KS³ Program Modules
Kyoto Startup Summer School is composed of different modules taught and facilitated by our diverse teaching team members. While the detailed program for KS³ is not finalized until few weeks before the program, you can get a sense of what the program looks like by checking out the detailed 2019 program which was the last program conducted in-person and the 2021 program which was conducted online for the first time. Also, checkout here for our list of past workshops and lectures across all years of KS³ since its inception.
Workshops
Learn the different startup skills and gain the necessary entrepreneurial mindsets.
Lectures
Sessions covering various relevant must-know startup topics.
Startup Weekend
Super intense 54 hours to create a startup and start your entrepreneurial journey.
Social Sessions
Hangout with fellow participants, speakers, trailblazing entrepreneurs, and more.
Panel Discussions
Discussions and conversations with some of the most interesting people in the industry.
Fun Activities
Quiz Night? Open Mic Night? The possibilities are endless!
The global community
Since its inception in 2016, over 360 people from 62 countries have been involved in Kyoto Startup Summer School, the most international program of its kind in Japan.
Come join our community of innovators in this intense program that brings together world-class entrepreneurs and educators.
The Awesome Team
In alphabetical order, some of the wonderful workshop facilitators, lecturers, and panelists who came and taught at our last edition of Kyoto Startup Summer School.
Anja Svetina Nabergoj
Lecturer, Stanford d.school
Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Ljubljana
Ben Foden
Head of Marketing, Nota, Inc.
Bill Cockayne
Independent Inventor
University of St Gallen
Innovation Leadership Group
Stanford University
Osaka Institute of Technology
Boris Jitsukata
Managing Director, Goodpatch GmbH
Bjoern Eichstaedt
Managing Partner, Storymaker
Bridgette Engeler
Senior Lecturer, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Stream Leader, Sustainable Places for Living, Smart Cities Research Institute
Swinburne University
Charles Shyaka
General Manager, 250STARTUPS
Hila Yamada
Coordinator, Glocal Center
Co-founder, Kyoto International Entrepreneurs Community
Heather Swift Hunt
Senior Director of Design & Technology, Kickstarter
Joe Wambugu
Head of Research and Development, House of Technology
Jouni Laitinen
Section manager, Learning Analytics and R&D, Rakuten
Kenji Yanagawa
Technical Consulting, Kyoto Makers Garage
Li Jiang
Head of Stanford AIRE
Motoi Kawabata
CEO, innovate with
Impact partner, NPO ETIC.
Paul Speed
Co-Founder and CEO, Kyoto Brewing Co.
Ryan Aynz
Chief Executive Officer, AdVertize
Sae Hyung Jung
CEO, oVice, Inc.
Sushi Suzuki
Associate Professor, KYOTO Design Lab, Kyoto Institute of Technology
Tetsuo Ito
Group Managing Director, Phoenix Accounting Singapore Pte Ltd
Vikki Daet
Consultant / Community Builder
Come Join Us… in 2025!
Unfortunately, we've had to hit the pause button on Kyoto Startup Summer School 2024, but don't worry - we'll be back and better than ever in 2025!
If you're interested in joining us, leave your e-mail below and we'll let you know when the applications open up! (Most likely early 2025)
Testimonials
Joining this program is without a doubt the best decision I made this summer! What I loved about the entire program was the little tips and tricks the speakers and organizers gave out to the participants.
All sessions were smooth, interesting and were easy to understand even for complete beginners of that topic. It’s a holistic approach to learning all things about startups.
Thank you so much Team KS³!
Harini Samarasinghe
KS³ Online participant 2021
Sri Lanka
What an awesome week! Amazing workshops, talks, and - most importantly - people. Thanks for answering all my questions and inspiring me to continue this startup journey!
Alex Sheard
KS³ Online participant 2021
United Kingdom
Participating in Kyoto Startup Summer School 2019 is one of the best decisions I have made and I won’t trade it for anything else in this world. In only two weeks, I learned how to start a business from scratch plus visiting startups and places where innovation and creativity happen. KS³ is the best choice for anyone who dares to become a future entrepreneur with a warm heart and strategical mindset.
Monika Vu
KS³ participant 2019
Vietnam
The coolest thing about Kyoto Startup Summer School was the internationality, it's really wonderful to get to know so many people from all around the world. There were great teachers from great universities and cool companies, and it was an amazing learning experience. Thank you KS³ team!
Benedikt Mayer
KS³ participant 2019
Austria
If you are looking to expand your horizons or want to start up your own business and you are not quite sure how to go about it, KS³ is the perfect program for you. It is a game changer; a key to unlock potential you may not have realized you had.
Anders Haugland Pedersen
KS³ participant 2018
Norway
If you always dreamt of starting up but lack the confidence or skills, you’re in the right program. KS³ will push you out of your box, test your boundaries, hone your skills while creating new ones, and allow you to innovate freely. You'll be surrounded by people from different walks of life with different pains and passions but with the same entrepreneurial mindset. Good luck, have fun and welcome to the best entrepreneurial program of your life!
Vikki Daet
KS³ participant 2017
Philippines
KS³ is a wonderful opportunity for any aspiring entrepreneur to learn and practice the most essential skills and mindsets of entrepreneurship — all in a condensed timeframe of two weeks. On top of that, they get to meet people from all around the world which broadens your horizons and helps in facilitating innovation.
Anja Svetina Nabergoj
KS³ workshop facilitator 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Lecturer, Stanford d.school
Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Ljubljana
The Organizing Team
Sushi Suzuki
Associate Professor, KYOTO Design Lab, Kyoto Institute of Technology
Tatsuya Tsubuki
Professor, Dept. of Entrepreneurship, Musashino University
Thomas Sun
Marketing & Recruitment, KS³
Our PARTNERS
Special thanks to these amazing companies and organizations for helping making Kyoto Startup Summer School happen!
About the KYOTO Design Lab
KYOTO Design Lab (D-lab) is the platform for Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT) to facilitate collaborations in the fields of architecture, design, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Since its inauguration in 2014, the D-Lab has played the role of incubator where various areas of expertise come together to discover and solve social problems through ground work research and development.
D-lab bases the project execution on participatory learning approach and aims for societal implementation of innovation through international programs such as workshops and joint projects with prominent researchers, designers, architects, and entrepreneurs from all over the world.
D-lab’s location makes it the natural incubator for innovation across disciplines. The ancient capital’s deeply rooted networks of traditional makers with their centuries-old knowledge and skills base sit alongside those focussed on Kyoto’s more contemporary aspect as the home to new technology-based industries and start-ups.
Backed by the research excellence of the Kyoto Institute of Technology, D-lab facilitates this crucial meeting of both worlds to ensure that hands-on innovation can take place.