News
2025/06/03
WISER GAP Fund 2025 (Funding and hands-on support specifically for young female researchers)
WISER GAP Fund 2025 (Funding and hands-on support specifically for young female researchers)
Purpose and Objectives
WISER is a program to support horizontal connections and entrepreneurship by a community of young female researchers.
The purpose of the WISER GAP Fund is to encourage young female researchers to realize their ideas and grow toward commercialization. Furthermore, the program focuses on network expansion and future prospects, and supports researchers to expand their own visions and implement them in a way that contributes to society.
Even those with little track record or those still in the idea stage are eligible for support as long as they have enthusiasm and the ability to involve others, and we will help them increase their chances of realization.
GTIE, which fosters a university startup ecosystem in the Tokyo metropolitan area, is cooperating with this program.
Application Guidelines
1. Proposals Eligible for Application
The main strength of the project must be R&D-oriented. 2.
2. eligibility (applicants must meet both (1) and (2) below)
(1) Young female researchers under the age of 40, who are individuals before registration as a corporation. Master’s course graduate students or those with equivalent research backgroundare eligible.
Examples: master’s students, doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, university faculty, private sector workers, etc.
*1) If applying as a team, the applicant must be before the registration of the corporation and the representative person must meet the above conditions.
*2) Applicants can apply regardless of affiliation
2) Applicants must aim to start a business in Tokyo.
3 . Details of support
・GAP Fund
・Funding for activities that contribute to commercialization
・Incubation quota (5 million yen per project)
・Challenge quota (1 million yen per project)
*Collaborative application is possible (only one of them will be selected).
Online hands-on support and mentoring
・ Progress sharing meeting: about once a month (tentative )
・ Mentoring: about once every month and a half to two months (tentative)
Number of projects to be adopted:
・Incubation quota (5 million yen/project): 5 projects (planned)
Challenge Program (1 million yen per project) 5 projects (tentative)
*Total of 10 projects will be selected. The number of grants is subject to change depending on the results of the screening process. The amount of grant may be increased for some applicants. 5.
5. How to Apply
Please submit the following information via Google Form by noon on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Community participation (Discord registration) is required to apply. Please see Q&A for more information.
Fill out the application form (Google Form)
*There is a space for you to write the project name and summary (about 200 words). It will be easier if you prepare them in advance.
Upload your presentation material (1 PDF file)
*You will be asked to use this material for your presentation during the interview. Please download and fill out the designated format below and upload it within the Google Form.
*︎ Click here to download the presentation material format.
*︎Click here for the Google form to apply (Deadline: Monday, August 11, 2025 at noon)
h ttps:// forms.gle/Rnuuemw8D8MpNuej7
6. schedule
Application Deadline:Must arrive no later than noonon Monday, August 11, 2025
Online Information Session: Thursday, June 19, 19:00 – 20:30
Document review: Mid-August
Interview review: Late August/early September *Details below
Notification of adoption results
Incubation Program: Wednesday, September 3 (tentative)
Challenge Program: September 17 (Wed.) (tentative)
Start of support:October 1 (Wed)
DEMO DAY (Presentation of results): Scheduled to be held in March 2026
7. Interview details
・Interview screening for incubation slots
Dates: August 25 (Monday) to August 29 (Friday), at a date and time to be determined (tentative)
Screening method: In principle, face-to-face interviews will be conducted in Tokyo.
*Transportation expenses are to be borne by the applicant.
*In case it is difficult to come to Tokyo, online interview is also available.
・Interview screening for the challenge slots
Dates: Designated date and time between September 8 (Mon.) and September 12 (Fri.) (tentative)
Screening method: Online interview
*Applicants must attend the interview in person. 8.
8. Online Information Session
Thursday, June 19, 2025, 19:00-20:30
For details and registration for the information session*
https://tayo.jp/events/01JVNY57M261YF883T17FPHDW6
*Participation in the information session is not mandatory
9. Q&A
10. Contact
tayo WISER Management Office: wiser-support@tayo.jp
Please write [ WISER GAP Fund ] at the beginning of the subject line.
Management system
Operation: tayo WISER Management Office:
・About WISER
WISER is a program that supports entrepreneurship by female researchers through community building, events, and the provision of a GAP fund specialized for young female researchers.
WISER is currently recruiting Discord community members!
WISER LP: https://wiser.tayo.jp/
Publicity and review cooperation: GTIE
This program is implemented with the support of “TOKYO SUTEAM,” a startup support and development project operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.