NTT Startup Challenge Hosts "Pitch Day" in Indonesia for Second Consecutive Year
~Aiming to create new businesses between NTT Group and startups selected from 1,200 applicants~

News Highlights:

1. Background:

Launched in 2024 as NTT Group's first joint initiative to foster collaboration with startups, NTT Startup Challenge has been driving new business creation through open-call pitch contests, primarily targeting early-stage startups interested in partnering with NTT Group companies.
This year, the program expanded significantly, with 13 NTT Group companies⁴—up from 8 last year—joining the initiative. By leveraging NTT Group's diverse assets, the program aims to address a broader range of business challenges and accelerate innovation across multiple domains.

2. NTT Startup Challenge Program Details:

(1) Overview:

The program aims to create new business ventures through collaboration with the international startup ecosystem.

(2) Activities:

The NTT Global Business Division, serving as the organizer of this program, leads the implementation of the following activities.

(3) Role of NTT Group Companies:

NTT: Program planning and management.
NTT Group Companies: Promoting collaboration and new business development with startups by leveraging our focus areas and the assets we provide.

3. About NTT Startup Challenge Pitch Day:

(1) Overview:

NTT Startup Challenge Pitch Day is a pitch contest and matching program targeting startups in Asia interested in collaborating with the NTT Group. The program welcomes applications from all sectors and stages, leveraging the breadth of NTT Group's business domains. While continuing to focus on Southeast Asia, this year's scope has been expanded to include South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. We received applications from a record 1,200 applications, surpassing last year's 700, and 10 finalists delivered their presentations at the Pitch Contest where winning companies will receive rewards and access to various NTT Group assets (e.g., Investment from CVC, ICT infrastructure, Internal use of Startup solutions).

(2) Event Details:

Eligible Companies: Startups from Southeast Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong interested in collaborating with the NTT Group
Website: https://www.ntt-startupchallenge.com
Pitch Contest Date: November 11, 2025 (Tuesday), 13:00-19:00 (Indonesia Time)
Venue: Soehanna Hall, Jakarta, Indonesia
Preliminary Judges: NTT, NTT Group Companies
Final Judges: Kuan Hsu (General Partner of KK Fund), Professor Akie Iriyama (Waseda University), and others

(3) Selection Process and Top 10 Finalists:

The selection process evaluated startups based on the assets NTT Group could provide and the potential for business synergy. For the final stage beyond the top 100, not only NTT but also NTT Group companies actively participated in the review.
As a result, 10 startups were chosen for their ability to address business challenges faced by NTT Group companies. These finalists span 8 sectors, including FinTech, AI-driven data infrastructure, and Smart Industry, reflecting broad opportunities for collaboration.
Among these, three companies demonstrating exceptional business potential and strong synergy with NTT Group were selected as the top winners during Pitch Day on November 11.

4. Future Development:

By leveraging the various programs under the NTT Startup Challenge and the newly established Synexia Ventures fund, NTT Group will expand the value it can deliver to global startups. In addition, we will actively drive tangible outcomes from the collaboration pipeline developed this year, turning strategic discussions into concrete business results.
For startups interested in expanding to Japan, NTT Group companies are prepared to offer support.

¹NTT Group Expands "NTT Startup Challenge" for Second Consecutive Year
~Aiming to Foster New Business Ventures Through Startup Partnerships in Southeast Asia~
https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2025/05/19/250519a.html

²Based on a study conducted by NTT.

³NTT Group Establishes Its First Southeast Asia Startup Investment Vehicle, "Synexia Ventures" — Fostering New Business Creation within the NTT Group through a Dedicated Investment Function Focused on Southeast Asia —
https://www.nttdocomo-v.com/en/news/3we8r6oq5o/
https://www.ntt-finance.co.jp/eng/news/251111.html

⁴NTT East, NTT West Group (NTT West, NTT Fieldtechno, etc.), NTT DATA, NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL, NTT Communications, NTT COMWARE, NTT Advanced Technology, NTT Technocross, NTT Precision Medicine, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, NTT Finance, NTTVC

About NTT

NTT contributes to a sustainable society through the power of innovation. We are a leading global technology company providing services to consumers and businesses as a mobile operator, infrastructure, networks, applications, and consulting provider. Our offerings include digital business consulting, managed application services, workplace and cloud solutions, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. We are over $90B in revenue and 340,000 employees, with $3B in annual R&D investments. Our operations span across 80+ countries and regions, allowing us to serve clients in over 190 of them. We serve over 75% of Fortune Global 100 companies, thousands of other enterprise and government clients and millions of consumers.