Hainan, China, June 26, 2025—The organizers of the Hainan-Southeast Asia AI Hardware Battle (HNSE AHB) are pleased to announce an expanded prize package for this year’s competition. Organized by TechNode and TNGlobal, and presented by Lingshui Li Autonomous County Development Group Holdings Limited, the competition will now award each of the Top 10 winners a minimum two-week in-store showcase at select CCC Group retail outlets across Japan, including the iconic Tsutaya Books chain.
This retail opportunity is powered by the Japan-based crowdfunding platform GREEN FUNDING, which is now a strategic partner of HNSE AHB, further strengthening the program’s bridge between Asian hardware innovation and global consumer markets.
The new retail benefit extends HNSE AHB’s original incentives, which already include round-trip airfare to the Grand Finale in Hainan on July 26, 2025, booth exhibition passes at the “Tech Meets Art” Festival, global media exposure, and investor matchmaking opportunities. HNSE AHB now gives founders direct access to Japan’s influential tech-lifestyle audience. CCC Group operates more than 800 Tsutaya stores, widely regarded as design-forward cultural hubs that attract early adopters and trend watchers.
Products selected for the showcase must (1) confirm a campaign launch on the GREEN FUNDING platform, (2) clear GREEN FUNDING’s internal screening process, and (3) meet CCC Group’s scheduling criteria for store category fit and campaign timeline. Store locations and display periods will be determined at GREEN FUNDING’s discretion, ensuring that each product is matched to the most suitable Tsutaya venue. Full terms and conditions are available from the HNSE AHB organizing team.
“By combining the creative reach of GREEN FUNDING with the cultural influence of Tsutaya Books, we are offering founders an end-to-end pathway from prototype to Japanese consumers in record time,” said Dr. Gang Lu, Founder of the TechNode Group. “This is exactly the kind of market-entry catalyst our competition was designed to deliver.”
Japan remains a leading global market for consumer technology, yet localization hurdles—ranging from language to retail distribution—can be a hurdle for overseas startups. GREEN FUNDING, founded in 2011 and owned by the CCC Group, is recognized as one of Japan’s top crowdfunding portals for creative tech gadgets. Its promotion of hardware campaigns through both digital backer communities and physical Tsutaya stores has proven highly effective in driving early sales and media coverage.
Key dates remain unchanged: applications close July 12, 2025, while on-site finals take place July 26, 2025 in Lingshui, Hainan, followed by the award ceremony on July 27, 2025. Eligible teams—startups and established firms alike—must present an AI-driven hardware product that has reached at least the prototype stage and fits one of HNSE AHB’s focus sectors, including smart home, wearables, smart vehicles, robotics, and VR/AR.
With GREEN FUNDING now a strategic partner, HNSE AHB offers what we believe is an unparalleled launchpad: pitch in Hainan, secure investor backing, and debut in Japan’s most celebrated lifestyle bookstores—all within the same summer. The countdown to the application deadline has begun; we look forward to welcoming the region’s brightest hardware talents to the stage.
Interested innovators can apply via the registration link on the official event page, scan the QR code in the poster, or contact [email protected] / WhatsApp + 60 18 940 2282 for further guidance.