THE BRIDGE

tag Sansan

Japanese business card-based CRM startup Sansan files for IPO

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
SHARE:

Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM (customer relationship management) solutions, announced today that IPO application to the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has been approved. The company will be listed on the TSE Mothers Market on June 19. Nomura Securities will lead the underwriting. Since its launch back in 2007, the company has been developing and offering two key products: Sansan and Eight. The Sansan platform is designed for enterprises or medium-businesses, provides a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management, so that you can easily share the profiles of your clients with your colleagues. It serves 5,700 clients as of Q3 2019 in May. Meanwhile, the Eight platform is more optimized for individual use where our contacts will be automatically imported and connected by linking your Eight account with your social media presences like Facebook. It boasts 2.35 million users as of Q3 2019 in May. According to the consolidated statement as of May of 2018, they posted a revenue of 7.32 billion yen (about $66.8 million) with an ordinary loss of 3.08 billion yen ($28.1 million) and a net loss of 3.09 billion yen ($28.2 million). Led by Sansan CEO and…

sansan_featuredimage
Sansan

Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM (customer relationship management) solutions, announced today that IPO application to the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) has been approved. The company will be listed on the TSE Mothers Market on June 19. Nomura Securities will lead the underwriting.

Since its launch back in 2007, the company has been developing and offering two key products: Sansan and Eight.

chikaterada_portrait
Sansan CEO Chika Terada

The Sansan platform is designed for enterprises or medium-businesses, provides a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management, so that you can easily share the profiles of your clients with your colleagues. It serves 5,700 clients as of Q3 2019 in May.

Meanwhile, the Eight platform is more optimized for individual use where our contacts will be automatically imported and connected by linking your Eight account with your social media presences like Facebook. It boasts 2.35 million users as of Q3 2019 in May.

According to the consolidated statement as of May of 2018, they posted a revenue of 7.32 billion yen (about $66.8 million) with an ordinary loss of 3.08 billion yen ($28.1 million) and a net loss of 3.09 billion yen ($28.2 million).

Led by Sansan CEO and co-founder Chika Terada, its major share holders include DCM Ventures (6.90%), INCJ (5.91%), SMBC (5.81%), Sansan’s employee stock ownership (4.99%), GS Growth Investment (4.42%), A-Fund (4.35%), Sansan Director and co-founder Kei Tomioka (3.57%), Nissay Capital (3.06%), and EEI Cleantech Limited Partnership by Environmental Energy Investment (2.34%).

See also:

Related news

  1. Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management
  2. Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets
  3. Japan’s Sansan raises $38M from Toyota- and Sumitomo Mitsui-backed fund for Asia expansion

Japan’s Sansan raises $38M from Toyota- and Sumitomo Mitsui-backed fund for Asia expansion

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
SHARE:

The Nikkei reported early this morning that Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM (customer relationship management) solutions, has secured 4.2 billion yen (about $38 million) from Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership, the investment fund backed by Toyota Motor and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). DCM Ventures and Salesforce.com also participated in this investment. Sansan claims that the funds will be used to boost the Asia expansion of the company’s business card management app, especially in India and Singapore. The company recently unveiled that it has finally discovered monetization streams for its freemium business card management app Eight by allowing clients to insert their recruiting information and ads into the app’s timeline. Prior to this funding, Sansan previously fundraised $16.8 million in a series C round from DCM Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Nissay Capital, and others back in January last year. See also: Japanese CRM startup Sansan raises $14.6 million Business card-based CRM startup Sansan raises $5M, planning global expansion Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management

The Nikkei reported early this morning that Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM (customer relationship management) solutions, has secured 4.2 billion yen (about $38 million) from Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership, the investment fund backed by Toyota Motor and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). DCM Ventures and Salesforce.com also participated in this investment.

Sansan claims that the funds will be used to boost the Asia expansion of the company’s business card management app, especially in India and Singapore. The company recently unveiled that it has finally discovered monetization streams for its freemium business card management app Eight by allowing clients to insert their recruiting information and ads into the app’s timeline.

Prior to this funding, Sansan previously fundraised $16.8 million in a series C round from DCM Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Nissay Capital, and others back in January last year.

