Some WeWork staff planned their lives around a stock deal that just collapsed
Teddy Kramer worked at WeWork from 2013 to 2015. When he left the company, he had been a director of new market development, helping the coworking startup open new offices in different regions. He’d put in the time and been granted shares in the ...
SoftBank Group Corp. is scrapping an agreement to spend $3 billion (¥322 billion) to buy WeWork stock from former CEO Adam Neumann and other shareholders, despite threats of legal action from some members of the company’s board. SoftBank had agreed to buy the shares from ...
SoftBank’s big bet on sharing economy backfires with coronavirus
Masayoshi Son has been among the most fervent believers in the sharing economy, investing billions in startups that help people split the use of cars, rooms and offices. But as the coronavirus curtails unnecessary human interaction, it’s hammering such businesses and rattling the foundations of ...
Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc., expressed interest on Wednesday in expanding partnerships with Japanese taxi companies. Uber's ride-hailing service is available in many countries, but unlicensed taxi services are banned in Japan. Khosrowshahi said at an event held in New ...
Sharing economy conference explores global phenomenon from Japan perspective
From transportation to holiday homes, the "sharing economy" is gaining traction worldwide, and in typhoon- and earthquake-prone Japan the concept is increasingly seen as instrumental to disaster management. On Monday this year's Share Summit, one of the largest public-private conferences in Japan on the burgeoning ...
More Japanese companies using subscription services to woo customers
Subscription-based businesses are growing slower in Japan than in other big economies partly due to regulatory barriers, but the number of firms drawn to the model is on the rise as consumers search for personalized and more cost-effective ways to use products that have ...
Uber CEO Khosrowshahi vows to deliver a profit, with help from India
Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi is vowing to make his company profitable while pursuing growth from emerging arenas such as India, addressing investors' concerns about the ride-sharing company's mounting losses and global regulatory challenges. Uber, which lost about $5.2 billion in the ...
California law on treating rideshare drivers as employees may hurt 'gig economy'
Labor activists Wednesday were celebrating California's move to have drivers treated as employees by rideshare firms even as it fueled concerns it will hurt digital platforms depending on the "gig economy." A landmark bill was approved 29-11 late Tuesday in the state senate, with the ...
Airbnb Inc. says it's back in business in Japan, a year after stricter short-term lodging regulations forced it to freeze a major portion of its listings in the country. There are 50,000 listings available in the country, with another 23,000 rooms in hotels and traditional ...
Umbrella-sharing service in Japan taps 'internet of things' tech to reduce thefts and waste
A startup company has successfully launched an umbrella-sharing service, mainly in Tokyo, using "internet of things" technology to reduce umbrella waste. Nature Innovation Group, founded by Shoji Marukawa, started the service in December, and it aims for the return of all rented umbrellas. Users of the ...
Value of Japan's 'sharing economy' estimated at over ¥500 billion in 2016
Japan's so-called sharing economy was estimated to be worth over ¥500 billion ($4.5 billion) in 2016, according to government data, reflecting the rise of peer-to-peer services. Such services, which are not included when calculating gross domestic product, would boost Japan's ¥548.7 trillion economy by tens ...
Japan's rural regions turn to 'sharing economy' to offer residents valuable services
Business practices collectively known as the "sharing economy" are offering new ways for local and prefectural governments to address problems such as aging populations and scarce job opportunities. The sharing economy involves arrangements in which individuals can pay to borrow or rent underused assets owned ...
