Business Jan 20, 2022
NFT startup run by pro footballer Tom Brady’s raises $170 million in funding
by Yueqi Yang
Based in Los Angeles, the firm helps athletes and entertainers launch and promote their nonfungible tokens.
Business Jan 10, 2022
China venture funding hits record $131 billion despite crackdown
by Coco Liu
Entrepreneurs and venture firms have turned away from softer internet businesses and toward hard-core technologies like semiconductors, robotics and enterprise software.
Business Dec 25, 2021
2021 global venture capital investment on pace for record high
Venture companies raised a total of $437.7 billion worldwide in the first nine months of 2021, marking five straight quarters of growth, data show.
Business / Corporate Dec 24, 2021
Mitsubishi UFJ targets Asia unicorns with debt-finance fund
by Taiga Uranaka and Yuki Hagiwara
Japan’s largest lender will start a ¥34 billion fund early next year after upsizing its first joint-venture fund earlier this year.
Business / Corporate Dec 22, 2021
Fintech startup Finatext has worst Tokyo debut in two decades
by Ming Jeong Lee and Komaki Ito
The firm is expecting a net loss of ¥1 billion this fiscal year, but co-founder Ryota Hayashi says he’s in no rush to generate profit, though added it could do so quickly if required.
Business / Tech Dec 21, 2021
What happens when Instagram success meets a market meltdown
by Ruth David and Giles Turner
THG became a billion-dollar company through makeup and supplements that were wildly popular on social media. The good times didn’t last.
Business / Economy Dec 16, 2021
Venture capital cash flows to Japan following China crackdown
by Gearoid Reidy
Japan’s startups are increasingly attracting interest from overseas investors as the country starts to shake off it's reputation as a unicorn-free venture backwater.
Business Dec 7, 2021
Saving the dinosaurs: Startups drive to electrify fossil-fuel cars
by Nick Carey
EV conversion is a cottage industry that's emerged over the past five years, and been turbo-charged by advances in battery technology and electric motors in the past two.
Business / Financial Markets Dec 3, 2021
More companies will list in Japan this month than ever before
by Gearoid Reidy
While Japan’s stock market might have had an unassuming year overall, one sector is running red-hot: new listings.
Business Dec 2, 2021
The extension will be included in the ruling bloc's tax system reform package, which will be decided in early December.
Business / Corporate Nov 25, 2021
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son bets on narcolepsy drug for sleep-deprived Japan
by Kanoko Matsuyama and Takahiko Hyuga
The proportion of people sleeping less than the recommended eight hours is rising globally, and costs Japan as much as $138 billion in economic losses each year, according to Rand Corp.
Business Nov 23, 2021
SoftBank-backed crypto firm in Brazil eyes multiple acquisitions
by Cristiane Lucchesi
The SoftBank Latin America Fund announced a $200 million investment in Sao Paulo-based 2TM in July, valuing the company at $2.1 billion — the first crypto unicorn in the region.