Tokyo-based Creww, the Japanese startup that operates a startup community platform for startups, announced today that it has fundraised 270 million yen ($2.2 million) from Japanese financial company Orix (TSE:8591) and Mistletoe, an investment company by Japanese notable angel investor Taizo Son. This is the first startup investment for Orix.
Creww plans to use the funds to strengthen “open innovation” activities leveraging their startup community, as well as launching a new financial service for the startup community in partnership with Orix. Details for the new service have not yet been disclosed but it seems similar to a crowdfunding site for startups that aims to help them fundraise and accelerate their business, according to unnamed sources.
Founded in August of 2012, Creww secured an undisclosed sum in a seed funding round from Incubate Fund, followed by fundraising $1.2 million (at the exchange rate at that time) from Tokyo-based private broadcaster Nippon TV in September of 2013. The startup has been offering services for startups such as Collabo (encouraging startups and enterprise to collaboratively work together), Marketplace (offering discounts for buying products and services, specifically for startups), and Knots (offering lecture programs on open innovation for enterprises).
Creww has a staff of 17 people, but going forward the company aims to strengthen their team by hiring engineers, designers, business development managers, as well as a person to manage business expansion to the Asian markets.
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Volare, the Japanese startup behind mobile app discovery platform Appliv, announced today that it has set up a subsidiary in the Philippines for global expansion, planning to launch the US version in late September. The platform lists about 70,000 articles regarding mobile apps, to allow users in finding apps that look to better match their situation than conventional app stores or other platforms. While more than 6 million desktop users visit the website every month, the platform’s mobile app has marked over 1 million downloads ( iOS / Android ) in total. The company is launching a subsidiary in the Philippines where local writers are readying articles about mobile apps focused on the English-language markets. When the first several thousand articles are ready to publish, they will launch the English version of the AppLiv platform. Their global expansion effort will start with the English-language markets which have a large mobile user base, considered reaching beyond to other markets in the future. We’ve seen several app analytics services for businesses like AppAnnie, but none for those focused on introducing apps for mobile users. With the launch of the English version, the Appliv platform could gain a presence globally as well. The company will apparently announce more updates by this year-end. It…
Tokyo-based Volare, the Japanese startup behind mobile app discovery platform Appliv, announced today that it has set up a subsidiary in the Philippines for global expansion, planning to launch the US version in late September.
The platform lists about 70,000 articles regarding mobile apps, to allow users in finding apps that look to better match their situation than conventional app stores or other platforms. While more than 6 million desktop users visit the website every month, the platform’s mobile app has marked over 1 million downloads ( iOS / Android ) in total.
The company is launching a subsidiary in the Philippines where local writers are readying articles about mobile apps focused on the English-language markets. When the first several thousand articles are ready to publish, they will launch the English version of the AppLiv platform. Their global expansion effort will start with the English-language markets which have a large mobile user base, considered reaching beyond to other markets in the future.
We’ve seen several app analytics services for businesses like AppAnnie, but none for those focused on introducing apps for mobile users. With the launch of the English version, the Appliv platform could gain a presence globally as well.
The company will apparently announce more updates by this year-end. It will be interesting to see how far they can get from here.
Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Ptmind, the startup that operates heatmap access analytics solution Ptengine (previously known as Ptmind in Japan and Miapex outside Japan), recently announced that it has acquired over 20,000 user accounts. The analytics tool was launched back in July of 2013. As indicated by winning the Good Design Award, a design promotion initiative of the Japanese government, the company has delivered a universally easy-to-use interface and a fun-to-use experience. The tool’s heatmap function shows users how their visitors viewed or clicked on their websites, thus contributing to individual and corporate website owners acquisitions. See also: Japan’s heatmap analytics solution Pt engine launches Android SDK in closed beta Tokyo’s Ptmind to set up shop in Silicon Valley, provide analytics solutions globally In late 2014, they integrated with US-based A/B testing tool Optimisely and started a full-scale service operation in the English-language markets. The partnership with the top global company in testing tools has helped Ptengine gain confidence from users. Ptmind CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Ryotaro Ohara explained: We have noticed a good result as expected from the integration with Optimisely but our analysis shows that the massive growth in our subscribers are mainly due to our marketing efforts. We enlarged our marketing team targeting the English-language markets,…
Tokyo-based Ptmind, the startup that operates heatmap access analytics solution Ptengine (previously known as Ptmind in Japan and Miapex outside Japan), recently announced that it has acquired over 20,000 user accounts.
