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Business Plan Contest “Photonics Challenge 2025” was Successfully Held in Hamamatsu City, the Center of the Optical Industry

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Three companies with outstanding optical technology – 
Beyond Optical Medical Technologies, Ectobrain Devices and Catana Corporation – presented
groundbreaking ideas and are awarded for their business plans

HAMAMATSU, Japan, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium is pleased to announce that Photonics Challenge 2025, a business contest that supports the expansion of optical technology applications by startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) nationwide that seek to create new value in society, was successfully held in Hamamatsu City.

The Central Japan Startup Ecosystem is comprised of Aichi prefecture, Nagoya City and Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka-prefecture and provides everything a startup needs – from highly trained workers in many specialized fields to opportunities to conduct feasibility studies with leading companies. There are also accelerator programs, financial support systems, innovative university seeds, and collaborative partnerships with ecosystems outside of Japan and also attract a wide range of entrepreneurs to this region.

Against this backdrop, Photonics Challenge is an annual competition sponsored by the Graduate University School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries. This year marked its sixth year and is the only business plan contest in Japan that specializes in optical technology. Seven finalists, selected from among applicants from all over Japan, presented their business plans at the final judging held on February 27 at Entetsu Hall in Hamamatsu City, after months of mentoring. Beyond Optical Medical Technologies, Ectobrain Devices and Catana Corporation successfully presented their groundbreaking ideas and were awarded for their respective business plans.

The awards were presented by the Chairman of the Judging Committee, Hiroyasu Ito, President of Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries.

For the 2025 Photonics Challenge, a new category was established for “Best Idea”, and applicable to individuals who have a passionate vision and business idea, including college or technical school students. Three individuals presented their ideas, and the winner will be provided opportunities to hone their entrepreneurship skills.

The 2025 Photonics Challenge winners are as follows:

1.  Best Business Award – prize of one million yen – Awarded to Beyond Optical Medical Technologies

2.  Best Challenge Award – prize of 800,000 yen – Awarded to Ectobrain Devices

3.  Shizuoka SME Excellence Award – prize of 300,000 yen – This award is for applicants whose base of operations is in Shizuoka Prefecture and was awarded to Catana Corporation

4.  Observer Award – prize of 300,000 yen – Awarded to HarvestX

5.  Best Idea Award – prize of 200,000 yen – Awarded to ASA-e

Profile of Award Winners

Best Business Award – Beyond Optical Medical Technologies

Beyond Optical Medical Technologies is developing a new surgical platform that uses near-infrared spectroscopic imaging to see deep inside the body during surgery. This allows surgeons to visualize tissues and structures that are normally invisible, reducing the risk of complications. Nariaki Okamoto of Beyond Optical Medical Technologies said, “Surgery today faces many complications, and fewer young people are pursuing it as a career. I believe collaboration between medicine and engineering is key to advancing surgical techniques, and I hope to create a future where surgeries are safer and more reassuring for everyone.”

Best Challenge Award – Ectobrain Devices

Ectobrain Devices is developing smart glasses to help Parkinson’s patients walk more easily and avoid falls. Parkinson’s patients often suffer from walking difficulties (gait disturbances) that are not effectively treated by existing medications. These glasses will automatically adjust to the patient’s needs, providing real-time assistance. Yu Nagashima of Ectobrain Devices said, “We are planning to launch as a startup from Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and will be registering the company next week, so I am very encouraged to receive this award.”

Shizuoka SME Excellence Award – Catana Corporation

Catana Corporation is pursuing international standardization (ISO/IEC) for their real-time lossless data compression technology, which is designed to reduce storage, bandwidth, and power consumption in industries like automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure. While already used in Japan, global adoption, particularly in the automotive sector with the goal of “installation in all commercially available vehicles,” requires meeting international standards demanded by overseas manufacturers. Nobuo Fujita, CEO & CTO of Catana Corporation said, “This is the first time we have participated in a business contest, so I’m very pleased to have won. I’m truly glad I participated because I received ideas and comments on the plan we presented.”

https://www.catana.co.jp/en/

Observer Award – HarvestX

HarvestX developed a system that uses multispectral cameras and AI to monitor strawberry growth, combined with a robot that automatically pollinates the plants. HarvestX plans to expand the technology to other crops. Yuki Ichikawa, Representative Director and CEO from HarvestX said, “I was actually just networking with other companies and had just entered the room when the award announcement was made. That just goes to show how passionate the other companies are, and this is a great opportunity to quickly find potential collaborators.”

