SPACECOOL INC. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, CEO & CTO: Masahiro Suemitsu; hereinafter “the Company”), which develops and provides the radiative cooling material SPACECOOL that enables zero-energy cooling by emitting heat to space, is pleased to announce that Suemitsu took second place in the CATAPULT GRAND PRIX pitch competition at ICC KYOTO 2026, a community-based executive conference organized by ICC Partners, Inc. and held in Kyoto from August 31 to September 3, 2026.

The Industry Co-Creation (ICC) Summit is a community-based executive conference featuring more than 500 leading business owners, executives, and professionals as speakers at each event and attracting more than 1,200 participants. Senior executives and business leaders account for over 80% of attendees, bringing together decision-makers responsible for management, investment, and new business creation across industries. Among the Summit’s signature CATAPULT pitch programs, the CATAPULT GRAND PRIX is positioned as its premier competition. At ICC KYOTO 2026, the judging panel comprised 39 executives and directors from major and publicly listed companies, along with representatives and partners from leading venture capital firms in Japan and overseas.

At this year’s CATAPULT GRAND PRIX, 11 entrepreneurs who advanced through the preliminary selection process competed in seven-minute presentations. The field included presenters who had previously placed highly in CATAPULT programs or achieved comparable accomplishments. The Company is deeply honored that Suemitsu, making his first appearance in the competition, finished in second place.

In his presentation, Suemitsu explained how SPACECOOL can contribute to climate change adaptation and presented the Company’s vision of deploying it as zero-energy cooling infrastructure to cool cities and, ultimately, the planet. He also highlighted how SPACECOOL is already being used globally across a wide range of applications, including improving energy efficiency in buildings, reducing heatstroke risk, and improving the economic performance of livestock operations.

Comment from Masahiro Suemitsu, Representative Director, CEO & CTO

I am deeply honored to have been selected to take the stage at the CATAPULT GRAND PRIX, one of the most prestigious programs at ICC KYOTO 2026, and to have been awarded second place.

I founded SPACECOOL INC. in 2021 through a carve-out from a large corporation. We are one of the few startups in Japan operating at the intersection of deep tech and climate tech.

In recent years, extreme heat has intensified across the globe, significantly affecting not only human health but also social and economic activity. The radiative cooling material SPACECOOL, which I developed, not only blocks solar heat and suppresses heat absorption, but also releases heat to outer space as infrared radiation, enabling zero-energy cooling. It has already been deployed in a wide range of fields, including improving building energy efficiency, preventing heatstroke, and enhancing economic efficiency through applications in primary industries.

Encouraged by this second-place finish, we will work to deploy SPACECOOL more widely in society as zero-energy cooling infrastructure and take on the challenge of cooling cities and, ultimately, the planet. We sincerely appreciate your continued support.

About ICC KYOTO 2026

Guided by the principle “Learn Together, Create Industries Together,” the ICC Summit is a community-based executive conference where senior executives and business leaders account for more than 80% of participants.