See also:

Related news

  1. Japanese business card-based CRM startup Sansan files for IPO
  2. Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management
  3. Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets

Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
SHARE:

Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM solutions, announced today that it has officially launched its premium service for business ‘Sansan’ in Singapore. In terms of their global service expansion, Singapore is the second country after the US where the CRM platform was launched back in late May. Sansan provides a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management, so that you can easily share the profiles of your clients with your colleagues. Since the service’s recent launch back in the US, they have received hundreds of inquiries about launching the service in Asian countries, so they launched a beta version in Singapore in July. During the last two months since the launch of the English version, they have successfully acquired over 300 business users from the US and Singaporean markets. Sansan CEO Chika Terada explained about what’s behind about this expansion: Our aim is to provide our premium service for over 100 new clients in three months. […] We plan to expand into other English-speaking countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Hong Kong and more. Sansan was launched back in June 2007, and subsequently started providing the Sansan CRM service…

sansan_featuredimage

Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM solutions, announced today that it has officially launched its premium service for business ‘Sansan’ in Singapore. In terms of their global service expansion, Singapore is the second country after the US where the CRM platform was launched back in late May.

Sansan provides a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management, so that you can easily share the profiles of your clients with your colleagues. Since the service’s recent launch back in the US, they have received hundreds of inquiries about launching the service in Asian countries, so they launched a beta version in Singapore in July. During the last two months since the launch of the English version, they have successfully acquired over 300 business users from the US and Singaporean markets.

Sansan CEO Chika Terada explained about what’s behind about this expansion:

Our aim is to provide our premium service for over 100 new clients in three months. […] We plan to expand into other English-speaking countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Hong Kong and more.

Sansan was launched back in June 2007, and subsequently started providing the Sansan CRM service (previously known as Link Knowledge) for companies in Japan in September 2007. While they spent six and half years to acquire 2,000 business users in Japan, they could acquire as many as 300 companies during the last two months in the US and Singapore, so this rapid user growth may indicate that there is an even huger potential for their business outside the Japanese market.

In addition to the premium Sansan service for business, the company has been also providing freemium service Eight for individual users.

Our readers may recall that Sansan fundraised 1.46 billion yen (about $14.6 million) from Nikkei Digital Media, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Energy & Environment Investment, and GMO Venture Partners back in May. The company recently won an award for their brand new office with a great view from Japanese news company Nikkei and New Office Promotion Association.

Related news

  1. Japanese CRM startup Sansan raises $14.6 million
  2. How this Japanese leading property company wants to serve Asian startup ecosystem
  3. Singapore’s wearable vest startup T.Ware wins top Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2014

Japanese CRM startup Sansan raises $14.6 million

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM solution ‘Eight’, announced today that it has raised 1.46 billion yen (about $14.6 million) from Nikkei Digital Media, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Energy & Environment Investment, and GMO Venture Partners [1]. According to a Nikkei report, Sansan plans to use the funds to expand its business in the US market. Sansan was launched back in June of 2007, and subsequently raised seed funding from Japan-based Incubate Fund. The company raised more than $20 million over four rounds, including this latest funding. In this space, we’ve already seen similar startups from the Asia region, such as Youlu in China and Remember in Korea. Nikkei Digital Media is a subsidiary of Japan’s economic news company Nikkei. Innovation Network Corporation of Japan is the country’s state-run initiative for investing in innovative activities and companies.  ↩

sansan-office-visit-2

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Sansan, the company that operates the business card-based CRM solution ‘Eight’, announced today that it has raised 1.46 billion yen (about $14.6 million) from Nikkei Digital Media, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Energy & Environment Investment, and GMO Venture Partners [1]. According to a Nikkei report, Sansan plans to use the funds to expand its business in the US market.

Sansan was launched back in June of 2007, and subsequently raised seed funding from Japan-based Incubate Fund. The company raised more than $20 million over four rounds, including this latest funding.

In this space, we’ve already seen similar startups from the Asia region, such as Youlu in China and Remember in Korea.

  1. Nikkei Digital Media is a subsidiary of Japan’s economic news company Nikkei. Innovation Network Corporation of Japan is the country’s state-run initiative for investing in innovative activities and companies.  ↩

Related news

  1. Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets
  2. Business card-based CRM startup Sansan raises $5M, planning global expansion
  3. Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management

Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
SHARE:

