Business Oct 15, 2019
Investors pour record $735 million into Singapore fintech deals
Investors poured a record $735 million into financial-technology ventures in Singapore in the first nine months of this year, according to research from Accenture PLC, which analyzed data from CB Insights, Pitchbook and Tracxn. That's up 69 percent from the same period a year earlier ...
National Oct 12, 2019
Japanese startups develop innovative ways to supply clean water amid disasters
In a country particularly vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes, startups across Japan have been developing innovative systems to provide people with clean water during times of disasters. With residents of Chiba Prefecture still reeling from the effects of powerful Typhoon Faxai, which caused major power ...
Business / Corporate Sep 25, 2019
WeWork's Adam Neumann steps down as CEO, with IPO on the line
Adam Neumann, the charismatic entrepreneur who led WeWork to become one of the world's most valuable startups, stepped down Tuesday as chief executive officer after a plan to take the company public hit a wall. Members of WeWork's board had been pressuring Neumann in recent ...
People | 20 QUESTIONS Sep 7, 2019
Steve Sakanashi has the heart of a coach
by Anna Oura
Student startup incubator Sekai Creator founder Steve Sakanashi on the most creative pitch he's ever heard, what sets Japanese youth apart from their American counterparts and how he kicks off his mornings.
Business Aug 28, 2019
U.S. startups focusing on care products and services for the elderly are tapping into the graying Japanese market, where more than 35 million people are over the age of 65. Seismic, a California-based apparel company, hopes to expand in Japan with its Powered Clothing, a ...
Business / Corporate Aug 5, 2019
Japan Post Capital fund puts money behind Tokyo-based news startup SmartNews
It's a challenging time in the digital media industry. BuzzFeed Inc. and Vice Media Inc., which defined a generation of news startups, dismissed hundreds of employees this year in cost-cutting maneuvers. But a glimmer of hope is coming from a software company in Tokyo. SmartNews ...
Business / Tech Aug 1, 2019
Japanese startup IntegriCulture dreams of feeding world with cheap meat fresh from the lab
by Keita Nakamura
Yuki Hanyu won't put a time frame on it, but believes the day will come when the world's burgeoning population will be able to eat its fill of meat — and all without a single animal being slaughtered. It was with this bold vision that ...
Business | Regional voices: Chubu Jul 19, 2019
Better known as a manufacturing center, Chubu region is turning its talents to nurturing startups
The Chubu region, with Nagoya at its center, has never been known as a land of startups. Although the area is recognized as one of the nation's largest manufacturing hubs, few IT startups have been established and many students in the region tend to ...
Commentary / Japan Jul 9, 2019
If Masayoshi Son won't invest in Japan, why should you?
by Nisha Gopalan
The SoftBank CEO's $100 billion Vision Fund is noticeably absent on its home turf. That speaks volumes about the health of Japan's startup scene.
Business Jul 5, 2019
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son urges Moon to focus South Korea on developing AI
SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son proposed to South Korean President Moon Jae In on Thursday that South Korea focus on the national development of artificial intelligence, the presidential office said. At their meeting in Seoul, Son said the country should direct all ...
Business / Corporate Jul 3, 2019
Sony and Daiwa Securities eye ¥20 billion fund to invest in high-tech start-ups
Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will set up a venture fund of around ¥20 billion ($185 million) with a Daiwa Securities Group Inc. unit to invest in prospective startups. Innovation Growth Ventures Co. has been established by Sony and Daiwa Capital Holdings Co. to support ...