— Proposes an AI × NFT Fan Engagement Model Enabling Both Fundraising and Fan Excitement, Moving Toward a Proof-of-Concept Implementation —

Overview​​​ 

​​​​Pacific Meta Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shota Iwasaki; hereinafter “Pacific Meta”), a blockchain consulting company, participated in the AI Sandbox Category of the open innovation event “Hiroshima SPORTS × TECH Nomination Conference 2025,” held in Hiroshima Prefecture on Friday, November 21, 2025, and achieved the highest score in the category, winning first place.

At the event, Tatsuya Ikemura, Business Development Manager at Pacific Meta, presented a new AI × NFT–based fan support model designed for sports teams based in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Pacific Meta will move forward in collaboration with the team toward the implementation of a proof-of-concept (PoC) project.

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About “Hiroshima SPORTS × TECH Nomination Conference 2025”​​​ 

​​​​This event is a pitch contest held as the main event of “Hi! HIROSHIMA Business Days 2025,” a corporate attraction initiative organized by Hiroshima Prefecture.

Under the banner of “Sports Kingdom Hiroshima,” the event invited proposals that apply cutting-edge technologies such as AI to solve real-world challenges faced by sports teams.

From approximately 70 participating companies, selected finalists delivered public presentations to sports teams and judges.

Organizers

• Hiroshima Prefecture
• Hiroshima City
• Hiroshima Prefecture Corporate Location Promotion Council
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima
• Hiroshima Dragonflies

Entry Categories

• AI Sandbox Category (Awarded to Pacific Meta): Proposals demonstrating novelty and originality through the use of AI
• Open Proposal Category: Proposals addressing sports team challenges using technologies other than AI

Official Website

https://kurukuru.hiroshima.jp/hihiroshima/ai-sports

Challenges Faced by Regional Sports Teams

 In this pitch, Pacific Meta proposed solutions to the challenges faced by sports teams:

1. Sustaining Fan Engagement: A lack of mechanisms to maintain meaningful connections with fans outside of game days.​​
2. Fundraising Limitations: The need for new revenue streams beyond sponsorships and ticket sales.

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Proposed Solution: AI × NFT–Driven Fundraising and Fan Engagement

 To address these challenges, Pacific Meta proposed a solution that combines Equipment NFTs with AI-driven operational automation.

​Key Elements of the Proposal

1. Fundraising Through Equipment NFTs (Ownership Model)

Team equipment such as bats and balls are tokenized as NFTs and sold to fans.

• For teams, equipment—previously a cost—becomes a new source of revenue, with proceeds used for equipment purchases and operational expenses.
• For fans, owning an equipment NFT provides tangible proof of support and a sense of ownership as an official supporter of their favorite players.
• Additional perks may include player interactions, access to practice sessions, and other exclusive experiences.

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2. AI Visualization of “How Fan Support Makes an Impact”

Fans who purchase NFTs can view AI-generated reports that visualize how the supported equipment is being used.

• Minimizes operational burden for teams
• Clearly shows fans how their support contributes to team activities
• Strengthens fan engagement and long-term loyalty

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3. Low-Cost Deployment and Scalability

By leveraging AI for NFT design generation and report creation, operational costs are kept to a minimum.

This enables easy adoption even by regional and community-based sports teams.

Speaker Comment

​​​Tatsuya Ikemura, Business Development Manager, Pacific Meta Inc.

(Born in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture; raised in Hiroshima City)

Winning the AI Sandbox Award is not the goal—it is the starting point for real-world implementation here in Hiroshima. We are committed to contributing, even in a small way, to the future of Hiroshima’s sports culture. 

As someone who was born in Hiroshima and grew up playing sports here, I am deeply honored to return to my hometown and have the opportunity to present our proposal to local sports teams.

Hiroshima has a sports culture that the world can be proud of—such as the historic example of citizens saving a local team from dissolution through the community-led “taru-bokin” fundraising effort. We aimed to modernize this tradition of fan-driven team support through AI and NFTs.

While Web3 and blockchain are still emerging fields, we focused on how to communicate their value in a clear and practical way that benefits local communities.

​​Future Outlook: From Hiroshima to Nationwide Expansion

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As a result of this award, this proposal will be exempt from the screening process for Hiroshima Prefecture’s demonstration experiment support program. Moving forward, Pacific Meta aims to collaborate with sports teams within Hiroshima to conduct demonstration experiments geared toward social implementation.

This system is not limited to sports teams and can be applied to:

• School sports clubs
• Theater companies
• Music groups
• Any organization that operates using equipment or physical venues

Pacific Meta aims to expand this model across Hiroshima and eventually establish it as a nationwide benchmark originating from the region.

Contact

Pacific Meta Inc. – PR Department 
Contact form: https://pacific-meta.co.jp/en/contact/ 

Pacific Meta

Pacific Meta provides comprehensive support for Web3 business development—from strategy and token design to fundraising and marketing. 
Since its founding three years ago, the company has supported over 150 projects across 41 countries, serving as a global accelerator bridging Japan and the world. 
With expertise spanning talent, knowledge, networks, and investment, Pacific Meta helps businesses achieve rapid social implementation of blockchain and token-based solutions. 

Company Overview 

• Address: PREX Hamamatsucho 8F, 2-2-12 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 

• CEO: Shota Iwasaki 

• Established: August 10, 2022 

• Business Areas: Blockchain accelerator (consulting, marketing, partnerships, token consulting, fundraising support) 

• Capital: 630 million yen (including capital reserves) 

• Website: https://pacific-meta.co.jp/en/