The analytics tool was launched back in July of 2013. As indicated by winning the Good Design Award, a design promotion initiative of the Japanese government, the company has delivered a universally easy-to-use interface and a fun-to-use experience. The tool’s heatmap function shows users how their visitors viewed or clicked on their websites, thus contributing to individual and corporate website owners acquisitions.
The user growth of Ptengine since its launch back in July 2013.
In late 2014, they integrated with US-based A/B testing tool Optimisely and started a full-scale service operation in the English-language markets. The partnership with the top global company in testing tools has helped Ptengine gain confidence from users.
We have noticed a good result as expected from the integration with Optimisely but our analysis shows that the massive growth in our subscribers are mainly due to our marketing efforts. We enlarged our marketing team targeting the English-language markets, going through many trials and errors for various measures.
The company understands that the number of users as well as the level of recognition for Ptengine in both Japan and the English-language markets are yet still low. Beyond expending more efforts into marketing activities, focus upon visualizing data metrics on the platform will be enhanced so that companies can more likely make an appropriate business decision based on it.
As their user base grows steadily and globally, it will be interesting to see how Ptmind will strengthen the platform’s functionality while integrating with other service platforms to better serve users.
See the original story in Japanese. Some of our readers may recall that we introduced the Milkcocoa platform developed by Fukuoka-based startup Technical Rockstars. It enables automation of managing servers through single-line script tag insertion into the HTML source, which means support for front-end engineers in managing the back-end environment from its front-end side. So the platform is an ideal solution for startups or system integrators with their hands full developing front-end apps and cannot afford to manage the back-end environment. Technical Rockstars recently announced platform upgrade roll-outs platform with added support for three new functions: JSON Web Token (JWT), MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol, and Node.js SDK (software development kit). With the platform’s support for JWT, developers will not need to code from scratch for Facebook/Twitter login or enterprise systems’ login functions using authentication services like Auth0 and AuthRocket, allowing them to take these functions outside to the Milkcocoa platform easily and securely. Often applied to M2M (machine-to-machine) network and the IoT (internet of things) field, MQTT Protocol enables accepting many sessions with low-energy consumption because the protocol is lightweight and lessens the loads on CPUs, communication modules as well as connected networks; conventional versions of Milkcocoa required HTTP and WebSocket connections. Furthermore, support for Node.js SDK simplifies the connection procedure for Milkcocoa interactions with IoT frameworks (e.g., Raspberry PI or Edison) yet increases their reliability. Milkcocoa was developed based…
Some of our readers may recall that we introduced the Milkcocoa platform developed by Fukuoka-based startup Technical Rockstars. It enables automation of managing servers through single-line script tag insertion into the HTML source, which means support for front-end engineers in managing the back-end environment from its front-end side. So the platform is an ideal solution for startups or system integrators with their hands full developing front-end apps and cannot afford to manage the back-end environment.
Technical Rockstars recently announced platform upgrade roll-outs platform with added support for three new functions: JSON Web Token (JWT), MQ Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol, and Node.js SDK (software development kit).
With the platform’s support for JWT, developers will not need to code from scratch for Facebook/Twitter login or enterprise systems’ login functions using authentication services like Auth0 and AuthRocket, allowing them to take these functions outside to the Milkcocoa platform easily and securely.
Often applied to M2M (machine-to-machine) network and the IoT (internet of things) field, MQTT Protocol enables accepting many sessions with low-energy consumption because the protocol is lightweight and lessens the loads on CPUs, communication modules as well as connected networks; conventional versions of Milkcocoa required HTTP and WebSocket connections. Furthermore, support for Node.js SDK simplifies the connection procedure for Milkcocoa interactions with IoT frameworks (e.g., Raspberry PI or Edison) yet increases their reliability.
Milkcocoa was developed based on the NoBackend approach, aiming to allow front-end engineers to develop web apps without considering back-end operations. With the current upgrade, the platform will even allow hardware engineers and IoT-focused software engineers to devote themselves to their jobs without considering the cloud and back-end environment.
Technical Rockstars CEO Shuhei Hiya, who in 2010 was designated a “supercreator” by IPA, the government-backed IT promotion authority, provided the following comment:
We want even novice engineers to eagerly develop a variety of services — regardless of web services, IoT or whatever — without worrying about drudgery around developing authentication process or configuring servers.
