At Protostar, we are driving the "STARTUP M&A Circulation" program with the vision of making M&A a natural choice for startups.

From October to December 2024, our key initiatives included the following three activities:

We organized an event featuring startups with M&A experience, venture capitalists, and other key stakeholders to share real-world case studies and insights from the perspectives of sellers (sell-side), buyers (buy-side), and investors.

With over 70 participants signing up for the first session, the event provided a rare opportunity to hear firsthand from experienced professionals. Attendee satisfaction was highly rated, with an average score of 4.6 out of 5, and the networking session was a great success.

We launched a structured training program designed to provide essential knowledge and practical insights for both buy-side and sell-side participants in startup M&A.

Our inaugural buy-side session attracted numerous participants, including startups, business corporations, and VCs. The program received high praise, with an average satisfaction rating of 4.7 or higher out of 5 for each session.

Additionally, the training program fostered direct M&A discussions and acquisition strategy meetings, further enhancing participants' understanding and engagement with M&A opportunities.

In this event, we invited experienced professionals who had handled over five acquisitions, along with key supporters of startup M&A. Together, they provided valuable insights into the essential preparations and mindset required for startups considering M&A, based on real-world examples.

With an average satisfaction rating of 4.2 out of 5, the event successfully facilitated numerous one-on-one consultations between participants and experts. Several meaningful connections were formed, making it a highly impactful opportunity.

Moving forward, we will continue to promote the adoption and acceleration of startup M&A through the "STARTUP M&A Circulation" program.

If you resonate with our mission and are interested in speaking at or participating in our events, please feel free to reach out to us!

At ProtoStar, driven by the belief that "M&A should be a natural option for startups," we are promoting the M&A support program "STARTUP M&A Circulation."

The key activities conducted from January to March 2025 are as follows:

We hosted an event inviting startup founders who have experienced M&A, where they shared practical examples and insights from the sell-side (seller's) perspective.

This time, we welcomed two guests: Mr. Ishimori from Adinnovation Inc., who executed an MBO after selling to an Israeli company and achieving business growth, and Mr. Sakamoto from Anyfl ow Inc., which joined the Asuene Group through an M&A between startups in December 2024. Both shared their real-life experiences.
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We offer a course where you can systematically learn the key issues and practical knowledge required for Startup M&A (Buy-side / Sell-side).

This highly popular course has seen an increase in new registrations with each session, and the number of participants has become stable. Among the participants, we have had executives such as CFOs with over 10 billion yen in total fundraising, and those responsible for M&A at Series B round startups. The course has received perfect ratings from startups in the Series B and C stages.

Moreover, the course has led to actual behavioral changes, such as participation in other programs and individual consultations, and we are seeing very significant results.

We invited Mr. Takemura, former CEO of Awesome Agent Inc., who achieved 200% business growth through the M&A with ZIGExN, to host a talk session on the theme of "PMI (Post Merger Integration)."

The session, which included off-the-record discussions, was highly realistic and practical. It received the highest rating ever from participants, with an outstanding score of 4.9 out of 5, resulting in a very high level of satisfaction.