THE BRIDGE

tag Atrae

Japan’s Yenta, Tinder-inspired business networking app, expands into India

SHARE:

Some of our readers may recall that Tokyo-based Atrae (TSE:6194) has introduced a mobile app called Yenta, an AI-powered professional matching app leveraging the Tinder-like Swipe UI (user interface). It was revealed today that the company has just launched the global edition ( iOS / Android ) and chosen India as the first destination of their global expansion effort. The app helps users connect with businesspersons upon widening their network through profile registration and repeated swipes on a screen. It recommends 10 persons the user may be interested in connecting with at noon daily. After choosing which persons the user wants to meet by swiping on it, the matching result with other users will be sent out later at 8pm on the same day. When both users confirm to meet (or e-meet) each other, they can start chatting via the app to make an appointment. The latest version of the app allows even Japanese users to have their English profile so that they can connect with Indian users. We have learned that the app has contributed to helping users build significant business relationships such as Japanese factoring startup Olta’s CEO having found his CSO as co-founder in addition to Japanese…

Some of our readers may recall that Tokyo-based Atrae (TSE:6194) has introduced a mobile app called Yenta, an AI-powered professional matching app leveraging the Tinder-like Swipe UI (user interface). It was revealed today that the company has just launched the global edition ( iOS / Android ) and chosen India as the first destination of their global expansion effort.

The app helps users connect with businesspersons upon widening their network through profile registration and repeated swipes on a screen. It recommends 10 persons the user may be interested in connecting with at noon daily. After choosing which persons the user wants to meet by swiping on it, the matching result with other users will be sent out later at 8pm on the same day. When both users confirm to meet (or e-meet) each other, they can start chatting via the app to make an appointment.

The latest version of the app allows even Japanese users to have their English profile so that they can connect with Indian users. We have learned that the app has contributed to helping users build significant business relationships such as Japanese factoring startup Olta’s CEO having found his CSO as co-founder in addition to Japanese satellite antenna-sharing startup Infostellar having succeeded in finding a new seed investor through it.

Since its launch back in 2016, the Yenta has not disclosed the size of its user base but it is estimated about hundreds of thousand of users in Japan. The company revealed that it has connected users each other over 3 million times to date.

To promote the India expansion, Atrae announced that it is hosting a data analysis competition in partnership with Tokyo-based DataGateway which boasts a local community of more than 20,000 data scientists in India. Based on the Open Innovation approach, the competition is aimed to encourage them to invent a new algorithm to create better matchmaking experience in the app. The competition winner can get 10,000 US dollars as a prize.

As for business matching apps with the Tinder-like swipe UI in the English-speaking market, New York/Paris-based Shapr, launched by a French entrepreneur, has secured US$16.5 million through a total of four rounds with over 2.5 million users as of May 2019 (according to The Independent’s sponsored article). In 2018, Tinder’s founders launched an app called Ripple with the back of the dating app’s parent company Match Group, but it is believed to be already in the deadpool given various situation.

AI-based talent miner Atrae from Japan launches Tinder-like business matching app

SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Atrae recently launched a business matching app using an artificial intelligence (AI) system called Yenta. The app is available gratis for iOS via iTunes AppStore but users must pass screening by Atrae to complete the sign-up process. The Yenta app helps users connect with businesspersons upon widening their network through profile registration and repeated swipes on a screen. Our readers may recall that Atrae launched a talent mining platform leveraging AI and big data analysis called TalentBase last February. Leveraging the experience the team has acquired through development of the TalentBase platform, the Yenta app recommends 10 persons the user may be interested in connecting with at noon daily. After choosing which persons the user wants to meet by swiping on the Tinder-like app, the matching result with other users will be sent out later at 8pm on the same day. When both users confirm to meet each other, they can start chatting via the app to make an appointment. Toshiyuki Oka, Atrae director heading the development team, explained: Since our product is targeting a niche segment and intends to help users meet each other on a face-to-face basis, we are currently targeting…

yenta_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Atrae recently launched a business matching app using an artificial intelligence (AI) system called Yenta. The app is available gratis for iOS via iTunes AppStore but users must pass screening by Atrae to complete the sign-up process.

