Antares Ventures is pleased to share the QUEST Idea Competition, a JICA-led initiative that supports startups, research institutions, and mission-driven companies in addressing social challenges through co-creation and innovation.
Many startups and institutions face barriers to success, whether it’s a lack of local partners, execution funding, or commercialization roadmaps. QUEST tackles four common blockers:
🔹 Assets but no ideas
🔹 Ideas but no assets
🔹 No clear roadmap
🔹 No PoC funding
Through hands-on consulting, partner matching, and PoC support (up to ¥3M/project), QUEST helps bridge these gaps, bringing innovation closer to real-world impact.
At Antares Ventures, we believe regional innovation platforms like QUEST are critical to scaling deep-tech across Asia. With Japan’s strong innovation infrastructure and development experience, these collaborations offer a powerful model for bringing frontier technologies to underserved markets.
We’re proud to support the QUEST initiative and encourage deep-tech ventures in our network to explore this unique opportunity.
🔹 Application Guideline
🔹 Application Form
Target Participants: Companies / startups, educational institutions, government organizations, civil society groups, etc.
Support Provided:
🔹 Consulting support for:
🔹 Co-creation ideation and refinement
🔹 PoC planning and execution
🔹 Exit strategy and fundraising design
🔹 Financial support for PoC implementation (up to JPY 3 million per project)
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact:
QUEST Program Office
📧 Email: quest@tohmatsu.co.jp
🕘 Office Hours: Weekdays, 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM (JST)
Languages: Japanese / English
