Alchemist Japan

About Alchemist Japan

Alchemist Japan offers a three-month in-person accelerator program in Tokyo, focused on the particular needs of Enterprise tech startups with global potential.

Key details include:

The equity program for distinctive technical, B2B-focused founding teams with global potential. Startups are selected mainly from Japan, but startups around the world, including Asia, are eligible.
Startups who participate in Alchemist Japan can receive investment and learn how to develop customers, build business models, pitch to VCs through coaching mentorship and lectures, and gain access to a unique and global network through events, introductions, and our own proprietary platform (the Alchemist Vault).
Alchemist Japan is designed to bring the best of Japan and Silicon Valley together, with global mentors, lecturers, and operators from both regions supporting the startups along the way.
Alchemist Japan is uniquely designed for startups with the potential to build global-scale companies, with automatic admission to Alchemist’s six-month San Francisco program whenever the startup is ready to expand overseas.

A maximum of 12 participating startups per cohort

Program will be held at:
Global Business Hub Tokyo
3F, Otemachi Financial City Grand Cube, 1-9-2 Otemachi,
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, 100-0004

We invest in distinctive, technical founding teams who are building enterprise technology.

Early-stage startups focused on the enterprise (B2B) space
Deeply technical teams with business co-founders and advisors
Teams with aspirations to build a global-scale company
Founders who can participate in the in-person three-month acceleration program in Tokyo, Japan

Applications Open: June 1, 2024

Application Deadline: July 29, 2024

*Our application process is on a rolling basis. Interview time slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are ready, we recommend applying before the deadline.

Program Starts: Late September 2024 (TBC)

Demo Day: December 2024 (TBC)

What happens in the program?

Alchemist offers a structured path to mentorship, traction, fundraising, and community for founders with ambitious aspirations.
While all founders may participate in our structured program and curriculum, much of the experience is personalized to the needs of your company. This is partly why we limit the number of participants in the program.
The program is designed for founders to build their companies in the way that works for them. Many of the program’s elements are optional – founders may choose to what extent their participation is relevant to their business.
The structured program anchors on a curriculum of group gatherings, including the famous Alchemist Weekly Gathering. Here, you check in with your peers to share what you have accomplished and exchange feedback on roadblocks. These sessions are often followed by expert talks and workshops.
Alchemist’s Feedback Summits are day-long gatherings focused on market traction and fundraising, supplemented with shorter gatherings on topics founders identify as particularly relevant to them.
Outside of these group gatherings, your experience is punctuated with individualized mentoring sessions with Alchemist Partners, successful CEOs, and other experts matched specifically to your company for the duration of the program.
These Alchemist experts are also available to you for one-off consultations on particular questions.
Social and community events are optional, but Alchemist alumni often cite their relationships built with peer founders through these events as a highlight of their Alchemist experience.
The Alchemist Program capstone is Demo Day, at which you present to an invitation-only group of global investors.

Benefits

The program offers a structured path to fundraising and customer traction in a supportive community of enterprise-oriented founders and mentors.

Alchemist founders have access to some of the following additional program elements:

An optional small cash investment on founder-friendly terms in the form most appropriate for your company (often a SAFE or equivalent). The founders can expect average investment proceeds of up to $100,000 (Before offsetting the tuition of the program). We offset the program’s required “tuition” fee with the investment capital.
Exclusive credits and discounts from trusted Alchemist partners, including cloud computing, legal fees, marketing, and other services. The aggregate value of these perks is more than $450,000. The average value of perks used by most Alchemist companies is $175,000.
Permanent access to Alchemist’s exclusive network of mentors, investors, customers, and alumni.
Graduates from the Japan program are eligible to go to a six-month program in San Francisco, USA, after the Tokyo Program. Founders can choose when they go to the six-month program.

*Co-working space is available in Tokyo during programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Alchemist is one of the top Accelerators in the world focused on supporting startups that monetize from enterprises (i.e., B2B and B2B2C startups). Alchemist’s backers include many of the top corporate and VC funds―including Mayfield Fund, Khosla Ventures, Foundation Capital, BASF, NEC, Cisco, Siemens, GE, and Salesforce. Notable alums include LaunchDarkly, Kyte, MoEngage, Foresight, Privacera, Matternet, and mPharma.
Founders who join the Japan program will participate in a three-month program in Japan first, then can choose to go to a six-month program in the San Francisco Bay Area whenever they are ready. Founders have full access to the global program and benefits.

Founders participate in Alchemist from wherever they choose to work and build their companies. All programming and events are designed for the best possible virtual and on-site experience.

For founders who choose to locate in or visit the Tokyo area during the program, Alchemist provides co-working space in Tokyo at no cost. Availability and access is subject to constraints and regulations related to the Corona situation.