The Yenta app helps users connect with businesspersons upon widening their network through profile registration and repeated swipes on a screen. Our readers may recall that Atrae launched a talent mining platform leveraging AI and big data analysis called TalentBase last February. Leveraging the experience the team has acquired through development of the TalentBase platform, the Yenta app recommends 10 persons the user may be interested in connecting with at noon daily. After choosing which persons the user wants to meet by swiping on the Tinder-like app, the matching result with other users will be sent out later at 8pm on the same day. When both users confirm to meet each other, they can start chatting via the app to make an appointment.

Toshiyuki Oka, Atrae director heading the development team, explained:

Since our product is targeting a niche segment and intends to help users meet each other on a face-to-face basis, we are currently targeting businesspersons in central Tokyo, not based on GPS data but on registered user profiles. Our users have to pass our screening upon sign-up so that we can pursue our user base both in quality and in quantity by carefully selecting cutting-edge people.

Since the launch of a closed beta version on 10 December last year, we have acquired 350 users to date. Since targeting such a core niche segment, we have moderately set our initial milestone as the acquisition of 100,000 users.

The service initially came up with matchmaking for business purposes in mind, similar to the Coffee Meeting where one has to choose people whom one may be interested in meeting up with. We’ve also recently seen other matchmaking services like Lemon and Join Us start up in Japan although these are not intended for business purposes.

Aiming to help users build and enhance their network, Atrae decided to offer the Yenta app completely for free as a derivative product from the TalentBase platform. The company claims that it will monetize by offering companies with support for their sales and hiring efforts through the app.

See also:

Translated by Minako Ambiru via Mother First
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

From Microsoft Innovation Award: How will data-driven approach change startup businesses?

SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. The Microsoft Innovation Award 2015 (MIA2015) is an annual opportunity to showcase how startups have developed innovative software and services that bring progressive ideas to life. The presenting ceremony for the award was held at Microsoft Japan headquarters in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago where the MIA Award and Audience Choice’s Award winners were announced following the finalist pitches. In the event, The Bridge coordinated two panel discussions focused on data-driven startups. Panel 1: How will a data-driven approach factor into healthcare apps and platforms? The event’s second session kicked off with a panel about how healthcare startups are leveraging big data to improve their platforms and businesses. Moderated by The Bridge co-founder Masaru Ikeda, this session included: Francois Cadiou (CEO, Healint) – on screen via Skype Yoko Gibo (Managing Director, Noom Japan) Yuji Mizoguchi (CEO, FiNC) Shinichiro Isago (Technical Evangelist Manager, Emerging Technology Evangelism, Microsoft Japan) Healint has developed an app called Migraine Buddy which collects data recorded from sufferers of migraine headaches. By recording the symptoms of migraines from patients, doctors can more accurately report on those symptoms. Healint performs big data analysis based on accumulated user data and, by sharing…

artificial-intelligence
Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image by A Health Blog.

See the original story in Japanese.

The Microsoft Innovation Award 2015 (MIA2015) is an annual opportunity to showcase how startups have developed innovative software and services that bring progressive ideas to life. The presenting ceremony for the award was held at Microsoft Japan headquarters in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago where the MIA Award and Audience Choice’s Award winners were announced following the finalist pitches.

In the event, The Bridge coordinated two panel discussions focused on data-driven startups.

Panel 1: How will a data-driven approach factor into healthcare apps and platforms?

IMG_5237-e1435650088332-620x465
From the right: Shinichiro Isago (Microsoft Japan), Francois Cadiou (Healint) on screen, Yoko Gibo (Noom Japan), and Yuji Mizoguchi (FiNC)

The event’s second session kicked off with a panel about how healthcare startups are leveraging big data to improve their platforms and businesses. Moderated by The Bridge co-founder Masaru Ikeda, this session included:

  • Francois Cadiou (CEO, Healint) – on screen via Skype
  • Yoko Gibo (Managing Director, Noom Japan)
  • Yuji Mizoguchi (CEO, FiNC)
  • Shinichiro Isago (Technical Evangelist Manager, Emerging Technology Evangelism, Microsoft Japan)

Healint has developed an app called Migraine Buddy which collects data recorded from sufferers of migraine headaches. By recording the symptoms of migraines from patients, doctors can more accurately report on those symptoms. Healint performs big data analysis based on accumulated user data and, by sharing and marketing that information to pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, new medicines are developed and healthcare quality is improved.

