ASICS Ventures Corporation, the corporate venture capital arm of the popular global sportswear brand, has established Kenzen. An annual pitch competition, this initiative formalizes nine years of startup engagement into a structured program designed to identify founders who are building the future of customer experience across movement, physical spaces, digital communities, and wellness.
ASICS Ventures’ inaugural 2026 Kenzen competition edition is presented under the theme ‘New Experiences’ and includes four categories — Experience Movement, Experience Physical, Experience Digital, and Experience Wellness. Six finalists will be selected from a competitive application process, “with two representatives from each company invited to Ann Arbor to pitch to the judging panel, ASICS leadership, ASICS Ventures team members, and invited guests from the wider ASICS ecosystem.”
The grand prize is $80,000 and the potential for commercial pilot discussions with business units.
Image Credit: ASICS Ventures Corporation
What's Driving This Trend
- Corporate Venture Competitions
- Structured pitch programs create new pathways for brands to surface startup technologies while linking prize capital to future commercial pilots.
- Experiential Wellness Platforms
- Wellness-focused startups are expanding customer engagement through integrated movement, digital community, and physical-space experiences.
- Startup-led Customer Experience
- Founder-driven innovation is reshaping how established companies test immersive services, personalized engagement models, and next-generation consumer touchpoints.
Who This Affects Most
- Sportswear
- Performance apparel companies are increasingly positioned to blend product ecosystems with digital, wellness, and community-based experiences.
- Venture Capital
- Corporate investment arms are using themed competitions to identify early-stage companies aligned with strategic growth priorities and emerging consumer behaviors.
- Health and Wellness
- The convergence of fitness, recovery, mental wellbeing, and connected experiences is creating new markets for scalable wellness solutions.
