OpenAI partners with Open Network Lab for Kyoto startup pitch contest offering $1M in API credits

OpenAI is teaming up with Japan’s pioneering seed accelerator to host a pitch competition where the currency isn’t equity. It’s API credits.

The event, called “Series T, Post AGI from Kyoto,” will take place on July 1, 2026, at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art. Up to 12 teams will pitch their startups for a share of up to $1 million in OpenAI API credits, with the first-place winner also pocketing $100,000 in cash.

What’s actually happening here

Open Network Lab, known as Onlab, has been running as Japan’s seed accelerator since 2011. Over that span, it has supported more than 160 companies and facilitated 3 IPOs along with over 20 exits. Now it’s partnering with the world’s most prominent AI company to run a pitch contest during IVS2026 KYOTO, one of Japan’s largest startup conferences, which runs from July 1 to 3.

The contest is specifically designed for early-stage founders, students, and teams that are within three years of founding or launching a product. Participants need either a viable prototype or an innovative idea to apply.

Beyond the OpenAI API credits, additional infrastructure credits are being provided by partners including AWS and Notion. Applications are being accepted through a Google Form for pitching and via Luma for general attendance. The event itself runs from 13:30 to 17:30 JST.

The name “Series T” is a deliberate play on traditional funding nomenclature. Instead of a Series A or B, this positions API credits as a distinct form of startup capital, something that sits alongside, rather than replaces, conventional equity financing.

Why Kyoto, and why now

Hosting this event during IVS2026 KYOTO gives it immediate access to one of the country’s most concentrated gatherings of founders, investors, and tech executives. Onlab’s involvement is significant because of its track record. As Japan’s first seed accelerator, it carries credibility that a generic hackathon organizer wouldn’t. OpenAI established its first Asian office in Tokyo in April 2024, signaling a broader commitment to fostering local AI initiatives and collaborations within Japan’s tech ecosystem.

The event’s thematic framing around “Post AGI” asks participants to consider what startups should build in a world where artificial general intelligence exists.

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