https://harvestx.jp/en/ 

Best Idea Award – ASA-e

Yoshihiro Asada is a 1st year graduate student at Toyohashi University of Technology in Aichi Prefecture. Inspired by his grandfather who was diagnosed with diabetes, Yoshihiro is working to control soybeans without raising sugar levels so those suffering from the same condition can enjoy them. By controlling the components of soybeans using sensor data, ASA-e increases the sweetness of soybeans without raising blood sugar levels. Yoshihiro Asada said, “I will make further efforts to become a successful entrepreneur, and I would appreciate your continued support.”

Other Participating Finalists

(Business Category)

Deep Sensing

Deep Sensing is building robots that use AI to automatically scan underground structures without digging. These robots use radar to see inside, helping to identify missing persons during natural disasters or improve aging infrastructure.

SEtech

SEtech is developing a new type of sensor that reduces the burden on AI systems by processing information directly on the sensor itself. This “Anti-Imaging” approach reduces power consumption and data volume with a suite of sensors.

https://setech.co.jp/ 

Three-labs Inc.

Three-labs is a startup from Nagoya Institute of Technology using a new “Pulse Laser Grinding” (PLG) technology to re-sharpen cutting tools. Their laser-based method is more precise than traditional grinding wheels, allowing them to re-sharpen tools that couldn’t be re-sharpened before, saving manufacturer’s cost and reducing waste.

https://three-labs.com/

(Idea Category)

Mirai Iryo Innovators

Working towards a future without nerve damage during surgery through the use of Raman spectroscopy, which is based on the interaction of light with the chemical bonds of a substance.

Ryo Igarashi

Designing glasses for people who suffer from light sensitivity that act as sunglasses but without the dark lenses.  

Other event highlights

During the final deliberations, six of the past Photonics Challenge finalists each presented their business, introduced their current situation, and how far they have come since winning. These companies included: 

WIZRAY
https://wizray.jp/

Photon-Labo
http://photon-labo.jp/

Archilys
https://www.archilys.com/ArchilysCorp/ArchilysCorporation.html

Astech
https://www.astechk.co.jp/

Miibio
https://www.mii-bio.com/

Pi Photonics
https://www.piphotonics.com/en/

About the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem

In July 2020, Aichi prefecture, Nagoya City and Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka-prefecture became one of the four regional Startup Ecosystem Global Base Cities groups designated nationwide by the Japanese Cabinet Office. 

There are 848 startups in Central Japan, of which 209 are university-launched. An estimated 100.8 billion yen (from 2020 to 2024) of funds have been raised, in addition to accelerator programs, financial support systems, and innovative university seeds. 

Collaborative partnerships with Station F, INSEAD, BLOCK71, Paris &Co, Bpifrance, Venture Café, Plug and Play, Israel Innovation Authority, Tsinghua University, China Medical University, National University of Singapore, the University of Texas at Austin, Stanford University, North Carolina State University, University of Nebraska and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad attract a diverse range of entrepreneurs to the region. 

For more information, please visit https://central-startup.jp/en/ 

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Real-World Study of Over 185,000 Users Finds Engagement with UpLife Digital Mental Health App Yields Significant Reductions in Depression and Anxiety

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Five-year evaluation shows a clear “dose–response” link between deeper engagement with UpLife’s CBT-based ‘Journeys’ programs and greater depression and anxiety symptom improvement

LEESBURG, Va., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — UpLife Inc, a digital mental health and self-therapy platform, today announced a set of research findings from a large real-world evaluation of its app, showing that people who engaged with the platform reported statistically significant reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety over time. The evaluation drew on five years of real-world data from an engaged user base of more than 185,000 people across the United States and 197 other countries worldwide.

“These results reflect what we hear from users every day, now backed by data at real-world scale. What stands out is the dose–response signal where the people who lean into the work by completing their Journeys and doing the exercises are the ones who get the most out of it.” Jeff Musa, CEO, UpLife

The research analysis examined anonymized data collected between 2021 and 2026 using three validated clinical outcome measures: the PHQ-9 (depression), the GAD-7 (anxiety), and the WHO-5 (well-being). Among UpLife users who completed assessments at baseline and follow-up, depression and anxiety scores decreased significantly over time.

