AWS expands its public sector startup accelerator to Japan

AWS has expanded its Startup Ramp programme to Japan, making it the ninth country in the APAC region to gain access to the business support network.

Startup Ramp aims to support entrepreneurs interested in delivering modern products and platforms across public sector services, specifically in areas like government, civic technology, smart cities, healthcare, agriculture, and space technology sectors.

The programme launched last year in India, South East Asia, and South Korea to provide members with training and resources to grow their businesses and develop tech for the public sector.

Startups across the Asia-Pacific region can now apply to the first AWS Startup Ramp cohort before 7 April, 2022, if they are located in Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippines. Startups can qualify for the programme if they are under ten years old, have under $10 million in annual revenue, and intend to serve public sector customers.

Founders and their teams will be able to receive training and support, network with the startup community, and secure financial support by applying for over $100,000 in AWS promotional credits.

“AWS Startup Ramp provides opportunities for the public sector to innovate with startups to quickly design, test, and deliver solutions to dynamic challenges,” said Ushio Usami, Japan country leader for AWS worldwide public sector. “As the public sector in Japan increasingly looks to startups to accelerate the nation’s digital transformation, entrepreneurs leveraging cloud technology can address real-world citizen needs when they collaborate effectively with the public sector.”

The first cohort will take part in technical and business training sessions, which will begin virtually later in 2022. Speakers will include AWS executives who are former founders and entrepreneurs and their teams will be able to build relationships with other startups in their cohort.

Following its India launch in July 2021, a number of successful startups have emerged, including Unmiti, an agritech startup that aims to monitor and evaluate agriculture projects.

Praveen Kuruganti, co-founder of the startup, said that most of Unmiti’s data is sensitive information relating to farmers and farmland, and praised AWS for its security features which allowed the company to manage data security with ease.