New programs launched to build with founders and corporations across every stage from early idea development to scaling for growth in the market
PALO ALTO, Calif. and TOKYO, June 25, 2024 — Moon Creative Lab, a venture studio that powers the creation of new businesses, today announced new programs to build new businesses with founders and corporations. These programs based out of its Palo Alto, California and Tokyo, Japan studios bring a diverse and global community of entrepreneurs and corporations together across every stage of new business creation, from idea development to scale for growth in the market.
“Moon Creative Lab was founded over 5 years ago to help Mitsui & Co., create innovative new businesses that will have exponential impact on the world,” said Kaichi Yokoyama, Chief Executive Officer, Moon Creative Lab. “We are expanding on this vision by creating new markets and discovering unforeseen business opportunities with a unique community of founders and teams from Mitsui, other corporations, and startups. It will be a powerful combination of builders working together.”
Learn
Moon’s experts in design, product, and engineering guide participants through the process of human-centered innovative business design:
- Spark is Moon’s one week, in-person business-building Make-a-Thon in Tokyo. The goal of the program is to help participants build a tangible representation of a business idea in the form of a real working website, while learning about business creation along the way – all in one week. To apply for Spark’s Summer 24 cohort which runs Wednesday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 3, visit here.
- Learning Labs is Moon’s Tokyo-based foundation-building program. Learning Labs are short-term engagements, anywhere from a few hours to 3 days, between Moon and corporate partners aimed at building foundational knowledge in business creation, product/service design, and more. To speak with Moon about Learning Labs, visit here.
- Design x AI Workshops in Palo Alto utilize emerging design and generative AI tools to help build stronger business ideas. For more information on Moon Workshops in Palo Alto, visit here.
Build
Moon works with founders and corporations to provide geo-specific support to incubate early-stage startups with a human-centered approach.
- Boost is Moon’s Tokyo-based intensive 3-month incubation program where Moon helps founders gain product market fit. Moon helps founders and corporations that have begun working on a new business idea and want to build or test prototypes with real customers. To apply for the next Boost cohort, which starts on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, visit here.
- In-Residence is Moon’s Palo-Alto based incubation program where founders and corporations can get expert advice and hands-on help for their early-stage business. Moon offers advisory, studio space, and select sprints for idea-, seed-, and early stage ventures. Applications are now open to join Moon’s Palo Alto-based In-Residence program. To apply, visit here.
Grow
Unlike other incubators/accelerators/investors, Moon has a diverse group of talent that can think creatively through a challenge or a new opportunity. We bring that innovative thought process to bear in our investment decisions. Moon aims to build large-scale businesses by working together with our community members of founders and innovators. Moon invests in pre-seed, seed-, and growth-stage startups that we believe will create new opportunities and new markets together, and will also make additional follow-on investments to help businesses grow and scale. Moon is especially interested in startups and corporations that:
- Add synergistic value to our existing portfolio and with Mitsui more broadly
- Want to expand their geographic reach, especially from the U.S. to Japan/AP and Japan/AP to the U.S.
- Need hands-on support from designers, engineers, product experts, and marketers to advance their business
- Are interested in teaming up with us to build a scalable/innovative business together in the form of joint investments and/or joint ventures
Moon Community
Moon is building a global community of founders and innovators who share a passion for unlocking their creative potential. Moon Community members gain access to:
- Moon’s Speaker Series: Every month, both Moon Palo Alto and Moon Tokyo will host an esteemed guest speaker or panel to educate and inspire
- Moon Community Lunches and Happy Hours: Moon hosts regular monthly lunches and happy hours around specific themes
- Open Office Hours: Founders can get feedback on their product, service, or business from Moon’s designers, engineers, and product managers
- Moon Lectures and Workshops: Every quarter, Moon will offer a variety of lectures or workshops to the public. Moon Community Members get advance access to sign up.
To apply to be a Moon Community member, visit here.
About Moon Creative Lab
Moon Creative Lab was first established in 2018 as a venture studio to deliver human-centered new business creation for the Mitsui & Co., group. With offices in Palo Alto, USA and Tokyo, Japan, we have established a hands-on support system with global and diverse professional human resources, including designers, engineers, product managers, and people with entrepreneurial experience, to create new businesses that will have a positive impact on the world. Based on this experience, Moon has expanded its support for new business creation beyond Mitsui & Co., to external corporations and startup teams. We aim to help teams and organizations unleash their creative potential to transform bold ideas into ventures that will have an exponential impact on the world. Visit us at www.mooncreativelab.com.
Media Contacts:
For US:
Anabelle Salom
[email protected]
For Japan:
[email protected]
SOURCE Moon Creative Lab
