" Asuniwa project" support for entrepreneurs within the company program, receives a Special Jury Prize at the "BizCon AWARDS 2026"
- 13 companies have achieved corporate management and 5 have achieved profitability, all based on the individual aspirations of employees.
July 10, 2026
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Hidetoshi Segi) is pleased to announce that its support for entrepreneurs within the company project, "Asu Niha," was selected as one of the six finalists in the "BizCon AWARDS 2026," which recognizes the efforts of secretariats that operate new business proposal systems within companies, and received the Special Jury Prize, the "Konno Noboru Award," at the final jury meeting.
The "Konno Noboru Award" is named after Mr. Noboru Konno, Chairperson of the Japan Innovation Network, a general incorporated association, who served as a judge for the award. This award recognizes projects that were launched with the vision of creating the future of Rohto Pharmaceutical, that demonstrate consistency in efforts to further maximize the company's culture as an innovation company, and that have actually led to achievements such as the establishment of a corporation and profitability.
Rohto Pharmaceutical's Human Resource Development Initiatives Aiming for Co-Growth of Individuals and the Company
Rohto Pharmaceutical has supported diverse work styles and career development, aiming for "co-growth of individuals and the company" starting with the autonomy and growth of each employee. Since 2016, it has introduced a system for side jobs and concurrent positions to encourage employees to broaden their experiences both inside and outside the company, and in 2020 it launched "Asuniwa project" an support for entrepreneurs within the company project. By supporting employees who start businesses to address social issues, it promotes multifaceted work styles that are not bound by company boundaries and the creation of social value.
About support for entrepreneurs within the company project "Asuniwa project"
"Asuniwa project" is a program at Rohto Pharmaceutical that supports employee entrepreneurship in business areas related to "well-being," in line with the company's Vision 2030, "Connect for Well-being & Longevity." "Ashita Niha" entrepreneurs, while performing their regular duties, refine their business plans based on their individual aspirations and ideas, and then challenge themselves to commercialize their businesses through presentations to management and internal crowdfunding. The company provides funding for their activities based on the support points they receive from other employees, and also supports them in accounting and legal matters, and provides opportunities such as seminars and meetups, encouraging the creation of new social value through multi-job activities.
Since the program's inception in 2020, 15 businesses have been launched under the "Asuniwa project" initiative. Currently, one business is being commercialized by Rohto Pharmaceutical, and 13 companies are operating as corporations, with five of them achieving profitability (as of June 2026). This initiative, which transforms employees' aspirations into businesses and tackles social issues, not only promotes career autonomy and growth but also fosters Rohto Pharmaceutical's culture of taking on challenges.
Project 6th Generation Achievements
Since April 2026, four limited liability companies have been established by participants of the 6th cohort of the project.
Company Name: Cross Skill Lab LLC
Company Overview: An HR tech business that visualizes soft skills cultivated through life events such as childcare through workshops and proprietary AI systems, connecting them to individual skill development and corporate talent development and utilization.
Representative Partner: Miki Shimizu
Registration date: April 20, 2026
Homepage: https://cross-skills-lab.co.jp/
Company name: VELA LLC
Company Overview: A business that provides veterinarians with new ways of working through online pet consultation services and contributes to solving challenges in the veterinary medical industry.
Representative Partner: Hosei Sasajima
Registration date: April 25, 2026
Homepage: https://vela-h.com/
Company Name: Knot & LLC
Company Overview: We are developing a sixth-sector industrialization business that utilizes Nakajima greens, a traditional vegetable from Noto, and brown rice from Noto to create gluten-free foods, thereby enhancing the value of Noto's regional resources and passing them on to future generations.
Representative Partner: Hisashi Kanamori
Registration date: May 25, 2026
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mottoand_official/
Company Name: Pipette Base Studio LLC
Company Overview: A business that provides a system for researchers and engineers to learn basic experimental techniques through videos, supporting the efficiency of education and on-the-job training and improving research capabilities.
Representative Partner: Hayato Kurata
Registration date: June 10, 2026
Comment from the initiator of the "Asuniwa project" project
Representative: Ken Ichihashi (Startup Support Group, Corporate Planning Department / Representative of Golden Rabbit Beer)
I believe this award is a testament to the culture of "challenge" and "support" that is deeply rooted at Rohto Pharmaceutical, and to the existence of colleagues who have worked together to create and support these systems.
"Asuniwa project wa" is not yet complete. We aim for a world where new challenges become commonplace for Rohto employees, and where businesses that reach areas that Rohto itself cannot easily access, and that can reach small but desperately needy individuals, are born one after another. We believe that starting with the aspirations of each and every employee, addressing someone's problem, and shaping it into a business is Rohto's way of taking on challenges.
Going forward, we will further evolve the "Asuniwa project" system itself, and accelerate our efforts to create a mechanism for mutual learning and growth, while connecting with companies and partners with whom Rohto has a relationship.
About the "Business Contest Awards 2026"
The "BizCon Awards 2026" recognizes the efforts of the secretariat that operates a new business proposal system within a company. The aim is to shed light on the ingenuity, support, system design, and organizational culture building efforts of the secretariat behind systems that challenge corporate transformation and new business creation, and to widely share knowledge. In 2026, 24 companies entered, and 6 companies that passed the document screening presented at the final judging.