With less than 2 weeks remaining in the call for applications, we are happy to announce our final list of corporate sponsors for Japan Energy Challenge 2018. The sponsors cover a broad array of the energy sector – from energy resource exploration through retail and consumer services.
SUMMIT ENERGY is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, one of the major integrated trading firms in Japan. They supply electricity to both commercial and residential customers. In 2016, they supplied 2,800GWh, making them the 6th largest retail electricity supplier in Japan. Summit Energy has its own generating capacity from a variety of sources, including biomass power generation.
ENECHANGE LTD. is Japan’s most popular energy switching website, having 3 million monthly unique visitors and working with over 100 energy suppliers. Enechange is also recognised as one of the most innovative energy ventures in Japan, providing vertically integrated tech solutions – such as data-driven CRM solutions, smart-meter data management (SMAP), AI-driven load curve simulation etc. – for energy suppliers.
JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy is the largest oil company and 3rd largest new electric power supplier in Japan, and is known by its brand ENEOS. JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy has crude refining capacity of around 2 million barrel per day – which is comparable to BP – and a nationwide supply chain enabling stable supply of products and services associated with energy. JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy has also been increasingly supplying low-carbon energy sources, such as solar power, wind power, biofuel, and hydrogen, while developing related technologies.
TOKYO GAS is Japan’s largest provider of natural gas, serving more than 11 million customers. In FY2016, TOKYO GAS made a start by entering the electricity retail business and has since reached 1,110,000 customers (March 2018). TOKYO GAS is shifting from the in-house R&D focused on natural gas energy to an open innovation style R&D to focus on a broad range of innovative energy solutions.
LOOOP operates a low-voltage power retail business ‘Looop Denki’. Since starting in April 2016, the business has gained over 100,000 users by the end of March 2018. After reaching this critical turning point, LOOOP aims to reach 200,000 users by the end of the next fiscal year, and is opening a broad array of new services to attract smart energy consumers.
NEXT ENERGY is an integrated solution provider for renewable energy currently dedicated to solar PV, including services for solar module procurement, mounting system and energy storage system manufacturing, EPC, O&M and asset management. NEXT ENERGY also owns and operates GREENa – Japan’s first 100% renewable electricity supply plan.
Japan Energy Challenge will be held from 4-6 July in London. The sponsors will have a full schedule of events – including attending research presentations in Cambridge, meeting one-on-one with their top picks among the selected startups, interviewing with international media … and maybe even catching a match or two at Wimbledon.
Japan Energy Challenge has also hit another big milestone – 500+ startups have been evaluated in the program’s inaugural call. The selected startups – which will tentatively be finalised mid-May – will spend the months leading up to the event refining their pitches.
If you are a startup, energy sector corporate entity, media/market research outlet, or other party with an interest in getting involved with Japan Energy Challenge, please write to us at info@japanenergychallenge.com.