Asics Ventures Corporation, Asics Corporation’s corporate venture capital arm, is launching an annual business pitch competition it has dubbed “Kenzen.” The company has hosted seven pitch programs globally since 2017, and Kenzen is said to formalize the initiative as an annual event.

The inaugural event will be held on October 22, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m, EST, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Asics said in a statement, “The next chapter of the Asics customer experience will be shaped, in part, by founders the brand has not yet met. Kenzen is established to find them. Over the nine years preceding this inaugural edition, Asics Ventures has carried founder relationships from pitch into commercial and venture conversations. Kenzen now establishes that practice on an annual basis.”

The 2026 theme is New Experiences: the services, products, and communities bringing more people into Asics.

Four categories shape this year’s brief:

  • Experience Movement: Wearables, nutrition, and performance products — anything worn or consumed that enhances how the body moves and performs.
  • Experience Physical: Retail technology and third spaces — innovations that change how and where people encounter running and movement in the real world.
  • Experience Digital: Communities and digital placement — platforms, content channels, and social tools that build connection or expose new audiences to the sport.
  • Experience Wellness: Sleep, recovery, and preventive wellness — products and services that support the foundational wellness that makes movement possible.

Six startups will be selected as finalists, with two representatives from each company invited to Ann Arbor to pitch the judging panel, Asics leadership, Asics Ventures team members, and invited guests from the wider Asics ecosystem. A prize package totaling $80,000, including non-cash prize, will be awarded across the top three finalists, with the grand prize winner prioritized for discussions on a commercial pilot with an Asics business unit. Also, finalists will gain direct access to the Asics ecosystem and the prospect of a longer-term relationship with the Asics Ventures team.

Image courtesy Asics Ventures Corporation