About Us
About Us.
Japan Venture Academy (JVA) is a student-run startup hub for ambitious, globally minded builders in Japan. Backed by Shibuya Startup Support, we empower students with entrepreneurial self-efficacy through hands-on training and a vibrant community—aiming to become the number one place for ambitious students who build the future.
In partnership with Shibuya Startup Support:
In partnership with Shibuya Startup Support:
Our Partners & Collaborators
We work alongside leading organizations, accelerators, and communities to give our students access to the people, opportunities, and ecosystems that turn ideas into ventures.
Core Values
What drives us.
Mission
We empower students to build entrepreneurial self efficacy
Vision
To become the number one place for ambitious students who build the future
Values
Our values spell FUEL — what powers everything we do.
Fail forward
We treat every miss as data and ship the next version faster.
Unbounded
No ceiling on ambition — borders, industries and rules are negotiable.
Everyone leads
Leadership is a behavior, not a title. Anyone can move the room.
Lab for Innovators
JVA is a sandbox to experiment, prototype and build the unproven.
Mission
Our Mission.
We believe Japan's next generation of founders starts in university. Our mission is to lower the barrier to entrepreneurship for students by providing hands-on education, mentorship, and a tight-knit community of builders.
01 — Pillar
Educate
Bootcamps and workshops that teach students how to build, validate, and launch real startups.
02 — Pillar
Connect
A network of founders, mentors, and investors that opens doors across Japan and beyond.
03 — Pillar
Launch
Demo Days, pitch events, and direct intros to help teams turn ideas into funded companies.
Our journey
JVA's Journey.
A timeline of milestones from JVA's founding to the core members building today.
JVA founded in Shibuya
Launched as a student-run hub backed by Shibuya Startup Support, hosting our first networking events for ambitious builders in Tokyo.
First Bootcamp graduates
Our inaugural 3-month bootcamp shipped student startups, with teams advancing to Demo Day in front of Japanese VCs.
Community crosses 1,000
Reached students across 25+ universities in Japan, including Todai, Waseda, Keio, and international campuses like Temple and ICU.
ALUMNI RAISE FIRST ROUNDS
Alumni startups closed pre-seed and seed checks from Japanese and international investors, totaling over ￥30M raised collectively.
Aimi Komeya becomes the 2nd President
Aimi stepped in as president, expanding JVA's events and laying the foundation for a stronger internal organization.
Kuei Maesaka becomes the 3rd President
Kuei took the lead as the next president, driving further growth and completing the reorganization of JVA's internal structure.
2,500 Instagram followers
In May 2026, JVA's Instagram community reached 2,500 followers, reflecting growing awareness and engagement among student builders across Japan.
Internship Board relaunches
We rebuilt the Internship Board on its own dedicated platform, now used by over 200 students and connecting them with dozens of startups in our portfolio.