NEWSWORTHY
Startup Giftee Inc. teams up with sushi bar operator in Malaysia
A Japanese startup has made inroads to the Malaysian market by promoting the giving of e-gifts — a practice it believes is an important way for people to engage in today's hyper-connected age. For its first foray into a Southeast Asian market, Tokyo-based Giftee Inc. ...
Japan shouldn't try and replicate Silicon Valley to spur innovation, venture capitalist says
If Japan wants to spur innovation from startups, it shouldn't try to replicate Silicon Valley. That's the message from James Riney — head of venture capital fund 500 Startups Japan — to companies nationwide amid the increased attention given to startups. “I think one thing that ...
Japanese service Ragri cultivates a synergy between farmers and online game players
A service launched by an agriculture venture in 2010 combines the fun of an online game with tangible benefits, as players receive produce in exchange for managing a virtual farm linked to real-world cultivation. The service connecting consumers with farmers through gamification, started by Telefarm ...
Ex-Goldman banker brings dealmaking skills, sharpened on Toshiba unit sale, to startup eyeing IPO
A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. investment banker who advised Toshiba Corp. on the sale of its $18 billion memory-chip unit is now applying his dealmaking skills at a Japanese startup that's looking to go public. Hidetoshi Uriu, who joined consulting matchmaker VisasQ Inc. as ...
Tokyo looks to challenge Japan's conformism by becoming innovation hub
Tokyo is vying to become an innovation hub for entrepreneurs and investors, challenging Japan's reputation as an environment that fails to nurture entrepreneurship, and a new nonprofit organization is hoping to play a leading role. The recently launched Venture Cafe Tokyo aims to help innovators ...
Amazon confirmed Tuesday that it bought video doorbell startup Ring, in a move that could help the internet giant's delivery arm reach into people's homes. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but online reports valued the deal at more than $1 billion. "We're excited ...
China using economic incentives to charm tech-savvy Taiwanese youth and entrepreneurs
A startup incubator on the outskirts of Shanghai is laying out sweeteners for budding entrepreneurs: Free office space, subsidized housing rent, tax breaks and in some cases, cash of up to 200,000 yuan ($31,000). The main condition? Be from Taiwan. The center, formally called the Jinshan ...
Major trading house Itochu Corp. said Monday that it has invested some ¥1 billion in British startup Moixa Energy Holdings Ltd., which develops and supplies renewable energy storage systems that use artificial intelligence. With the investment, Itochu will acquire an equity stake of nearly 20 ...
Blockchain and drones could play a role in Tepco's fight for survival
Shattered by the enormity of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and bleeding customers to nimbler rivals, Tokyo's lumbering, 66-year-old electric-power behemoth has a new strategy for long-term survival: reinventing itself as a cutting-edge innovator. Tepco, known formally as Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., is scouring ...
Yamagata brewing venture makes splash abroad with sake aged in wine barrels
A brewing venture in the Tohoku region has made a splash abroad with sake matured in oak wine barrels. Wakaze Inc. in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, exports its Orbia brand sake to markets such as France and Hong Kong. Orbia comes in two varieties, Sol and ...
INCJ looks to become holding company in bid to boost investment in startups
The state-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan investment fund will turn itself into a holding company to strengthen governance and boost investment in promising startup firms, a draft plan showed Thursday. The INCJ has been criticized for an excessive emphasis on rescuing financially struggling companies ...
Tokyo startup taps AI and big data to turn customer complaints into cash
Hearing consumers' frustrations may be unpleasant for business operators, but within such feedback lies a hidden trove of information that can be used to improve products and services. Tokyo-based startup Insight Tech is betting on that concept, making what at first glance appears to be ...
