Astroscale Named Forbes JAPAN Japan’s Start-up of the Year 2019

Astroscale Pte. Ltd (“Astroscale”), the market-leader in developing a space debris removal service to secure long-term spaceflight safety, was named Japan’s Startup of the Year 2019 as part of the annual Forbes JAPAN ranking of the most promising startups in the nation.

Now in its fifth year, the theme of the prestigious award was Best Visionary Story as winners were determined by their focus on responsibility for future generations and efforts in shaping a new future. The distinction was unveiled at Japan’s largest CEO conference, the Forbes JAPAN CEO Conference 2018, on Monday, November 26, 2018 at the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO of Astroscale, accepted the award in front of approximately 300 CEOs, and revealed his thoughts for the year 2050 and beyond.

“We are approaching an era in which 10 billion people will potentially live in an unsustainable and unhealthy world. We must change the way we think, as well as our behavior, to leave a bright future for the next generations,” said Mr. Okada. “We are working hard on developing the innovative technology necessary to complete the difficult task of cleaning up space and are also involved in shaping future global space policy. Astroscale is tackling space sustainability so that others can work on Earth sustainability.”

This distinction adds to the widespread recognition Astroscale and Mr. Okada have received just in the last year. Among many recent honors, Astroscale was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2017, received third place at the Forbes JAPAN Startup of the Year 2018 and was recognized as a leading disruptive start-up company by the US-Japan Society of Northern California in 2018.

About Astroscale

Astroscale Pte. Ltd. is the first private company with a mission to secure long-term spaceflight safety and orbital sustainability for the benefit of future generations. Founded in 2013, Astroscale is developing innovative and scalable solutions for satellite end-of-life and active debris removal services to mitigate the growing and hazardous buildup of debris in space. With its headquarters in Singapore, a Research and Development facility in Tokyo and an Operations Centre in Harwell (UK), as well as a representative in Washington DC, US, Astroscale is a rapidly expanding venture company, preparing to solve a growing environmental concern. Astroscale is currently developing its second mission, ELSA-d, a technology demonstration for end-of-life services and pursuing complementary missions with potential customers.

For more about ASTROSCALE, visit http://astroscale.com/