In the fully adjusted analysis, average depression scores (PHQ-9) fell by approximately 3.7 points; moving the typical UpLife user from the “moderately severe” range toward the “moderate” range. Anxiety scores (GAD-7) showed comparable significant reductions over time.

A clear dose–response relationship

One of the study’s central findings was a consistent dose–response pattern regarding the relationship between engagement and outcomes. Users who completed UpLife’s CBT-based ‘Journeys’ experienced a reduction in their symptoms. The study also found that the completion of additional Journeys were associated with a further measurable decrease in their assessment scores, even after accounting for subscription type and other factors. Notably, depth of engagement with therapeutic content was a stronger predictor of improvement than simply the amount of time spent in the app.

“These results reflect what we hear from users every day, now backed by data at real-world scale. What stands out most is the dose–response signal where the people who lean into the work by completing their Journeys and doing the exercises are the ones who get the most out of it. That tells us our job is to keep building an experience that helps people stay engaged, because engagement is where the clinical value lives.” — Jeff Musa, Chief Executive Officer, UpLife

Built on cognitive behavioral therapy

UpLife delivers evidence-based psychological education and interventions grounded in the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through five core features: structured Journeys, a Daily Plan, a Mood Tracker, journaling, and an AI assistant (“Lila”) that recommends relevant content from the platform. The app does not provide AI-generated therapy; its assistant only directs users to content that has been created, curated, and reviewed by clinicians.

For clinicians, UpLife also offers a HIPAA-compliant therapist portal that supports a Blended Care model, allowing providers to extend therapeutic support between sessions through structured digital programs, progress tracking, and shared assessments.

The platform has also been extensively used in humanitarian settings. Through UpLife’s Ukraine Humanitarian Gift Program, tens of thousands of users in Ukraine have received full, free access to a localized version of the app through UpLife’s Ukraine Humanitarian Gift Program.

About the evaluation

The study used an observational pre–post design based on real-world data and was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. As an observational evaluation without a control group, it demonstrates associations between app engagement and symptom improvement rather than establishing causation, and well-being scores (WHO-5) did not change significantly over the study period. The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that CBT-based digital interventions can be associated with meaningful symptom reduction, while underscoring the central role of sustained user engagement.

About UpLife

Founded in 2019, UpLife is a digital mental health and self-guided therapy platform that is designed to help people improve their emotional well-being, build healthier thinking patterns, and develop positive daily habits through structured, evidence-based psychological programs. UpLife also provides a secure, HIPAA-compliant portal to help therapists and health systems to extend care beyond the through a Blended Care Therapy model. Learn more at www.uplifecare.com.

Media Contact

Matt Landry, UpLife, 1 617-699-7205, matt@thesecondrow.net, https://www.uplifecare.com/ 

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SOURCE UpLife

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TruHeight Joins Nordstrom and JCPenney Marketplaces as Wellness Brands Reshape the Department Store

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Family nutrition brand’s newest retail partnerships reflect a broader shift: health and wellness products are becoming a staple of platforms once reserved for fashion and apparel

LAS VEGAS, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TruHeight, the family nutrition brand, today announced it is joining the Nordstrom Marketplace and the JCPenney Marketplace, bringing its lineup of clean-label vitamins, gummies, protein shakes, and everyday nutrition products to two of America’s most iconic department store names.

The partnerships place TruHeight at the center of one of retail’s most notable shifts. Department stores and fashion-first marketplaces, long defined by clothing, shoes, and accessories, are rapidly expanding into health and wellness as consumers increasingly treat wellness as part of their everyday lifestyle rather than a separate shopping trip. For a generation of shoppers, the same platforms where they buy back-to-school outfits and activewear are becoming destinations for the products that fuel those activities.

“Five years ago, you wouldn’t expect to find a family nutrition brand next to denim and sneakers,” said Justin Rapoport, Co-CEO of TruHeight. “Today, wellness is part of how families shop for everything. Nordstrom and JCPenney recognize that, and we’re proud to bring family nutrition to their marketplaces.”

The move extends a period of rapid retail growth for TruHeight, which launched in 5,000 CVS stores nationwide in June following its national debut at Target earlier this year, and is also available at iHerb and on Amazon. With the addition of Nordstrom and JCPenney, TruHeight’s products will reach shoppers across drug, mass, e-commerce, and department store channels.

