BabyTech Awards Home BabyTech Awards 2025-26 Eligibility, Categories, Judging Criteria, and FAQs
Eligible Entries and Categories Judging Process Award Structure Frequently Asked Questions
Review Subjects and Review Divisions
Products and services to be reviewed
The items subject to review are as follows:Condition 1andCondition 2shall be deemed to satisfy at least one of the following.
Condition 1:Employer/Recipient
Next ①–④for any of the following
(i) Prospective pregnancies, mothers and fetuses during pregnancy and childbirth, and mothers in the postpartum period,
(2) Newborn (0-28 days old), Infant (under 1 year old), Toddler (preschooler)
(3) Guardians and relatives of infants, partners and relatives of mothers
(4) Caregivers of facility organizations, facility operators, and cared-for infants and toddlers and their parents
Condition 2: Form of Goods or Services
Next a. to d. Any of the following
a. Electronic devices, appliances, and consumer electronics that operate on their own
b. Smartphones, PCs, and other devices, equipment, electronics, and home appliances that connect to the internet
c. Various applications for smartphones and PCs
d. Services and initiatives using ICT technologies such as websites, online meetings, etc.
Judging Section
Entries will be judged across 13 categories. Please refer to the list below for the relevant category.
| 1. breastfeeding and eating Eats & Feeding | School lunch systems, fixed-installation nursing rooms, food education content, smart baby bottles, nursing room locators, breastfeeding and feeding logs, menu planning, allergy management, baby food subscriptions, smart formula makers, FoodTech-related services, and other solutions for children's feeding and nutrition. |
| 2. children's learning and play Learn & Play | Intellectual education (including developmental support) related to learning and play that can be started by preschoolers, such as robots, programming learning systems, educational apps, learning toys, smart plush toys, EdTech, etc. |
| 3. safety measures and oversight Safety | SIDS countermeasures for general households, danger monitoring systems, child location information confirmation, insurance, sitter dispatch, daycare center matching, etc., that look after children before they are involved in incidents or injured, and that provide general households with people and places to look after their children. Watching over products to prevent serious accidents in educational and childcare facilities fall under "8-b. Prevention of accidents during childcare" section. |
| 4. fertility and pregnancy Fertility & Pregnancy | Smart basal thermometers, cycle trackers, home ultrasound scanners, smart maternity handbooks, fetal information apps, fertility support, postpartum mom support, FemTech-related products, and more—supporting individuals from those hoping to conceive through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. |
| 5. health and daily care Health | Smart thermometers, smart medical cards, condition tracking apps, electronic medical records for obstetrics, pediatrics, and pediatric dentistry, hydration management, elimination management, pediatrician dispatch services, sick child care, temperature and humidity monitoring with climate control for children's rooms, HealthTech/SleepTech solutions, and other products designed for children's health management and daily care. |
| 6. memorials, records, memories Memorial | Devices for photographing and documenting children and families, child growth records, family photo and video sharing, album apps, photographer dispatch services, preserving children's artwork, video creation, commemorative item production, personalized picture book creation, and other services related to commemorating children's and families' growth and achievements, as well as recording daily life and activities. |
| 7. parental support services Parents support | 7-a. General Section Family childcare sharing apps, childcare information apps and websites, online financial, real estate, and support services for families with young children, and well-being initiatives centered around childcare—all targeting parents of infants and young children (toC domain). Support for developing male paternity leave systems, fatherhood classes, and apps providing childcare information for fathers, including support and awareness activities for male paternity leave. Systems and tools for businesses (B2B domain) that aim to improve recruitment, retention, and engagement through corporate programs, childcare leave support, return-to-work assistance, team-based work design and evaluation, and childcare support fall under "11. Social Impact Category." |
| 7-b. Career Support Department Support for working parents, internship matching for those on childcare leave, career support after maternity/childcare leave, and other initiatives targeting career support for parents from pregnancy through early childhood | |
| 8. childcare ICT Childcare System | 8-a. General Section The system facilitates and improves the efficiency of operations for educational and childcare facilities that care for a large number of children, including a personnel management system for childcare workers, a communication system between the facility and parents, and a system for recording the condition of children at the facility. Watching supplies and systems to prevent serious accidents in educational and childcare facilities fall under the "8-b. Prevention of accidents during childcare section". |