Our readers may recall we have featured Tokyo-based Sansan more than a few times in the past. Since the company’s launch back in 2007, it has been providing business card-based contact management solutions, in the form of its services Sansan [1] (for companies) and Eight (for individuals). Recently I received several notifications from the Eight app letting me know that a number of my contacts at the company had changed their profiles, because they had moved to a new office. The new space is located between Shibuya and Omotesando in Tokyo, a district that’s home to many prominent fashion brands. There is a cozy space available not only for their employees but also for the local community, with a great view of the city and lots of interesting potted trees and plants. One of the biggest reasons behind the company’s relocation is the rapid enlargement of their team. The number of their clients using the Sansan solution reached 1,500 companies as of this past December, up from 1,000 companies back in June. Eight, the freemium service for individuals, has acquired more than 600,000 users to date. The company may add premium features such as a mass e-mailing to your contacts…

Our readers may recall we have featured Tokyo-based Sansan more than a few times in the past. Since the company’s launch back in 2007, it has been providing business card-based contact management solutions, in the form of its services Sansan [1] (for companies) and Eight (for individuals).

Recently I received several notifications from the Eight app letting me know that a number of my contacts at the company had changed their profiles, because they had moved to a new office. The new space is located between Shibuya and Omotesando in Tokyo, a district that’s home to many prominent fashion brands. There is a cozy space available not only for their employees but also for the local community, with a great view of the city and lots of interesting potted trees and plants.

One of the biggest reasons behind the company’s relocation is the rapid enlargement of their team. The number of their clients using the Sansan solution reached 1,500 companies as of this past December, up from 1,000 companies back in June. Eight, the freemium service for individuals, has acquired more than 600,000 users to date. The company may add premium features such as a mass e-mailing to your contacts or exporting profiles for use in other apps.

In order to make it easier for Eight users to scan business cards from new contacts, Sansan has announced new services today in partnership with some business solution providers. The company has tied up with 10 co-working spaces in Tokyo, where entrepreneurs and SME owners can easily save the profiles of their contacts onto Eight using scanners at those sites. They will also provide a similar service at certain printing outlets.

Sansan has been intensifying its promotional efforts in the North American market as well, and it will be interesting to see how their solutions are accepted in regions beyond Japan.

sansan-office-visit-1
The Eight team
sansan-office-visit-2
At reception, you can call them using the digital board for an appointment.
sansan-office-visit-4
A nice soft sofa for employees when they get a little tired.
sansan-office-visit-5
This gong is rung when a significant announcement is made, if they achieve a sales milestone for example.
sansan-office-visit-6
A scanner for the Sansan and Eight solutions
sansan-office-visit-7
Hiroshi Senju, director of marketing for ‘Eight’
Flowers sent from well-known entrepreneurs and investors celebrating Sansan’s office relocation
  1. Previously known as Link Knowledge. ↩

Related news

  1. CEO Soko Aoki at the Kadinche office Tokyo Office Tour: Panoplaza has a 360-degree view of the world
  2. Tokyo Office Tour: At new office, Goodpatch preparing official launch of prototyping tool
  3. Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets

Japanese business card app ‘Eight’ surpasses 200,000 users

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
SHARE:

See the original story in Japanese. The most popular professional social network in the world is most likely LinkedIn. It came to the Japanese market in late 2011, and while several other business networking services were launched in the country, they are all still having a relatively tough time. But there’s another service turning some heads by building a business-oriented social network here in Japan. It’s called Eight. Sansan, the startup behind the service, announced on Monday that it has deployed a major update to its application. The app is available for the iOS and Android, and it has surpassed the 200,000 users milestone, not an insignificant feat. The Eight app was launched back in February of 2012, allowing users to manage their contact lists by taking pictures of business cards with their smartphone. In terms of differentiation from other services, the Eight app does not use OCR (optical character recognition) but actually hires operators who enter your business contacts into the system for you. They will enter not only information like names, e-mail addresses, and company names, etc, but all the information shown on a business card. The app is not just for managing your business cards, but it…

2432236e1b52e7be86b1d9c2c92baa85

See the original story in Japanese.

The most popular professional social network in the world is most likely LinkedIn. It came to the Japanese market in late 2011, and while several other business networking services were launched in the country, they are all still having a relatively tough time. But there’s another service turning some heads by building a business-oriented social network here in Japan. It’s called Eight.

