Mr. Yusuke Kimura Wins Keizai Sangyo Daijin Award at the 14th Campus Venture Grand Prix

Mr. Yusuke Kimura (3rd-year, School of Health and Physical Education / President of Sharetr Co., Ltd., University of Tsukuba venture company) won the Keizai Sangyo Daijin Award (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award / grand prix in the business category) and two other awards at the 14th Campus Venture Grand Prix (CVG) 2017, organized by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd.
The award ceremony was held at Kazan Kaikan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, on March 6, 2018.

The 14th Campus Venture Grand Prix (CVG) was an opportunity for prospective entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas and business concepts. Thirteen teams who got through the screening process participated in the competition, and presented their brushed-up business plans.

Mr. Kimura, a member of the University of Tsukuba Men's Football Club, has experience of teaching football to boys and girls. Making use of his experience, he developed a web application targeted at football coaches around the country. It allows users to upload and share videos of football training and workouts. With the web application, he founded his company, Sharetr Co., Ltd. in 2016.

Mr. Kimura has participated in "TCC Advanced", an entrepreneur training course targeted at students of the University of Tsukuba, and the "Talent-Connect & Acceleration Program", the university's commercialization promotion project, where he had a chance to receive feedback from mentors. Improving his business plan based on feedback, he has received various awards in multiple business competitions.

In addition to the Keizai Sangyo Daijin Award, he won two other awards including the JVCA Award (award winners acquire the right to pitch their products to 23 members of the Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA)) and TOMODACHI Award (award winners can participate in business workshops in Silicon Valley) at the 14th Campus Venture Grand Prix (CVG). When asked about his future business plan, he expressed his hope to expand his business operations overseas and develop web applications for other sports.

Mr. Kimura also won first prize at the Entrepreneurs Organization Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (EO GSEA) in January 2018. He is going to represent Japan on the world's stage this April.

From left: Mr. Murata from the Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA)) and Mr. Kimura