Professor Takuzo Aida of the University of Tokyo Selected for the First Grantham Foundation Grant Awarded to a Japanese Technology Seed — UTokyo IPC supports global commercialization of breakthrough supramolecular plastic technology —
PrintUTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda; hereinafter “UTokyo IPC”) is pleased to announce that Takuzo Aida, Distinguished University Professor at Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo, has been selected for a grant from the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment (Boston, USA; hereinafter “Grantham Foundation”), which supports breakthrough environmental research worldwide.
The grant provides approximately USD 600,000 in R&D funding and marks the first time the Foundation has awarded a grant to a technology seed originating from Japan.
UTokyo IPC’s Startup Building team supported the project through the full due diligence and contracting processes, working alongside Professor Aida to advance commercialization planning. The team is also providing hands-on support, including coordination with potential global customers and strategic partners. Leveraging this grant, the project will further accelerate its path toward real-world deployment.
Addressing the Root Causes of Plastic Pollution
Globally, approximately 430 million tons of plastic are produced each year, yet over 90% is never recycled, instead being incinerated, landfilled, or leaked into the environment. Conventional petroleum-derived plastics do not degrade in nature and are a major source of microplastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
In response, consumers, investors, and policymakers increasingly demand environmentally responsible solutions. For global companies, transitioning to sustainable alternative materials has become an urgent imperative.
To tackle this challenge, Professor Aida’s group has developed an innovative new material—“supramolecular plastic”—that combines practical mechanical performance, biodegradability, and complete recyclability.
While exhibiting high strength and heat resistance comparable to petroleum-based plastics, the material fully depolymerizes into its monomers simply by adding salt, enabling perfect closed-loop recycling. These monomers are biodegradable and do not generate microplastics even if released into the natural environment.
The research was published in Science in November 2024 and has gained significant international attention.
Since February 2025, UTokyo IPC has been providing intensive hands-on support through its Startup Building Program—led by team members with entrepreneurial and management experience in Japan and overseas—covering business concept development, grant acquisition, and early customer/partner engagement.
First Grantham Foundation Grant Awarded to a Japanese Technology
The Grantham Foundation is a U.S.-based philanthropic organization with assets of approximately USD 600 million, dedicated to advancing scientific research, technological development, and real-world implementation that mitigate climate change and protect the environment.
In addition to providing grants to universities and research institutions, the Foundation also invests in startups pursuing “overlooked climate opportunities,” supporting a wide range of approaches to addressing global environmental challenges.
To date, the Foundation has supported pioneering projects and startups across a broad range of fields, including decarbonization technologies, advanced materials, clean energy, and ecosystem conservation. By working in collaboration with networks of private investors and entrepreneurs, it accelerates the early-stage development of high-impact climate technologies through a dual approach that combines grant funding with investment capital.
This time, Professor Aida’s supramolecular plastic technology was recognized for its scientific novelty, uniqueness, and potential global environmental impact, becoming the first Japanese-origin research seed ever selected by the Grantham Foundation.
Comment from Professor Takuzo Aida, Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo
“I am deeply honored to receive this generous grant from the Grantham Foundation for our work on supramolecular plastics. Plastic-related environmental pollution, especially microplastics, has long been an issue of great concern to me, and I have been committed to finding a fundamental solution through science.
The due diligence process required extensive responses regarding both technical and commercial aspects. UTokyo IPC’s Startup Building team provided consistent support—from proposal preparation to contract negotiation—which has been invaluable.
While supramolecular plastics hold significant technological promise, achieving societal implementation requires overcoming challenges such as scaling and economic viability. The continued involvement of UTokyo IPC in both strategy and execution is essential for bringing this technology to the world.
With this grant, we will further advance performance optimization and scalable production technologies, laying a strong foundation for real-world application. We remain committed to contributing to the global resolution of plastic pollution.”
Comment from Junji Takaoka, Incubation Partner and Head of Startup Building Program, UTokyo IPC
“Supramolecular plastic is a unique material that combines practical properties with exceptional biodegradability and recyclability. Once commercialized, it has the potential to become a next-generation alternative to petroleum-derived plastics and generate substantial industrial and environmental impact.
Using this grant, we will advance property optimization, sample production, and economic feasibility studies, while strengthening engagement with potential customers and partners.
As a long-term partner dedicated to maximizing the societal value of academic innovations, UTokyo IPC will continue working closely with Professor Aida to drive the commercialization of supramolecular plastics.”
Startup Building Program: Maximizing the societal Value of Technology Seeds
While many researchers possess outstanding technologies, they often face challenges due to limited resources or commercialization expertise. This can lead to missed opportunities for startups, suboptimal team formation, insufficient IP strategy, or failure to capture global growth potential.
To address these gaps, UTokyo IPC’s Startup Building Program provides comprehensive, execution-oriented support from the earliest stages of commercialization—covering business design, financial planning, grant acquisition, IP enhancement, and customer/partner development.
In 2025, with support from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), UTokyo IPC launched Launch1000, a commercialization program offering practical support together with up to JPY 10 million in commercialization funding for promising technology seeds.
By mobilizing UTokyo IPC’s resources, know-how, and nationwide academic network cultivated through investments and programs such as 1stRound, we aim to strengthen and expand Japan’s deep-tech startup ecosystem.
Startup Building Program
https://startup-building-program.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/
Launch1000 Program
https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/incubation/Launch1000/
About UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
UTokyo IPC is an investment and innovation platform dedicated to advancing Japan’s industrial competitiveness through startup creation and ecosystem development in collaboration with academia, industry, venture capital, and public-sector stakeholders.
Established in 2016 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Tokyo, the company operates two public–private investment funds that have made over 80 investments in startups and venture capital funds in Japan and overseas. In parallel, UTokyo IPC operates the Startup Building Program to support commercialization of academic technologies and entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) activities, the large-scale academia co-hosted acceleration program “1stRound,” and the deep-tech talent development initiative “DeepTech Dive.”
In 2024, UTokyo IPC launched the Academic Startup Acceleration (ASA) Fund, selected through a Tokyo Metropolitan Government initiative to foster a global deep-tech startup hub.
Company Information
Establishment: January 2016
Shareholder: The University of Tokyo (100%)
Location: Entrepreneur Lab 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda
Website: https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/
Contact
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
TEL: +81-3-3830-0200 / FAX: +81-3-3830-0183
Email: info2@utokyo-ipc.co.jp
Contact: Junji Takaoka