On September 6, 2025, our searchers earned Gold and Third Prize certifications in the Advanced Course at the Patent Information Retrieval Competition organized by the Industrial Property Cooperation Center (IPCC).

Mr. Hideki Azegami earned the Gold certification in the individual category. This is his third Gold award overall, and with this achievement, he now holds Gold certifications in all three major technical fields—chemical, electrical, and mechanical.

In addition, the ONDA team (Mr. Yuta Matsunaga, Ms. Risa Ichinose, and Mr. Azegami) received the Third Prize in the team category. This was the first time that an ONDA team earned an award in the team division. Ms. Ichinose also won the Bronze award individually last year. They were selected from among 298 participants from across Japan.

The Patent Information Retrieval Competition allows searchers to showcase their expertise through real-world domestic and international prior-art searches. It is a highly regarded benchmark for evaluating search proficiency.

Our searchers have consistently earned awards over the years, including:

• 2025: Gold (1) and Team Third Prize (1)
• 2024: Bronze (1)
• 2023: Bronze (3)
• 2022: Bronze (1)
• 2019: Gold (1), Silver (1), and Bronze (1)
• 2018: Gold (1) and Silver (1)
• 2017: Gold (1) and Bronze (2)
• 2016: Bronze (2)
• 2015: Bronze (3)
• 2014: Silver (1) and Bronze (1)
• 2013: Gold (1) and Bronze (1)
• 2011: Award for Top 5% (1)
• 2010: Second Prize (1)

The competition was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At ONDA TECHNO, searchers are required to hold at least the second-grade qualification of the Searcher Examination administered by the Information Science and Technology Association, Japan—credentials that are widely accepted as a reliable measure of searching expertise.

Our dedicated search department includes two attorneys who specialize in search work. For searches related to opinion work or appeals, they provide professional support to ensure smooth and efficient handling. Additionally, our U.S. and Chinese attorneys can provide legal opinions on references identified during searches.

If you require a search, please feel free to contact us.