Tokyo-headquartered Mercari announced on Monday that its IPO application to the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has been approved. The company will be listed on the TSE Mothers Market on 19 June. Daiwa Securities will lead the underwriting.
Mercari was founded in 2013 by Shintaro Yamada who previously founded social game developer Unoh (subsequently acquired by Zynga). The company is well known for offering a mobile-focused C2C (consumer-to-consumer) marketplace but recently launched a bike-sharing service called Merchari as well as Mercari Fund to invest in other startups while developing a financial service called Merpay.
According to the consolidated statement as of June of 2017, they posted a revenue of 22 billion yen (about $200 million, about 180% increase from last fiscal year) with an ordinary loss of 4.2 billion yen ($38 million, 1,200% increase). Led by the company’s founder/CEO Shintaro Yamada (28.83%), United (10.59%), co-founder Hiroshi Tomishima (7.20%) and Global Brain (5.60%) head up the top investors’ roster.
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Logly, a startup running an internet ad platform and recommendation service, announced on Thursday that its IPO application to the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has been approved. The company will be listed on the TSE Mothers Market on 20 June. SMBC Nikko Securities will lead the underwriting. Since its launch back in 2006, the company has been offering Logly (demand-side platform), Logly Lift (enabling the placement of text-based ads on their partner media sites), Newzia Connect (context matching recommendation engine) and other services. In addition to Logly Lift, their primary revenue streams include Loyalfarm which was launched in November of 2016 to help media sites better engage their users. As to disclosure, Logly raised 120 million yen (approximately $1.15 million at the exchange rate then) from CA Mobile, Voyage Ventures, Mizuho Capital and SMBC Venture Capital in December of 2013, then subsequently 300 million yen ($2.86 million) in June of 2015. The funds in 2015 made the startup a Voyage Group subsidiary when accounting through use of the equity method. According to the consolidated statement as of March of 2017, they posted a revenue of 911.8 million yen (about $8.3 million) with an…
Tokyo-based Logly, a startup running an internet ad platform and recommendation service, announced on Thursday that its IPO application to the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has been approved. The company will be listed on the TSE Mothers Market on 20 June. SMBC Nikko Securities will lead the underwriting.
Since its launch back in 2006, the company has been offering Logly (demand-side platform), Logly Lift (enabling the placement of text-based ads on their partner media sites), Newzia Connect (context matching recommendation engine) and other services. In addition to Logly Lift, their primary revenue streams include Loyalfarm which was launched in November of 2016 to help media sites better engage their users.
As to disclosure, Logly raised 120 million yen (approximately $1.15 million at the exchange rate then) from CA Mobile, Voyage Ventures, Mizuho Capital and SMBC Venture Capital in December of 2013, then subsequently 300 million yen ($2.86 million) in June of 2015. The funds in 2015 made the startup a Voyage Group subsidiary when accounting through use of the equity method.
According to the consolidated statement as of March of 2017, they posted a revenue of 911.8 million yen (about $8.3 million) with an ordinary profit of 49.9 million yen ($454,000) and a net profit of 63.5 million yen ($577,000). Led by the company’s CEO Hirokazu Yoshinaga (30.79%), its major shareholders include the company’s director Masahisa Kishimoto (17.98%), Voyage Group (15.24%), IT Media (5.36%), Voyage Ventures (5.24%) and CA Mobile (5.18%).
See the original story in Japanese. Bangkok-based Flare, offering an ad-wrapping service for car owners under the same name, announced today that it has secured seed round funding from KLab Venture Partners and Framgia Holdings. Framgia Holdings is an Asia-focused investment arm of Japanese system integrator Framgia. Financial terms have not been disclosed but Flare said it will use the funds to strengthen system engineering and international expansion efforts. The Flare users owning automobiles log onto the service via a mobile app available, and selects a desired one from among campaigns offered by advertisers. After applying for the campaign through uploading photos of the auto and driver license, a wrapper will come and wrap the auto in the ad. The GPS information of driving record while putting the ad will be sent to Flare via the app. Each campaign budget is set by advertisers in advance and when an auto with the ad drives on a busy main street on a weekend, the budget will be greatly spent. Conversely, the budget will be spent less in local areas having minimal traffic under Flare’s charge system. Advertisers can confirm the spending pace of the budget or the progress of the campaign…
Bangkok-based Flare, offering an ad-wrapping service for car owners under the same name, announced today that it has secured seed round funding from KLab Venture Partners and Framgia Holdings. Framgia Holdings is an Asia-focused investment arm of Japanese system integrator Framgia. Financial terms have not been disclosed but Flare said it will use the funds to strengthen system engineering and international expansion efforts.
The Flare users owning automobiles log onto the service via a mobile app available, and selects a desired one from among campaigns offered by advertisers. After applying for the campaign through uploading photos of the auto and driver license, a wrapper will come and wrap the auto in the ad. The GPS information of driving record while putting the ad will be sent to Flare via the app.
A car wrapped with an Flare ad Image credit: Flare
Each campaign budget is set by advertisers in advance and when an auto with the ad drives on a busy main street on a weekend, the budget will be greatly spent. Conversely, the budget will be spent less in local areas having minimal traffic under Flare’s charge system. Advertisers can confirm the spending pace of the budget or the progress of the campaign via the dashboard.
