Winning the Grand Prize at the “Booster Garage” Business Growth Support Program

On March 10, 2023, the final pitch for the "Booster Garage" business growth support program was held at Setouchi-i-Base(※), and among the seven finalists, Lars, the CEO of Dreamly, won the Grand Prix.

(※)Kagawa Prefecture opened a new open innovation center in November 2020 to promote entrepreneurship, second-startups, and competitiveness enhancement of existing companies through comprehensive measures such as providing a space for fostering digital talent and creative activities, and supporting business matching.

About “Booster Garage”

In November 2022, the Japanese Cabinet Office announced a five-year plan for startup development, aiming to create an ecosystem that fosters startup companies through corporate strategies and open innovation, in order to achieve the second boom of entrepreneurship following the post-war era.

In response to this initiative, Kagawa Prefecture will hold a short-term intensive business growth support program called "Booster Garage" for growth-oriented entrepreneurs for the first time this fiscal year.-Kagawa Prefecture Policy Division, Digital Strategy General Office, Digital Strategy Section.

-Kagawa Prefecture Policy Division, Digital Strategy General Office, Digital Strategy Section.

Selection criteria:

• Problem solving ability for the applicant's business (ability to identify the essence of the problem and propose solutions)
• Feasibility of the business (whether there is data to support the needs of customers)
• Potential for future grows of the business (whether there is potential for business expansion)

-Reference: From the Setouchi-i-Base website.

In about 10 minutes of limited time, Lars was able to present to the judges and supporters from the introduction of the ICT environment in Sweden, Lars' hometown and an ICT advanced country, to the background of starting Dreamly in Kagawa Prefecture, and our vision for the future.

"Their business plan was evaluated as suitable for DX (digital transformation) of local companies by promoting the dissemination of advanced digital technologies in the prefecture and enhancing the development of IT engineers, which is a challenge for many companies in Kagawa."

-Article run in the Shikoku Newspaper on March 11th, 2023

“There has been an accelerating movement to support startups in the growth stage in Kagawa Prefecture.

(...)

The chief judge, Tomomi Takagi, commented “There are many business plan contests, but what was different(this time)was that they were actually implementing the business. Plans are just plans. Without feedback from moving forward, talking to customers, or trying to sell, the plan cannot succeed.

(...)

The companies that participated in the pitch will face the challenge of whether they can follow the growth path as the first-year students for the companies that will follow.”

-Article run in the Nikkei Newspaper on March 16th, 2023

"Innovation As a Platform"

This is Dreamly's vision.

In order to realize this vision, Dreamly recognizes the importance of continuing to challenge itself and values "Try, Fail, Iterate." By not fearing failure and continuously experimenting to find the best approach, Dreamly aims to inspire other companies and entrepreneurs as a winner of the First Phase Grand Prix, and to contribute to the promotion of innovation.

-In this video, Lars will take the stage starting at 35 minutes and 35 seconds.