The startup event "DATERISE! 2026" (Organizer: Sendai City / Operator: 01Booster), held under the theme of "Global," has released its latest program information. This update includes the confirmation of 10 companies for the pitch contest, along with domestic judges, details of some sessions, the schedule, booth and festival exhibitors, sponsor information, and side event details. ■10 Companies Selected for Pitch Contest The pitch contest, one of the main events of DATERISE! 2026, will bring together startups challenging the world from Tohoku to present their visions, technologies, and business potential. The winning startup will receive benefits to support further growth, and special awards from sponsoring companies are also planned. A panel of judges active both domestically and internationally will evaluate based on factors such as business viability, growth potential, and social impact to select the next generation of leading startups. Following a rigorous selection process from a large number of applications exceeding capacity, 10 companies have been chosen to present. These startups represent diverse fields including university-launched ventures, deep tech, AI, healthcare, environment/energy, and robotics. Please pay close attention to the moment when new Tohoku-born innovations take flight to the world from the DATERISE! 2026 stage. 【Presenting Companies and Speakers (in Japanese syllabary order, titles omitted)】 ・Ems Robotics Inc. Eiji Sotani ・wead Inc. Momoka Ikawa ・ZAICO Inc. Toshihide Tamura ・Hide Innovative LAB Inc. Hideya Iemura ・Tsubame Lab Inc. Masaaya Inagawa ・TeconaAI Inc. Ryōichirō Koyama ・perple (Tohoku University) Takafumi Kubota ・bionto Inc. Hiromitsu Seno ・BearBell Inc. Yudai Hattori ・MiRESSO Inc. Tomonori Imai ■3 Domestic Judges Announced This year's pitch contest will feature judges with diverse backgrounds, including investors, corporate representatives, and support organizations leading the domestic startup ecosystem. 【Judges (titles omitted