S-Booster
The S-Booster is an annual space business contest sponsored by the Japanese Cabinet Office that started in 2017. The S-Booster 2020 event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus epidemic, making this year’s competition the first since 2019. There are two competitive selection rounds for teams applying from within Japan. The first is a paper application round (May-June), in which teams detail their business ideas, their business potential, and the impact they expect to have on society. The second round is an interview by the designated S-Booster panel of reviewers, and expert advisers from within government and industry (July-August). Teams who pass the second round (interview) move on to become S-Booster finalists, and compete for a number of prizes at the Final Round. Finalists are assigned business and legal advisors to guide development and preparation during the three months between selection and the Final Round (September-December). The Final Round is broadcast live on YouTube from Mitsui Hall, in Tokyo, Japan, and serves as a great opportunity for finalists to build connections, showcase their business plans, and of course, win one of the prizes!
S-Booster 2021 Final Round
The final round of the S-Booster competition was held 14:00-18:00 on Friday the 17th of December 2021 at Mitsui Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Only 12 teams remained out of more than 300 applicants to advance to the final round. After three months of mentoring, and two focused workshops, Letara took home the Asia-Oceania Award and a cash prize of $10,000. Letara’s pitch will become available to watch on YouTube in the near future. Stay tuned for more.