Phoenixi, a Kyoto-based residencial incubator for corporate intrapreneurs and social entrepreners, announced on 1 November the six Fellows selected for the second cohort of its Social Innovator Program (SIP).
The six new Fellows will participate in the program from 6 November 2025 to 18 March 2026 at Phoenixi’s co-creation hub “toberu”, where they will refine and develop their business ideas addressing social issues.
The Kickoff event for the second cohort will be held in person on 12 December at toberu. Following pitches of the fellows’ business ideas, the event will feature a panel discussion on university-originated startups, along with a networking and Q&A session with light refreshments.
The event is free of charge and open to the public, but advance registration is required (limited to 70 participants on a first-come, first-served basis).
Please register via this link and feel free to join us.
Social Innovator Program (SIP) Cohort 2 Fellows
- Yvonne Hung | Otelier, Founder and CEO | Otelier: Reviving traditional crafts through design and business innovation
- Ousuke Kambayashi | SHOBIEN KYOTO Textile Director | Ritsumeikan University undergrad in business administration | Conglomerate Born from Traditional Industry
- Ian Knives｜Big Other, Founder | Big Other: safe pocket-money app + investing simulator for teens (13–17)
- Heidi Ongkowijaya | Kyoto University Graduate School of Management, MBA candidate | NutriAI: AI Nutrition for Senior Care- Personalized Meals to Reduce Malnutrition
- Alejandra Rodas | Doshisha Business School, Global MBA ’25 | Vegan leather from used coffee grounds: turning waste into value
- Kazuki Taoka, MD, PhD | The University of Tokyo Hospital associate professor | Clinical application for development of therapy for rare disease | Real-time early warning detection system for sepsis
SIP Cohort 2 Kickoff
- When: 12 December 2025, 17:45–20:00
- Where: toberu 1 (in person)
- Language: English and Japanese
- Registration: Required (first 70 registered, first served)
- Note: Free of charge. Entering/Leaving halfway through the event is acceptable.
- Opening remarks
- Yutaka Iijima | COO and executive director, Phoenixi
- Sachiko Kuno, PhD | Co-founder and executive director, Phoenixi
- Pitches by six SIP Cohort 2 Fellows
- Panel discussion on university-originated startups (The panel title and panelists TBD)
- Q&A and networking session with refreshments
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About Phoenixi Co Ltd: Phoenixi operates a residential incubation program and a fund for program graduates to foster both business ideas that address social challenges and the entrepreneurial talent behind them. Program participants (Phoenixi Fellows) — including corporate employees, university faculty, students, and entrepreneurs — live for four months at the company’s facility “toberu”, where they engage in daily cross-sector interactions, startup-focused skill training, and personalized mentoring and coaching. Through this process, they develop new businesses that generate both profit and social impact. Founded in 2018 in Kyoto by Yukiko Hashitera, Dr Sachiko Kuno, and Izumi Kobayashi, Phoenixi is built around the concepts of “creating corporate-born ventures” and “sharing unusual time and space.” Since its inception in 2019, the company has supported a total of 12 cohorts and 90 Fellows (42 sponsored Fellows and 48 independent Fellows), with 30% women and 19% international participants.
