[Viewers Wanted] Seven "Surprisingly Amazing Companies" to Appear. SMALL GIANTS AWARD to be Held November 16th, with Judges Including Mr. Yamai of Snow Peak

The 7th Forbes JAPAN SMALL GIANTS AWARD (hosted by Forbes JAPAN) will be held via live stream on November 16. Viewers are being recruited.


This award is a signature program that discovers companies striving to create "giant-level" value and influence through unique products or business models, despite their small scale. It shines a light on "surprisingly great" companies rooted in their regions yet competing globally with their brilliant technologies and strategies.

For this 7th edition, seven finalists were selected from over 100 award candidates nationwide through a preliminary screening process. On the day of the event, representatives from each finalist company will deliver their final presentations. They will share their unique growth strategies and ideas, and explain how they overcame adversity to become "Small Giants." The judging panel consists of five members: Futoshi Yamai of Snow Peak, Kana Bokagaki of Makuake, and Masato Otsubo of Yuki Holdings. Following a Q&A session between the finalists and the judges, the Grand Prize winner will be decided.

[Finalists]
◆Extract Water from Industrial Waste Sludge!
Exports its proprietary sludge dewatering machine to 77 countries worldwide | Amcon (Kanagawa Prefecture)

◆Premium "Hand-Squeezed Mandarin Juice" made from 30 hand-squeezed mandarins is hugely popular
Successful rebranding leads to exports to 32 countries worldwide | Ito Farm (Wakayama Prefecture)

◆Shifted from call center operations to retail business to create jobs for women
Launched "SuiSavon - Shuri Soap," rapidly expanding to 21 stores nationwide | Caucus (Okinawa Prefecture)

◆Detects the extremely faint "light" emitted when substances degrade
Targeting the global market with degradation testing equipment for oils, pharmaceuticals, and biochemical samples ｜Tohoku Electronics Industry (Miyagi Prefecture)

◆Manufactures flutes with a commitment to handcrafted quality
"MuraMatsu of the World," beloved by renowned top players | MuraMatsu Flute Manufacturing (Saitama Prefecture)

◆Converts used tempura oil into biodiesel fuel
Founded by a nonprofit organization seeking to protect rivers and lakes from pollution｜Revo International (Kyoto Prefecture)

◆The Evolution of "Brushes" Never Stops!
Brushing up everything from industrial equipment to home appliances | Kowa (Aichi Prefecture)

All seven finalists possess long histories, having overcome numerous challenges to achieve global impact. Their presentations and Q&A sessions with judges representing various fields are packed with business insights and ideas exclusive to this award.

Register to watch here

【Overview】
Name: Forbes JAPAN SMALL GIANTS AWARD 2023-2024
Organizer: Forbes JAPAN
Date & Time: November 16, 2023, 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM (scheduled)
Cost: Free
Format: Live stream on the Forbes JAPAN YouTube channel
(A viewing URL will be sent after registration)
Registration Deadline: November 16, 2023

【Program】
3:00 PM Live stream begins
Around 3:10 PM: Presentations by representatives from 7 companies
・Amcon (Kanagawa Prefecture)
・Ito Farm (Wakayama Prefecture)
・Caucus (Okinawa Prefecture)
・Tohoku Electronics Industry (Miyagi Prefecture)
・Murakami Flute Manufacturing (Saitama Prefecture)
・Revo International (Kyoto Prefecture)
・Kowa (Aichi Prefecture)
Around 17:05 Session Planning
Around 18:10 Award Announcement
Around 18:30 Stream Ends

【Judges】
・Futoshi Yamai｜Snow Peak Representative Director, Chairman and President
・Kana Bokagaki｜Director, Makuake
・Masato Otsubo｜President and CEO, Yuki Holdings
・Kenichi Uchida｜Public Interest Incorporated Association Yamanashi Industrial Support, SME Management Innovation Support Project
・Masaharu Fujiyoshi｜Editor-in-Chief, Forbes
・Masaharu Fujiyoshi｜Editor-in-Chief, Forbes JAPAN

An online pre-award celebration is scheduled for November 15.
Special website here

Contact: rsvp@forbesjapan.com
(Forbes JAPAN Event Office)