NEWSWORTHY
Khashoggi crisis puts Saudi ties to Silicon Valley businesses under spotlight
The crisis surrounding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and concerns that he may have been killed in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, has highlighted the role of the Middle East kingdom in the U.S. economy, especially in Silicon Valley. Saudi money has been ...
Tokyo-based clothes recycling newbie to advance to Startup World Cup 2019
A Tokyo-based startup specializing in the business of recycling clothes is slated to proceed to the final stage of an annual global startup competition, scheduled to be held in San Francisco in May of next year. Jeplan Inc. won the Japan round of the Startup ...
Company stumbles upon new software to build healthy work environment
Haruki Atarashi never thought his company's flagship software, Recog, which fosters communication between employees within companies, would ever evolve beyond just an internal project. A cross between an internal communication service and a video game where points and rewards are earned, the software began as ...
Meet the new breed of Japanese entrepreneurs who are venturing into frontier markets
Even as Japan Inc.'s influence has diminished under a series of internal scandals and international competition, the prevailing image of Japanese business remains tied to massive corporate conglomerates rather than innovative startups. But behind the scenes a unique mix of entrepreneurs are planting their flags ...
Japan's tech-hungry firms seeking help from Indian IT startups
Technology-hungry Japanese firms are being matched with startups in India as Japan looks toward innovation to revitalize its aging population and mature industrialized economy. Two Indian startups will participate in the first Well Aging Society Summit Asia-Japan in Tokyo on Oct. 9, an international conference ...
'Engineer-friendly' Fukuoka pitches merits in campaign to become tech hub
It's a fast-growing city but with a reasonable cost of living, diverse cuisine and close access to an airport. Plus, the city is willing to support new tech projects. Doesn't that sound like a great place for engineers? That's the sales pitch the city of Fukuoka ...
Japanese startup PD AeroSpace aims for commercial space travel in 2023
The startup PD AeroSpace Ltd. is developing a reusable spacecraft shaped like an airplane to carry paying customers into space by 2023. The Nagoya-based company plans to offer space flights up to an altitude of 110 kilometers using the craft, which is capable of carrying ...
The sky is the canvas: Tokyo startup looks to launch world's first artificial meteor shower
It was literally an out-of-this-world idea that seemed unfeasible when it struck her nearly two decades ago: Made-to-order shooting stars. But Lena Okajima's audacious project to reproduce nature's fireworks for mass entertainment is getting ready for takeoff. "The concept dawned on me when I watched ...
Japan's shogi champ makes all the right moves as AI startup hits stratosphere
Takahiro Hayashi won his first nationwide title in shogi while still in high school and by the age of 22 he was the world amateur champion. His coaches were urging him to turn pro. But Hayashi wanted to be an entrepreneur, not a shogi player. ...
Japanese and Israelis could make a killer yin-and-yang combo
Israel and Japan are the yin and yang of countries. And yet, despite — or maybe because of — their differences, they have much to offer each other.
A quantum computing startup tries to live up to the hype
Few corners of the tech industry are as tantalizing or complex as quantum computing. For years its evangelists have promised machines capable of breaking the most impenetrable coded messages, unlocking the secret properties of the physical world and putting supercomputers to shame. But Rigetti Computing, ...
Foreign entrepreneurs pitch business ideas in Japan startup competition
Amid increased efforts to help non-Japanese talent launch businesses in Japan to boost foreign investment and international competitiveness, the domestic startup scene saw a contest for entrepreneurs with an overseas background last week. Hosted by Tokyo Star Bank Ltd., seven finalists from 48 contenders for ...