CEO Cadiou argued that the app attracts many Japanese people:

Things like one’s own nervous system can be quite difficult to grasp, so patients should record and manage their condition daily, gather the appropriate data, and then see a doctor in order to recieve the optimal method of treatment.

FiNC, a mobile health technology startup in Japan, employs full time personnel, physicians, pharmacists, and instructors in the preventive medicine field. Most recently, with the release of their healthcare news app Wellness Post, FiNC has been making the push to proliferate medical information relevant to their users. Additionally they are working on a new preventative medicine crowdsourcing platform for nutritionists, trainers, and other health specialists.

NYC-headquartered Noom has been offering preventative medicine solutions for consumer and commercial use since 2008. More recently they have been developing a smart AI (artificial intelligence)-based personal coach app called Noom Coach, as well as Noom Health, an app that family physicians and trainers can use to get an accurate picture of their patient’s health based on each patient’s recorded diet and exercise, making it possible to offer counseling to many patients remotely at low cost, and with a high degree of accuracy.

Now is the time to make healthcare data a real focus

To start the discussion, the speakers were asked to share what led them to start their businesses. Speaking from his own clinical development experience, Cadiou found himself focused on the various ways progress can be made in transitioning from paper to web apps and sensors, and so on. To approach these hurdles, Cadiou started working with data scientists and programmers, considerably progressing his research and development practices in Singapore.

In view of many healthcare startups born out in the world, FiNC CEO Mizoguchi shared his point of view on the state of the healthcare market. He said,

Healthcare is a concern everyone shares, which is why we are in such a good market to expand globally.

Noom, on the other hand, broke into the market through a NYC-based startup accelerator specializing in healthcare. Gibo expressed,

The healthcare business world as a whole has a high barrier of entry and is a difficult place to grow as a business. That’s why the existence of an accelerator that combines big business with healthcare technology is so crucial, and also why Noom has also been able to work together with a variety of medical institutions.

Adding that through beginning to offer enterprise targeted services they have seen considerable growth. The healthcare field itself appears to be experiencing a movement of innovation right now that is justifiably garnering global attention.

The three companies are each engaged in analyzing data connected to their users’ healthcare and putting that into use in developing services, so the question of how is this kind of big data to be effectively used is becoming of interest. Gibo pointed out that as far as health care data goes, the data that has been collected so far is small, and supplying data to insurance companies and patients has only recently started. However, it can be said that a data-based business model incorporating feedback regarding insurance companies is on the verge.

Mizoguchi shared,

There have been a lot of offers for the trial deployment of our services, and we’ve begun dealing with the local government. […]

This has all just recently started in Japan so data and evidence are still scarce. With consent from users, we’d like to make that data open to use and build a structure for use and application. By recording physical, location, and movement behavior data, the time when we can provide individualized health care services based on users’ individual data may be soon. Our aim is to continue searching for the best ways to utilize data to make as many people happy as we can.

In response to this, Microsoft’s Isago said,

Up until now Microsoft has largely been involved in the game and entertainment industries, but the requests from people in other industries such as healthcare increased when the Kinect was introduced. […]

Basically I think you could say that more and more people are realizing the possibilities technology holds. Currently we’re focusing our efforts on the medical and security fields. We’re always on the look out for startups that are interested in working together with Microsoft to develop new services that utilize various different kinds of cloud data.

Gibo also expressed that the healthcare market itself is still in an early stage, and that through collaboration with businesses such as Microsoft to open up commercial channels, new paths are created.

