Application Deadline: March 29, 2023
Ricoh, a leading Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company, is hosting a challenge for startups and students. Ricoh « MIRAI » Challenge – The Future of MFP – invites participants to submit their ideas to remodel the concept of the multi-functional printer and peripheral, both from a traditional and modern perspective.
This competition has three categories to apply:
- Solutions for a world with paper: Create a solution that harnesses the need for paper in modern industries/fields.
- Solutions for a paperless world: If not for physical printing, how should printers/scanners evolve to still be relevant in the workplace?
- Wild Card: Development of innovative solutions/creative ideas to create a potential future partnership with Ricoh, regardless of category.
Ricoh is seeking groundbreaking ideas that can disrupt the conventional understanding of the “multifunctional printer”, and envision its possible future adaptations.
RICOH wants to collaborate with innovators to find solutions in order to reinvent the concept of the multi-functional printer
In a highly digitized and electronic-first world, with innovations around every corner, many of our traditional industries and ways of working have been transformed. However, essential industries, such as medecine, legal, procurement, and creative industries, are still in need of physical materials.
Do we embrace a fully digitized world or is there still a place for physical materials and environments?
Ricoh is looking for innovative solutions and ideas to challenge the concept of the traditional ‘multifunctional printer’ and to imagine its potential future adaptations.
Do you aspire to change the status quo of the world with paper, or even to harness either existing or new technologies in order to enhance a paperless world?
Apply now for the chance to pitch your solution to Ricoh executives. The winning startup will be potentially receiving funding support to develop a Proof of Concept and each team member of the winning student team will be rewarded with a high-end digital compact camera.
Prize
- Pitch to Ricoh executives during the Final Event: Ricoh Digital Printing CEO.
- Connect with Ricoh Business Units
- Proof of Concept discussion
- A high-end digital compact camera GR III (worth up to $1,000) for each member of the team or a cash prize of US$1,000 for the whole team.
Final Event
31 May 2023 (online Event via Zoom)
The Ricoh “MIRAI” Challenge – Future of MFP final showcase will take place online on Zoom. Judges and participants will be given 1 online dry-run prior to the event.
Voting Phase 1
30 March 2023 – 17 April 2023
Submissions will be selected based on the following criteria below:
- Value of the addressed issues: Is there a real need in the market to address the targeted issue? How many people are impacted by it?
- Innovativeness of the technology and business model: How innovative is the technology used and the business model? How is it unique from others?
- Feasibility (Short-term: within 1 to 2 years, or Future long-term: 10 years ahead): How feasible is the solution to put into practice? Does the solution make sense financially? Will the solution be sustainable over the long term?
- Impact: What is the scale of potential social impact? How broad is the impact? How many people will your solution reach? How significant is the impact?
30 teams will be shortlisted. Results will be released on 17 April 2023 (18 April at the latest).
Interview Screening
18 April 2023 – 15 May 2023
The 30 teams selected following voting phase 1 will be interviewed online. Of these, 10 teams will be selected as finalists and then mentored for 2 weeks from 15 May 2023 in preparation for the final event on 31 May 2023.
Results will be released on 15 May 2023 (16 May at the latest).
Mentoring
16 May – 26 May 2023
The 10 teams will be mentored for 2 weeks from 16 May 2023 in preparation for the final event in end-May.
The 10 finalist teams will be paired with Ricoh mentors on the platform to provide guidance and insights to prepare for the final event.
Timeline
- Application Phase: 1 Feb 2023 – 29 Mar 2023
After creating an account, Startups should upload a 10-page PPT/PDF detailing a real existing solutions using technology to solve the theme problems on ‘My Page’, which summarizes the answers and ideas/proposals in the form. Students should submit a 5-page idea/concept. - Voting Phase 1: 30 Mar 2023 – 17 April 2023
The Ricoh Judges’s team will select 30 teams to proceed to the next round via online interviews. This will consist of a 10-minute presentation of the project, followed by a 20-minute Q&A session with the judges.Selected teams must participate in the interview screening round. - Interview Screening: 18 April 2023 – 15 May 2023
The 30 teams selected following voting phase 1 will be interviewed online. Of these, 10 teams will be selected as finalists. - Mentoring: 16 May 2023 – 26 May 2023
The 10 teams will be mentored for 2 weeks from 16 May 2023 in preparation for the final event in end-May. The 10 finalist teams will be paired with Ricoh mentors on the platform to provide guidance and insights to prepare for the final event. - Final Event: 31 May 2023
The 10 finalists teams will pitch their finalized proposal online to the final judging committee via a 5 minute pitch and an 8 minute Q&A, with the panel comprised of Ricoh executive and management level personnel. Resulting winners will be announced immediately.
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