The Technical Rockstars members started writing a series column on Japanese online IT publication Gihyo.jp, introducing Milkcocoa utilization cases since March. Even the freemium version of the platform will work enough to try functionalities except the limit of the maximum concurrent connections so those who are interested in using the platform are highly recommended to give it a try.
Looking forward, Technical Rockstars will introduce the Milkcocoa premium edition soon, followed by SDK for Android and iOS apps, then an online dashboard allowing developers to see the data being streamed into their apps.
Translated by Taijiro Takeda Edited by Masaru Ikeda
Proofread by “Tex” Pomeroy
This is part of our coverage of Skyland Ventures Festa Tokyo 2015. See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Skyland Ventures was founded by young but promising investor “Max” Yoshihiko Kinoshita back in August of 2012. Prior to it, he started his career as an investor at Japanese investment firm JAFCO, followed by working for Incubated Fund as an associate. Skyland Ventures organized its first startup showcase event called Skyland Ventures Fest Tokyo at Microsoft Japan headquarters on Sunday. Inspired by the tagline of “GLOBAL Startups meet GLOBAL Talents”, over hundreds of people, such as entrepreneurs, investors, and other members of startup communities around the world, have attended this event. The event was kicked off with a morning interview session with Akira Morikawa, who recently stepped down as CEO of LINE and has launched his own startup called C-Channel. The session was moderated by Skyland Ventures founding partner “Max” Yoshihiko Kinoshita. Morikawa explained why he launched C-Channel: I’ve been interested in education, healthcare, and energy businesses, but I have no background in these sectors. Since my first career started at a TV broadcaster almost 20 years ago, I have many friends in the broadcasting industry while I’m more familiar with…
Tokyo-based Skyland Ventures was founded by young but promising investor “Max” Yoshihiko Kinoshita back in August of 2012. Prior to it, he started his career as an investor at Japanese investment firm JAFCO, followed by working for Incubated Fund as an associate.
Skyland Ventures organized its first startup showcase event called Skyland Ventures Fest Tokyo at Microsoft Japan headquarters on Sunday. Inspired by the tagline of “GLOBAL Startups meet GLOBAL Talents”, over hundreds of people, such as entrepreneurs, investors, and other members of startup communities around the world, have attended this event.
The event was kicked off with a morning interview session with Akira Morikawa, who recently stepped down as CEO of LINE and has launched his own startup called C-Channel. The session was moderated by Skyland Ventures founding partner “Max” Yoshihiko Kinoshita.
Morikawa explained why he launched C-Channel:
I’ve been interested in education, healthcare, and energy businesses, but I have no background in these sectors. Since my first career started at a TV broadcaster almost 20 years ago, I have many friends in the broadcasting industry while I’m more familiar with it than other sectors. That’s why I started a media business. […]
Due to the smartphone shift in browsing websites, people’s intention for e-commerce sites has changed from finding the cheapest prices to discovering unique items. So I thought that the smartphone shift would also impact how people enjoy online videos. LINE also plans an online video business in a different way, but we decided to focus on fashion.
In the session, Morikawa emphasized that Japanese startups typically add too many features to their apps, which makes them a challenge to be understood by the global user base, and also tend to spend long hours to think but rather have to act quickly.
C Channel founder and CEO Akira Morikawa (right) interviewed by “Max” Yoshihiko Kinoshita.
Morikawa’s interview was followed by a number of keynote sessions by top people in the global startup community, including Oscar Yasser Noriega (Pocket Supernova), Antti Sonninen (Slush Asia), Tim Gong (SIG Asia Investments), Jaeuk Park (VCNC, Korea), Anton Soeharyo (Touchten, Indonesia), Jia Shen (Powercore, China), and Hiro Maeda (angel investors). These presenters shared their insights in their local startup scene and why startups need to work globally.
Jaeuk Park, VCNC, KoreaHiro Maeda, angel investor, JapanAntti Sonninen, Slush Asia, JapanAnton Soeharyo, Touchten, IndonesiaA fireside chat with Korean serial entrepreneur Richard Min and Hailo Japan CEO Ryo UmezawaThe “Appli-haku” exhibiting booth area is packed-out.