Commenting on the future of healthcare Gibo had this to say,

In regard to health, we’re aiming for a worry-free society. Progressing to a society where people can understand their own bodies and have the appropriate control is the objective of healthcare.

Panel 2: How will data-driven startups change how to find the right job opportunities?

IMG_5243-e1435652381623-620x465
From the right: Shinichiro Isago (Microsoft Japan), Yukihiro Ikemi (Grooves), and Toshiyuki Oka (Atrae)

The second panel, regarding data-driven hiring platforms that turn skills and careers into data to meet with the needs of employers and suggest potential employers to users, featured the following people:

  • Yukihiro Ikemi (CEO, Grooves)
  • Toshiyuki Oka (Board member / Developer, Atrae)
  • Shinichiro Isago (Technical Evangelist Manager, Emerging Technology Evangelism, Microsoft Japan)

Up until now Atrae has been running Green and other recruitment sites, but recently, in cooperation with big data analysis company Brain Pad (TSE:3655), they have launched a personnel mining service called TalentBase, which utilizes big data analysis AI. Unlike the typical resume based on your previous business experience, this new service creates reference data based on human relations using data analysis. The aim is to create better person to company matches based on connections and shared evaluations.

Grooves is currently running Forkwell, a portfolio site for engineers, as well as CrowdAgent, which generates recruitment matches from its 3,500 registered companies. It aims to be a national recruitment information portal with a network of more than 16,000 business people. Additionally, Grooves recenty established a HR tech R&D unit, aiming to conduct research on applications of artificial intelligence and big data analysis within the personnel recruitment field. Kenji Hirata, the first person to become engaged in international standardization of personnel training and competency was appointed as head on the research institute.

The HR market itself is calling for a major change

It could be said that one of the essential dilemmas among companies is how to effectively match potential employees with open positions. As the field of matching through the use of data and AI experiences a swell of interest, these problems are addressed. The discussion participants were asked what reasons led to the development of their services.

Ikemi explained that despite the fact that the recruitment business in Japan alone is a 7 trillion yen ($57.2 billion) market, 44 billion yen ($360 million) globally, these business practice haven’t changed since pre-war times. He said that as a tech enterprise, they started with the idea of wanting to create a service that will shake up the HR field in Japan. Even at that, he clarified by saying that the large amount of matching of people and businesses was “unexpected”. He supposed that similarly to dating and marriage matching sites randomness is a considerable aspect.

Ikemi explained,

Optimizing matching using big data is good, but we want to suggest matches that feel like stories.

Additionally, Ikemi explained that Japan not adopting HR-XML (Human Resources – eXtended Markup Language) had a major influence on the job hunting market. In the US, more so that recruitment platforms, crawler-type recruitment services are widely recognized, for the reason that HR-XML, which aims for the collaboration of recruit information, is continuing to become more familiarized. Through HR-XML, unification of topics like “Job Description” found on recruitment media and corporate sites has made possible automation and data-based matching, as well as personalized recruitment recommendations. However, Japan took a different path while not adopting such collaboration, which is why we have seen the spread of recruitment matching that utilizes individuals’ resources. From this, an opportunity is being missed to gather superior foreign personnel in Japan and inversely to send Japan’s superior personnel out into the world.

He continued,

We want to realize a new ‘Job Description’ in Japan.

When asked if things that were before done by humans be replaced by machines, Oka said he doesn’t think career consultation can be done with AI. He also said that more so than matching a person with a company through TalentBase, the aim is to create a place where a person can connect to another person within that company, and by focusing on building human relationships, new methods for choosing a place of work can be found that don’t necessarily rely on factors like one’s previous income and company position. Because we have to consider not just data but also human relationships, which can be seen as a sort of irrationality in society, said Oka.

Isago also commented that while working at Microsoft,

When doing recruiting through the same vendor, we can only gather one type of people. If the business itself wants to experience growth, how to create a place where recruitment matching for other types of people than those that have brought the company this far, this is the time to for businesses to meet this challenge.

Similar to healthcare, this is a task carried by the world’s businesses, which is why the successes of international enterprises set a global precedents, and why the potential for services themselves to expand globally is yet to be realized.