Since its launch back in August of 2017, the service has seen continuous growth and acquired more than 6,000 cars as registrants while temporary registration restrictions were imposed due to the rush of car registrations. In addition, the number of advertisers using Flare is also increasing.
This is a guest post authored by “Tex” Pomeroy. He is a Tokyo-based writer specializing in ICT and high technology. Until recently, space industry around the world has been propelled by government but private companies’ roles are gaining momentum in a movement called “New Space.” On May 10, SPACETIDE Association of Japan held its third event underscoring the role of private sector in space-related activities at Nihombashi Mitsui Hall, in central Tokyo. Supported by the Japanese government and in cooperation with the realtor Mitsui Fudosan and newspaper publisher Asahi Shimbun, it was sponsored (monetarily, for the first time) by ANA, JAL, SKY Perfect JSAT, Keio University System Design and Management Faculty and TBS plus Asahi Shimbun. See also: Riding the Startup Wave in Space The morning events comprised a panel overview at space business through 2030 followed by a presentation from OneWeb (SoftBank-backed startup) by Hidebumi Kitahara, then followed by a panel session with Infostellar and Axelspace representing Japanese space startups being joined by AWS and Orbital Insight plus Japanese government program outlined by a Keio professor. The latter panel had space Big Data as the theme. The afternoon saw presentations by Space Frontier Foundation chief Jeff Feige and former…
This is a guest post authored by “Tex” Pomeroy. He is a Tokyo-based writer specializing in ICT and high technology.
Panel session: Shaping the Future of Space Industry towards 2030 and beyond Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy
Until recently, space industry around the world has been propelled by government but private companies’ roles are gaining momentum in a movement called “New Space.” On May 10, SPACETIDE Association of Japan held its third event underscoring the role of private sector in space-related activities at Nihombashi Mitsui Hall, in central Tokyo.
Supported by the Japanese government and in cooperation with the realtor Mitsui Fudosan and newspaper publisher Asahi Shimbun, it was sponsored (monetarily, for the first time) by ANA, JAL, SKY Perfect JSAT, Keio University System Design and Management Faculty and TBS plus Asahi Shimbun.
Hidebumi Kitahara, Director of OneWeb Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy
The morning events comprised a panel overview at space business through 2030 followed by a presentation from OneWeb (SoftBank-backed startup) by Hidebumi Kitahara, then followed by a panel session with Infostellar and Axelspace representing Japanese space startups being joined by AWS and Orbital Insight plus Japanese government program outlined by a Keio professor. The latter panel had space Big Data as the theme.
Panel session: Space Big Data brings new markets Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy
The afternoon saw presentations by Space Frontier Foundation chief Jeff Feige and former astronaut Koichi Wakata, representing JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), as well as a panel discussion on a new era of spaceflight. Another panel on New Space Economy, with ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada of Hakuto X Prize challenge fame, took place. The day ended with a panel on space as growth driver for other industries, after a Startup Pitch.
Dr. Koichi Wakata, Japanese engineer and JAXA astronaut Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy
The Startup Pitch actually turned out not to be a competitive one, including a special pitch-like talk by an ANA employee who had won a government award for an innovative idea related to the aerospace field (though her presentation, along with those of Telexistence COO Yuichiro Hikosaka and Space BD CEO Masatoshi Nagasaki, would likely have been one of Top Three). WARPSPACE, ALE, Space Bio-Laboratories and Institute for Q-Shu Pioneers of Space also took part in the “Pitch.”
MC and pitch presenters at SPACETIDE 2018 Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy
This is a guest post authored by “Tex” Pomeroy. He is a Tokyo-based writer specializing in ICT and high technology. d10e — dubbed “The Leading Conference On Decentralization” — held the 21st Global Edition from April 28 to May 1, 2018. The venue, Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel located near Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, gathered numerous participants who foresee far-reaching changes being brought on by adoption of blockchain technology, especially by localities and businesses. The first and second days were spent by Blockchain Investors Consortium (BIC), one of the main event sponsors, familiarizing d10e-goers with Tokyo. Keynote speeches were presented on the third day. On the final day, 22 teams gathered to present their revolutionary wares during the 1st Edition in Japan Startup Pitch (MC: Ms. Naomi Brockwell). Leonardo Render Chief Strategy Officer Delon de Metz, the energetic (enough to jump off the stage and safely too) young man with the winning message at this year’s inaugural Japan pitch competition, got First Prize. The visual rendering services company headquartered on Madison Avenue in New York convinced all that their business is ready to roll. The runner-up was Ms. Liina Laas-Billson, Chief Business Development Officer for Black Insurance, the digital insurance company on blockchain….
This is a guest post authored by “Tex” Pomeroy. He is a Tokyo-based writer specializing in ICT and high technology.
Randy Hencken, Co-founder of floating seasteading company Blue Frontiers, delivered his keynote speech. Image credit: Kurt Hanson / The Bridge
d10e — dubbed “The Leading Conference On Decentralization” — held the 21st Global Edition from April 28 to May 1, 2018. The venue, Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel located near Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, gathered numerous participants who foresee far-reaching changes being brought on by adoption of blockchain technology, especially by localities and businesses.
