Ajiwow Inc. selected for Techstars Tokyo 2026, with an acceptance rate of just 1%
· Ajiwow Inc.
Ajiwow Inc. (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tomoko Nomoto; “the Company”) has been selected for Techstars Tokyo 2026, a startup accelerator run by Techstars (headquartered in the United States) together with Mitsui Fudosan and JETRO, with the cooperation of the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
About Techstars
Founded in the United States in 2006, Techstars invests in and supports the growth of promising startups around the world. It has invested in more than 5,000 startups and produced 29 unicorns. Its portfolio companies have a combined market value of US$351 billion and have raised a total of US$55 billion.
About the program
Techstars Tokyo is an intensive three-month accelerator for startups in and outside Japan that aim for the global market. Through Techstars’ global network, participants receive support for their growth from mentors, investors, entrepreneurs and companies around the world.
From applications from more than 100 countries and regions, 12 companies, including Ajiwow, were selected through a rigorous process with an acceptance rate of 1%.
| Program period | Monday, August 17 to Tuesday, November 10, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Investment | US$120,000 per company from a fund formed by Techstars |
| Location | Innovation Field Yaesu, Tokyo Midtown Yaesu |
| Demo Day | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 |
Through the program, the Company will draw on Techstars’ worldwide network of mentors, entrepreneurs and investors to refine the ROKU SHOKU business model further. Alongside steady deployment in Japan, it will widen what ROKU SHOKU can do, recording food culture and the cooking skills of experts and replaying them across place and time, and take on new business in Japan and abroad.
Comment from Tomoko Nomoto, Representative Director
Cooking has the power to move people and to create moments they remember. Through ROKU SHOKU, we record a chef’s tacit knowledge as data that can be replayed, so that this experience can reach more people and the next generation. We are truly honoured to be selected for Techstars Tokyo just as we begin to bring ROKU SHOKU to market in earnest. With the help of global mentors and networks, we will refine the technology we have built in Japan and accelerate our work to bring Japan’s food culture to the world through ROKU SHOKU.
Company profile
- Company: 味わう株式会社 (Ajiwow Inc.)
- Representative: Tomoko Nomoto, Representative Director and CEO
- Head office: 1-14-10 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Founded: March 11, 2025
- Website: https://ajiwow.co.jp