Translated by Connor Kirk
Edited by Masaru Ikeda

Japan’s Atrae launches data-driven talent search platform in partnership with analytics giant

SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. As we approach the end of the Japanese fiscal year, it’s quite understandable that there are plenty of accounting solutions being launched these days, but we are also receiving many updates about the launch of web services for human resources. So human resource technologies, or HR-Tech for short, may be one of this year’s biggest trends along with fintech (financial technologies) and IoT (Internet of Things). Tokyo-based Atrae, previously known as I&G Partners, recently launched a new service for “mining” human resources in partnership with Japanese big data analysis company Brain Pad (TSE:3655). The service is called TalentBase and provides companies with easier access to a pool of talents by leveraging artificial intelligence and big data analytics. When one signs up for TalentBase, one’s profile will be created on the platform including quantitative scores of skills from social, business, and engineering aspects, based on available information associated with the Facebook account. If one’s Facebook account is associated with any of the Japanese knowledge-sharing services such as Qiita, Github, and Creww, more accurate information will be accordingly provided to one’s business profile on the TalentBase platform. TalentBase will create profiles for Facebook friends that one grants permission for third-party access to, so that the number of talent profiles will show exponential growth as the number of registered…

talentbase_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

As we approach the end of the Japanese fiscal year, it’s quite understandable that there are plenty of accounting solutions being launched these days, but we are also receiving many updates about the launch of web services for human resources. So human resource technologies, or HR-Tech for short, may be one of this year’s biggest trends along with fintech (financial technologies) and IoT (Internet of Things).

Tokyo-based Atrae, previously known as I&G Partners, recently launched a new service for “mining” human resources in partnership with Japanese big data analysis company Brain Pad (TSE:3655). The service is called TalentBase and provides companies with easier access to a pool of talents by leveraging artificial intelligence and big data analytics.

When one signs up for TalentBase, one’s profile will be created on the platform including quantitative scores of skills from social, business, and engineering aspects, based on available information associated with the Facebook account. If one’s Facebook account is associated with any of the Japanese knowledge-sharing services such as QiitaGithub, and Creww, more accurate information will be accordingly provided to one’s business profile on the TalentBase platform.

TalentBase will create profiles for Facebook friends that one grants permission for third-party access to, so that the number of talent profiles will show exponential growth as the number of registered users increases.

On the other hand, the platform will learn the preference of companies seeking employees so they will keep choosing candidates that have the specifications required. Based on vectorized data of people’s business skills, the platform will choose and present the most recommended set of candidates from the pool who may satisfy the requirements for each of these companies.

Atrae director Toshiyuki Oka explained:

We have been prototyping TalentBase behind operating JobShare, our previous talent-seeking platform. As we were able to validate that it was functioning to some extent, we decided to launch a new platform on a revenue-sharing basis with BrainPad, the leading company in the Japanese data analytics sector.

Some functions from JobShare were incorporated into the TalentBase platform, where companies can use functions like job posting, job applications management and results screening for free. If a company wants to find people who are likely to match their needs or receive recommendations from the talent pool, they will be charged a monthly fee of 100,000 yen (or about $820) regardless of how many jobs they post or how many candidates they contact.

While many of the companies using the platform will be startups or IT companies, as a matter of fact all users having their Facebook accounts can create their profile on the platform, hence business and occupational categories are not limited. Atrae wants to acquire 5 to 10 companies using the platform for their hiring platform, in addition to increasing the volume of available user profiles for 10 million people by the end of April.

As DeNA’s venture capitalist James Riney recently pointed out in his blog post, we may not be very good at filling their resume without advisory assistance or appealing their potentials due to one’s own characteristics. In that sense, the trend in tactics for hiring recently entails use of the data-driven approach and artificial intelligence. This may suit the mentality of a typical Japanese person, as gathered from moves by services such as Talentio and Grooves.

talentbase_screenshot

Translated by Taijiro Takeda
Edited by Masaru Ikeda and “Tex” Pomeroy