Image credit: d10e
The first and second days were spent by Blockchain Investors Consortium (BIC), one of the main event sponsors, familiarizing d10e-goers with Tokyo. Keynote speeches were presented on the third day. On the final day, 22 teams gathered to present their revolutionary wares during the 1st Edition in Japan Startup Pitch (MC: Ms. Naomi Brockwell).
Delon de Metz, Chief Strategy Offier of Leonardo Render Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy / The Bridge
Leonardo Render Chief Strategy Officer Delon de Metz, the energetic (enough to jump off the stage and safely too) young man with the winning message at this year’s inaugural Japan pitch competition, got First Prize. The visual rendering services company headquartered on Madison Avenue in New York convinced all that their business is ready to roll.
Liina Laas-Billson, Chief Business Development Officer of Black Insurance Image credit: d10e
The runner-up was Ms. Liina Laas-Billson, Chief Business Development Officer for Black Insurance, the digital insurance company on blockchain. The demure pitch for the Estonian outfit gained Second Prize as it explained elegantly how its platform connects insurance brokers directly with capital, enabling them to launch their own virtual insurance agencies.
Cereal Finance CEO Sergey Vart (left) and a pitch judge Image credit: “Tex” Pomeroy / The Bridge
Third Prize was garnered by Cereal Finance Co-founder & CEO Sergey Vart, who heads the St. Petersburg-based provider of blockchain ecosystem for asset-based loans. Finally, the Audience Award went to ZPER (according to Marketing Manager DK Yoon, pronounced ‘Zee-per’) of Singapore, offering a decentralized ecosystem for P2P finance.
George Hahn, co-founder and CGO of ZPER Image credit: d10e
See the original story in Japanese. Fukuoka, Japan-based Good Luck 3, jointly with Tokyo-based internet marketing company Ceres (TSE:3696), held a press conference on Friday in Tokyo, where they will be soon releasing Ethereum-based game DApp called Crypto-Oink. The app will be available on the web and via mobile app but the exact launch date is not yet confirmed. The app allows users to collect pig characters to breed and create new species, or buy and sell them with other users. With the crypto-wallet function, the app can prove these transactions and store them on a blockchain so that users can buy/sell cryptos at Ethereum exchanges or trade pigs with other users. Good Luck 3 plans to monetize by selling characters and auction commissions. With the Crypto-Oink app, the company wants to help even non-blockchain savvy people get familiar with DApps by leveraging a familiar topic like games to lower the hurdles. Ceres has recently invested in crypto exchanges such as Bitbank and Coincheck in addition to blockchain startups like Orb (Distributed Ledger Technology developer) and Sivira (blockchain app developer). Kazuhisa Inoue, CEO of Good Luck 3, said in the conference that his company wants to make the DApp successful…
From left: Kazuhisa Inoue (CEO of Good Luck 3), Satoshi Takagi (CEO of Ceres) Image credit: Masaru Ikeda
Fukuoka, Japan-based Good Luck 3, jointly with Tokyo-based internet marketing company Ceres (TSE:3696), held a press conference on Friday in Tokyo, where they will be soon releasing Ethereum-based game DApp called Crypto-Oink. The app will be available on the web and via mobile app but the exact launch date is not yet confirmed.
The app allows users to collect pig characters to breed and create new species, or buy and sell them with other users. With the crypto-wallet function, the app can prove these transactions and store them on a blockchain so that users can buy/sell cryptos at Ethereum exchanges or trade pigs with other users.
Good Luck 3 CEO Inoue introduces Crypto-Oink Image credit: Masaru Ikeda
Good Luck 3 plans to monetize by selling characters and auction commissions. With the Crypto-Oink app, the company wants to help even non-blockchain savvy people get familiar with DApps by leveraging a familiar topic like games to lower the hurdles.
Ceres has recently invested in crypto exchanges such as Bitbank and Coincheck in addition to blockchain startups like Orb (Distributed Ledger Technology developer) and Sivira (blockchain app developer). Kazuhisa Inoue, CEO of Good Luck 3, said in the conference that his company wants to make the DApp successful by joining the forces of their capability of an entertainment content developer with those of Ceres owning multiple blockchain startups.
Since its launch back in February of 2013 in Japan’s western city of Fukuoka, Good Luck 3 has released outstanding game apps like Touch Gudetama! and Aerial Legends, and also recently been developing a blockchain-focused social platform called LuckyMe (to be launched this summer).
While blockchain transactions generally take some time to confirm, Good Luck 3 has also developed a private blockchain network called LuckyMe Reward System, expecting to reduce user churn with a smooth in-app purchase process for blockchain-based game apps. Going forward, they try to form an ecosystem involving third-party developers of DApps.
With an aim to promote Crypto-Oink and LuckyMe globally, Good Luck 3 plans to exhibit at Latitude 59, a global startup conference in Tallinn, Estonia on May 24 and 25th.
The Bridge
Masaru Ikeda