“Every retailer we add is a signal of the trust families place in our brand,” said Eden Stelmach, Co-Founder of TruHeight. “Department stores are where families have shopped together for generations. Meeting them there with simple, clean nutrition products is a natural next step.”

TruHeight products will be available on the Nordstrom and JCPenney marketplaces in the coming weeks, joining the brand’s existing availability at CVS, Target, iHerb, Amazon, and truheightvitamins.com.

About TruHeight
TruHeight is a family nutrition brand offering clean-label vitamins, gummies, protein shakes, and everyday nutrition products for kids, teens, and active families. Founded with a commitment to simple ingredients and convenient formats, TruHeight products are available at major retailers nationwide and online at truheightvitamins.com.

Media Contact
TruHeight Vitamins
Kim Brown
419189@email4pr.com
4704265920
truheightvitamins.com

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TrendyMinds Founder Trevor Yager Returns as CEO to Lead Agency’s Next Phase of Growth

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Veteran agency leader returns to accelerate TrendyMinds’ AI capabilities and advance the firm’s evolution as a strategic partner helping organizations drive growth, strengthen reputation, and navigate transformation.

INDIANAPOLIS, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trevor Yager has returned as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TrendyMinds, the Indianapolis-based agency he founded in 1995, while continuing to serve as Chairman. In this dual role, Yager has resumed direct involvement in day-to-day leadership, working alongside account and delivery teams on client work in addition to setting the agency’s strategic direction. As CEO, he is leading the company’s next phase of growth by advancing the firm’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities while strengthening its position as a strategic partner to organizations navigating growth and change.

Yager previously transitioned from CEO to Chairman as part of a planned leadership evolution that reflected both the agency’s maturity and his own exploration of future ownership opportunities. As AI has accelerated the pace of change across the industry, reshaping how organizations operate and compete, he made the decision to step back into the CEO role and lead TrendyMinds through its next chapter directly.

“Moving into the Chairman role was the right decision at the time because the Board, including myself, believed TrendyMinds needed to demonstrate it could thrive beyond its founder,” said Yager. “But after more than 30 years of leading through every major technology shift, I believe artificial intelligence represents one of the greatest opportunities our industry has ever seen. The environment shifted fast enough that it made sense for me to step back in and lead it personally, continuing to build the capabilities our clients will need and position the agency for what’s next.”

Beginning in 2019, TrendyMinds became increasingly intentional about optimizing the artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation capabilities already embedded within the technologies used across the agency. Following a comprehensive assessment of AI-enabled tools and workflows, the agency integrated AI across strategy, research, creative development, marketing operations, and internal business processes while establishing governance, security, and data protection standards to support responsible implementation.

By transforming its own business first, TrendyMinds refined its methodologies, validated new approaches, and built the operational discipline that now informs how it evaluates AI opportunities with clients. Today, TrendyMinds continues to expand its internal AI capabilities through a dedicated team of AI transformation specialists, developing proprietary workflows, audience intelligence tools, and implementation frameworks. Drawing on that experience, the agency helps clients responsibly evaluate and implement AI in ways that align with their business objectives, regulatory requirements, and governance standards.

That experience also enables TrendyMinds to support clients developing innovative AI technologies, including a leading healthcare AI innovator. By combining firsthand AI transformation experience with strategic consulting, communications, and market positioning expertise, the agency helps organizations communicate complex technologies, build trust with stakeholders, and accelerate market adoption.

Founded as a traditional marketing agency more than 30 years ago, TrendyMinds has continually evolved alongside the changing needs of its clients, bringing together strategic consulting, integrated marketing, communications, creative, thought leadership, media relations, digital strategy and development, research, analytics, and emerging technologies.

About TrendyMinds

TrendyMinds is the Agency of Preference®, a multidisciplinary consulting partner helping organizations accelerate growth, strengthen and protect reputation, and navigate transformation. Founded in Indianapolis in 1995, the firm has spent more than 30 years uniting strategic consulting, communications, marketing, creative, technology, and data-driven insight into a single integrated practice built to solve complex business challenges.

Learn more at TrendyMinds.com.

Media Contact:
Claire Gregory
419095@email4pr.com | 317.902.6973

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