Sansan, the startup behind the service, announced on Monday that it has deployed a major update to its application. The app is available for the iOS and Android, and it has surpassed the 200,000 users milestone, not an insignificant feat.

web_iphone

The Eight app was launched back in February of 2012, allowing users to manage their contact lists by taking pictures of business cards with their smartphone. In terms of differentiation from other services, the Eight app does not use OCR (optical character recognition) but actually hires operators who enter your business contacts into the system for you. They will enter not only information like names, e-mail addresses, and company names, etc, but all the information shown on a business card.

meishi_list top

The app is not just for managing your business cards, but it is also seen as a business social network that allows you to exchange business information over the internet. Based on several criteria, the system will find someone you might be connected with in real life and encourage you to exchange your business card with them. On Linkedin, you might have a contact request from someone that you’ve never seen before. But the Eight app works by referring to just business cards you’ve exchanged in the past, so you would receive contact requests only from those you’ve already met.

We had an opportunity to hear from Naotake Hibiya and Hiroshi Edward Senju of Sansan. Senju explains:

I think a social network based on business cards is new. 200,000 people are using it, and we’ve seen rapid user growth especially in March and April. For future upgrades, we intend to create a business culture that encourages people to connect with each other based on their backgrounds or their existing contacts.

They are currently working on a new feature to let users virtually exchange cards on the app simply by entering a contact’s phone number. However, if the contact has no account on the Eight app or has signed up with an e-mail address different from the one shown on his business cards, the system may unintentionally send a connection request e-mail.

While other online professional networks are exploring another ways to survive, it is interesting to see how the Eight app has proposed this unique answer in a country where business cards are so important.

Related news

  1. Business card-based CRM startup Sansan raises $5M, planning global expansion
  2. Tokyo Office Tour: Japan’s Sansan wants to evolve how the world does contact management
  3. Japanese online rewards platform DreamGiver surpasses 50,000 users in the Philippines

Business card-based CRM startup Sansan raises $5M, planning global expansion

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
SHARE:

Tokyo-based venture company Sansan announced on Tuesday that it has fundraised about 500 million yen (or about $5 million) from Nissay Capital and GMO Venture Partners. This follows the previous round in 2009, which raised 50 million yen from CyberAgent, Recruit Incubation Partners, and GMO Venture Partners. Sansan is known for providing the Eight app, a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management. By linking your Eight account with your social media presences (like Facebook, Google Plus, Mixi), your contacts will be automatically imported and connected. Subsequently the business cards of those people will then appear on your Eight page. If don’t have enough contacts to connect but still have a large connection of business cards, you can ask the company to scan the business cards for free. Alternatively, you can scan the cards yourself with their smartphone app. (See our previous article for more information about how it works.) The entire service is provided completely free. In a CNET Japan report, the company’s CEO Chika Terada explained that they are not rushing to monetize it until they build a sufficient userbase, ideally something in the range of 10 million users. The startup expects to do business globally in the near…

eight_screenshot

Tokyo-based venture company Sansan announced on Tuesday that it has fundraised about 500 million yen (or about $5 million) from Nissay Capital and GMO Venture Partners. This follows the previous round in 2009, which raised 50 million yen from CyberAgent, Recruit Incubation Partners, and GMO Venture Partners.

Sansan is known for providing the Eight app, a combined solution for business card scanning, data entry, and contact management. By linking your Eight account with your social media presences (like Facebook, Google Plus, Mixi), your contacts will be automatically imported and connected. Subsequently the business cards of those people will then appear on your Eight page. If don’t have enough contacts to connect but still have a large connection of business cards, you can ask the company to scan the business cards for free. Alternatively, you can scan the cards yourself with their smartphone app. (See our previous article for more information about how it works.)

chikaterada_portrait
Sansan CEO
Chika Terada

The entire service is provided completely free. In a CNET Japan report, the company’s CEO Chika Terada explained that they are not rushing to monetize it until they build a sufficient userbase, ideally something in the range of 10 million users. The startup expects to do business globally in the near future, and they’ll be looking at building a global pool of crowdsourcing workers for card scanning and data entry, which will makes data entry possible regardless of language barriers.

With this new infusion of funds, they’re hoping to intensify further development of a better user experience, with a plan to introduce a new version of their smartphone app in May. Terada says it will be not only for scanning and managing business cards as before, but it will also be something that gives you an access to various information about your contacts, such as info to help you call or e-mail them, or the ability to view a map when you meet up with someone.

Other startups operating in this space are Maysee, as well as China-based Youlu.

Related news

  1. Japan’s CRM startup Sansan expands to Singapore, aiming to better serve Asian markets
  2. Japanese CRM startup Sansan raises $14.6 million
  3. Japanese business card app ‘Eight’ surpasses 200,000 users

Recent Articles

Trends