Plug and Play Japan picks nine startups in latest cohort

Startup accelerator Plug and Play Japan has chosen nine companies for its New Materials program, which aims to promote collaboration between global deep-tech startups and large local enterprises.

Plug and Play Japan Summit 2019 / Photo credit: Plug and Play Japan

First announced in 2021, New Materials aims to “nurture an ecosystem that connects corporations with startups influencing the future of materials.” Focusing on sustainability, the program supports companies that address carbon neutrality, circular economy, bioplastics, and semiconductor technologies, among others.

Here are the startups in the Summer/Fall 2022 cohort:

Aanika Biosciences
Founders: Ellen Jorgensen, Vishaal Bhuyan, Nirmal Roy
Country: US
Year launched: 2018
The biotechnology company uses microbial tags that can do something traditional barcodes can’t: be embedded in agricultural products like grains, fruits, and vegetables. The tags provide detailed information on raw materials and products that are in the supply chain to improve food safety.

Carbonauten
Founder: Torsten Becker
Country: Germany
Year launched: 2017
The company produces biocarbons, oils, and fuels from biomass feedstock and waste from the food and wood industries.

EF Polymer Private Limited
Founder: Narayan Lal Gurjar
Country: Japan
Year launch: 2018
The agricultural firm manufactures products designed to save water and help with fertilizer usage. It uses water-absorbent polymers made from organic waste to reduce the amount of irrigation water and fertilizer needed in agriculture.

FiberCraze
Founder: Shunya Chosokabe
Country: Japan
Year launched: 2021
The company uses nanotechnology to produce materials such as microscopic holes in films and fibers that can keep out water, viruses, and bacteria. It aims to develop materials that contain insect repellent and moisturizing ingredients for use in healthcare and agriculture.

Spintex Engineering Ltd.
Founder: Alexander Greenhalgh
Country: UK
Year launched: 2018
The firm makes silk fibers and materials for medical devices and regenerative medicine. It can help provide customized materials for nerve regeneration and artificial tendons by using a manufacturing process based on spider-silk production technology.

SupraPolix BV
Founder: Tonny Bosman
Country: Netherlands
Year launched: 2002
The company makes polymeric materials for use in adhesives, coatings, biomedical materials, and cosmetics. It streamlines the processing of polymeric materials to reduce production costs.

Tide Ocean SA
Founder: Thomas Schori
Country: Switzerland
Year launched: 2018
The firm develops technology to recycle ocean-polluting plastics without using chemicals. It converts the plastics into raw materials that may be used by other companies as well.

TruTag Technologies, Inc.
Founder: Michael Bartholomeusz
Country: US
Year launched: 2011
The company uses technology to add edible nanobarcodes to food and pharmaceutical products. The barcodes can be read by TruTag’s sensors or smartphones to show authenticity. The tech can also be used in quality assurance.

Viezo
Founder: Donat Ponamariov
Country: Lithuania
Year launched: 2018
This clean-tech startup converts vibrations into usable electricity that can power sensors indefinitely without batteries. Viezo aims to extend the lifespan of IoT sensors for rail, oil, and gas, among others.

See also: 50 rising startups in Japan