See the original story in Japanese. Dunbar’s Number was devised by British anthropologist Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar, suggesting that any person has a cognitive limit in the number of people one knows and keeps social contact with, which ranges from 100 to 230 people at maximum. Shaking hands and handing out your business cards to all the people one meets for the first time may be worth doing to some extent, but this “Dunbar’s Number” comes to my mind every time I exchange my business card with someone. One would ideally want to remember and keep close relationships with everyone one meets, but it’s difficult. That’s why Facebook has implemented the EdgeRank algorithm in how only selected posts can appear on your Facebook timeline, based on carefully consideration of such psychological phenomena among humans. Taiwanese startup ZenIdea recently launched a mobile app called People X in open beta, allowing users to instantly find someone from one’s contacts on Facebook and other social network platforms. The app is available on Google Play for Android and iTunes AppStore for iOS. According to ZenIdea’s survey (examination criteria and method are less clear), 93% of Facebook users said that they couldn’t remember the name of someone from their Facebook contacts when they want to message one, while 67% of the…
Dunbar’s Number was devised by British anthropologist Robin Ian MacDonald Dunbar, suggesting that any person has a cognitive limit in the number of people one knows and keeps social contact with, which ranges from 100 to 230 people at maximum.
Shaking hands and handing out your business cards to all the people one meets for the first time may be worth doing to some extent, but this “Dunbar’s Number” comes to my mind every time I exchange my business card with someone. One would ideally want to remember and keep close relationships with everyone one meets, but it’s difficult. That’s why Facebook has implemented the EdgeRank algorithm in how only selected posts can appear on your Facebook timeline, based on carefully consideration of such psychological phenomena among humans.
Taiwanese startup ZenIdea recently launched a mobile app called People X in open beta, allowing users to instantly find someone from one’s contacts on Facebook and other social network platforms. The app is available on Google Play for Android and iTunes AppStore for iOS.
According to ZenIdea’s survey (examination criteria and method are less clear), 93% of Facebook users said that they couldn’t remember the name of someone from their Facebook contacts when they want to message one, while 67% of the users have experienced not being able to find a friend from their contacts that they want to send an invitation for an event.
Let’s say, one remembers the face of someone in mind but can’t recall his or her name. If one puts more effort into remembering the name, many synapses in the brain would link with each others and many brain cells will be revitalized. However, let’s use the modern amenity for now. Using the People X app, one can identify a friend from one’s Facebook contacts via occupation, skills, organization one belongs to, or countries and cities the one has been to. One need not input a name so even an ambiguous criteria like “I saw him at that place last time.” is good enough to help for finding someone in this app.
Finding someone who have a connection to MIT from contacts.
Japanese-Taiwanese serial entrepreneur Daniel Zen Chang, who runs ZenIdea, launched a mobile app called Simila.Me earlier this year, aiming to connect people to someone they should meet at parties and meetups. However, based on feedback from users, Daniel and his team found that many people need to review people they have met before rather than connecting with new people, resulting in the People X app.
Chang explained:
Daniel Zen Chang
People X aims to be a Google for finding people, but we can’t help respecting user privacy unlike Ark.com and 3sourcing. Apart from search engines for finding websites, we are not only focused on providing useful information for users but also incorporating privacy protection as our first priority.
One can have a lot of Facebook friends who can’t see posts in their timeline because of Facebook’s algorithm.
One builds a network of the people that have been met. Even if some are people met only once or twice, one shouldn’t lose the chance to reach them over social network platform as this is very wasteful.
With this service, users can contact their friends in the manner they want. We believe that People X is capable of breathing life into a less-organized and underutilized network of people.
People X is intended to let users hunt jobs, find like-minded people and potential trek mates, in addition to helping them spread their updates on social network platforms more effectively.
For assistance or discussion, it is obvious that it’s easier to ask somebody one’s met rather than attempting to contact a complete stranger. When flipping over the business card holder, one must have experienced surprise to find someone in the network who matched the requirements exactly.
In case one can’t find anyone from one’s contacts fitting the criteria, the People X app will find the one later on by adding the criteria to the wish list in the app. Finding someone from contacts one hasn’t seen for a long time and hanging out with the person to exchange recent info is a good idea.
Translated by Chieko Frost via Mother First Edited by Masaru Ikeda and “Tex” Pomeroy
Masaru Ikeda
Junya Mori
Yukari Mitsuhashi
