantly influenced our growth and strategy. One pivotal lesson has been the importance of creating an impact report, which not only helps us measure our progress but also enhances our transparency and accountability to stakeholders. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of our journey has been the networking opportunities afforded to us, notably during demo day sessions held in Indonesia and Japan. Additionally, the meetings arranged by organizations like JICA and Angin have provided us with unique access to key stakeholders in Japan, further expanding our reach and potential impact. Overall, NINJA’s journey has been rich with insights, connections, and growth opportunities that continue to shape Hear Me’s trajectory towards achieving its mission.
We learned a lot of things. From business analysis, how to win a market, and how to get fundraising. I love how the mentor really does the mentoring because we had a nice discussion, and explored our weaknesses and came up with ideas and solutions to fix those. I love the ambience and spirit of those young people from JICA and ANGIN.
JICA NINJA Project is an amazing and helpful program for startups! The quality of the accelerator, the sincerity of the mentors, the discussion and the support, and the new connections that they’re trying to build were excellent. It also helped us both with client engagement and investor readiness. Along the way, we have built a great network with other startups and potential partners and collaborators in Japan. The experience gained on the JICA NINJA Project is something I will forever be grateful for!
The event is very enriching! I had the insights from both investor & founder perspective about what to expect and focus on in 2023. And most importantly, it’s such a valuable opportunity to meet the Japanese stakeholders in Jakarta, so I get insights on what to highlight during the Demo Day in Japan.
I think the JICA NINJA Accelerator Demo Day in Japan is impressive, especially for early-stage startups since it provides networking opportunities that connect us with potential investors, business partners, and other stakeholders that we would not otherwise be able to meet. We hope that this program will be a sustainable one that assists many early-stage startups that need to grow their businesses in Indonesia. As early-stage startups, we really need this Demo Day in Japan because it will help us capture business growth and corporate strategy. Thank you to JICA for providing the opportunity.