| 8-b. Division of Accident Prevention in Child Care Monitoring supplies and systems to prevent serious accidents in educational and childcare facilities. Noon-sleep monitoring supplies, location information management for preschoolers including GPS and Bluetooth tags, and safety devices to prevent accidents involving children being left unattended on the bus. A school arrival and departure management system encompassing a safety device system. | |
| 9. household appliances for childcare Appliances for Childcare Household | Products that make household chores while raising children more efficient and labor-saving, such as childcare appliances, electric bouncers, food processors, small washing machines, dishwashers, robot vacuum cleaners, smart speakers, home automation, and smart remote controls |
| Newly established 10. Developmental Support Tools Developmental Support Tools | Technology products and services that contribute to developmental support, understanding individual characteristics, and realizing an inclusive society—such as apps, services, and educational materials supporting children with developmental disabilities or those in the gray zone, along with their parents and caregivers. Tools and systems supporting the development of children requiring special consideration, including therapeutic education apps, communication support devices, sensory integration training equipment, and digital teaching materials for special needs education. |
| Newly established 11. Social Impact Social Impact | Initiatives that positively impact communities, businesses, and society at large through childcare and child-rearing, along with corporate systems and services supporting these efforts. Measures and tools aimed at enhancing recruitment, retention, and employee engagement through maternity/paternity leave, promoting male paternity leave uptake, return-to-work support, team-based task design and evaluation, and childcare assistance. Additionally, digital mechanisms and platforms enabling collaboration between companies, municipalities, and communities to realize a society of shared parenting.Technology improves society by supporting parenting.Activities and things that support activities |
If you are not sure which category you would like to apply for, please leave it to us at the time of application, and the judging committee will assign it to the appropriate category.
Progression of Judging and Composition of Awards
(Primary) BabyTech® Awards 2025-26 Certification
Each department will conduct document screening and select products and services that meet certain standards as "BTA Certified Products 2025-26 (BTA Selection)."
The first screening is,Applications will be processed in the order they are received, and results will be notified sequentially.We will do so.
(Example for 2024)
(Secondary) BabyTech® Awards 2025-26 Grand Prize & Excellence Award Winners by Category
The "BabyTech® Awards Certified Products" that pass the preliminary screening in each category will be subject to a secondary screening to select the Grand Prize and Excellence Award.
After the sample product/application trial and online presentation, the judges will score each of the judging criteria items (see below) on a 5-point scale, and the total score will be used to calculate the ranking.
- Grand Prize: First Place in Category (1 point)
- Excellence AwardSecond and third place in the division.
(The number of Excellence Awards may vary depending on the number of entries.)
(Vertical format: Example for 2024)
In addition to the Grand Prize and Excellence Awards by category selected by the judges, there are also awards sponsored by participating companies. special award We plan to install.
Newly established
Products that have achieved the equivalent of a Special Award, Award of Excellence, or Grand Award three times,"BabyTech® Awards Hall of Fame"The certification will be granted as a
This system aims to ensure opportunities for new, promising products to win awards while also providing ongoing recognition for outstanding products.
Hall of Fame Product AwardsAnnual Renewal System (Paid)We will enhance the value of our flagship baby tech products and prioritize their treatment through the provision of Hall of Fame Mark kits with no media usage restrictions, public relations support, sales support, and other measures.
Application Rules
In the case of devices, equipment, etc. (tangible goods)
Regardless of when they were released in the past,March 31, 2026Products that have been or are scheduled to be made available to individuals or corporations by the specified date.The following is a list of the most common problems with the
*A provisional name may be used for the name to be announced.
- Products that have not yet been announced at the time of application may be submitted as long as they meet the above requirements.
- For the secondary review, we request the loan of samples—such as prototypes or test units—that demonstrate the performance planned for the actual product.
(Loan period: December 2025 to early February 2026. Loan and return dates are negotiable based on factors such as prototype production volume.) - Devices installed on buses, facilities, structures, etc., do not require sample submission. Review committee members may visit the site to verify the installation status.
- If the device is a test unit under development, it may be excluded from review if performance equivalent to the final product cannot be confirmed.
