Diverse, like minded comunity offering mutual support and knowledge sharing

Diverse, like minded comunity offering mutual support and knowledge sharing

SPROUND is a community of individuals that aspire to grow together, and we’re here to help make that happen. We’ll be hosting meetups by startup CEOs, venture capitalists, and industry professionals both on-site and online. Our aim is to kickstart a free-flow of knowledge so that our startups can gain access to a treasure trove of information on topics relevant to accelerating business growth.

SPROUNDERS

SPROUNGRADUATE

2021 (4)

2025 (2)

SPROUNSUPPORTERS

ELIGIBILITY

  • Exclusive to early-stage startups

    You aim to develop innovative, new business models and markets in a short time frame

    You have something to benefit from, and contribute to, the community

    You are moving in as a company. Individuals or teams in the pre-company phase or use as satellite offices are subject to negotiation

  • Small team with 1 - 20 employees

    All members must be fulll-time members. Spot membership options avaiable for part time employees, interns, etc.

  • Has a business plan to exit SPROUND (=team of 20 people or more) within 2 years
  • Understands and relates to SPROUND’s philosophy, and is keen to take active part
CONTACT

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Yuko Maruyama

Worked at Nintendo, Nihon Loreal KK and joined Recruit (No.1 IT Media company in Japan) in 2015. Now belongs to new business development Dept., leading a team of in-house accelerator program. Has experiences of Asian marketing, promotions, community manager. Interested in building "community".

HIBIKI SHIMABUKURO

Hibiki fell in love with J-WAVE in his first year of junior high, pouring the next six years into producing more than 420 hours of original radio shows—still available on demand. After moving to Tokyo, he contributed to community-building at the co-creation hub SHIBUYA QWS and the creative agency NEWPEACE, interned at the cross-industry planning firm Ekkyō, and served as Head of Operations for the Communication Design College I-MAGE. He later produced business-video content for the media startup PIVOT, and now works as a short-drama producer at emole. Guiding motto: “Start by going beyond.”

RINA YAMAGISHI

4th-year student in the Faculty of Law at Rikkyo University. Through a class taken in my first year, I became interested in environments that foster mutual improvement and supporting people's growth, leading me to start an internship at SPROUND in April 2024. Currently, I am also interning at Uzabase Inc. on the event marketing team for their market research tool "SPEEDA." Additionally, I am planning to obtain a teaching license and am exploring "supporting people's growth" from both business and educational perspectives.

Karin Wakamatsu

I am a third-year student in the Department of Education at university of the sacred-heart,tokyo. Through my long-standing involvement in the Girl Scouts since childhood, I have developed a strong interest in community engagement. In September 2024, I began volunteering at a community space in Shibuya Ward. Witnessing its ongoing financial difficulties, I am currently exploring a business model that relies on corporate sponsorships rather than charging users. Since August 2025, I have also been interning at SPROUND.