For application services
Any past release date,March 31, 2026By the specified date, the product must be released (published on the web, made available in app stores, etc.) and available for customer use, or scheduled for release.The following is a list of the most common problems with the
*A provisional name may be used for the name to be announced.
- Even if in beta, products will be eligible if publicly available at the time of the Grand Prize and Excellence Award announcements (early February 2026). (Closed beta operations via lottery or invitation-only are not permitted. However, delays in release due to force majeure or similar circumstances will be granted grace periods.)
- Applications or services that have not yet been released or announced at the time of application may be submitted in a version under development, as long as they meet the above requirements.
- If the work is unpublished at the time of submission, it may be excluded from consideration if we cannot verify that it possesses functionality and content equivalent to the released version.
About the Applicant
- Applicants shall be the project entities (developers/manufacturers, clients, operators) or companies/organizations commissioned by such project entities.
- For companies or organizations acting as agents, the consent of the principal entity is required.
- Products sold outside Japan may be submitted by overseas business entities or import agents. In such cases, the consent of the business entity is also required.
scoring
- The first screening will be conducted based on the documents submitted by applicants.
- The secondary review involves judges evaluating each criterion on a 5-point scale (5 items × 5 points each = total maximum score of 25 points), with rankings determined by the total score.
- No priority order is assigned to each evaluation criterion; all items are assessed comprehensively.
- During both the primary and secondary screening processes, we may contact applicants to clarify any questions or request additional information.
Evaluation Criteria and Standards (Secondary Review Perspective)
- Problem statement, solution
- Is the argument behind the issue raised (focus point) sound, and is the level of detail in the extraction appropriate?
- Do you have a clear awareness, interest, and thoughts regarding childcare environments?
- Does the proposed solution adequately address the issue?
- Novelty, originality, and practicality
- Compared to similar products and services, does it feature unique initiatives or innovations?
- Does that initiative create an advantage in terms of functionality, ease of use, price, and other factors?
- Is the unique feature leading to a true competitive advantage?
- Functionality, ease of use
- Is the design user-friendly for the target users?
- Is the reliability of operations and the clarity of the flow of information ensured?
- For devices: Is it easy to install and use with minimal steps?
- For community services: Is the system designed to be accessible to everyone?
- For re-applications: If changes have been made since the previous application, is the improvement reasonable?
- Safety and health considerations
- For physical products such as devices and toys, has consideration been given to accidents and damage that could occur in childcare settings?
- When handling personal information and lifestyle data of guardians, children, families, etc., is the purpose clearly stated, and is the information being collected and used appropriately?
- Is it assumed that data storage and processing will be performed securely? (This wording is used assuming that prototype submissions may be possible.)
- Prospects, continuity
- Does it consider not only short-term results but also long-term use and development?
- Can we expect expansion into related fields or approaches to new areas?
- For resubmissions: Are there new insights or improvements? If you pivoted, is it justified?
Each evaluation criterion carries equal weight, and a comprehensive assessment is conducted based on the total score.
BabyTech® Awards 2025-26 Judging Committee
The BabyTech® Awards are judged by a panel of judges comprised of experts and professionals from a wide range of fields, including childcare, childcare, medicine, education, technology, communications, design, and media.
We conduct a series of fair and practical examinations that utilize both childcare practice and professional expertise.
member of a screening committee
Tatsuya Kurosaka
Representative Director, Kuwadate Co.
Visiting Scholar, Georgetown University
member of a screening committee
Aoki Hydraulic
General Incorporated Association
Representative Director, Japan Ohirune Art Association
member of a screening committee
Makoto Ukai
Media Business Division, The Asahi Shimbun
Deputy General Manager, Events Division
member of a screening committee
Masataka Kikuchi
(Maa-Sensei)
Kikuchi Gakuen Educational Corporation Chairman of the Board
member of a screening committee
Yoshihiro Nestachi
Yamamura College
Lecturer, Department of Children's Studies
Head of Review Committee Operations
Tetsuya Nagata
Representative Director, Papa Smile Inc.
BTA Executive Committee Chair
*Additional jury members are currently being selected. As soon as a decision is made, we will announce it on our official website and in our newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers, and Notes on Scoring
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Here is a summary of the most frequently asked questions
The baby care record app uses "③ Parents of infants and toddlers" as its users under Condition 1 and falls under "c. Smartphone apps" in Condition 2.