Japanese lifehack sharing site Nanapi raises $2.7 million

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nanapi_logoNanapi is a popular Japanese site where users can share their favorite lifehacks. The company announced today it has raised 270 million yen (approximately $2.7 million) from KDDI’s Open Innovation Fund [1]. and Globis Capital Partners. This follows a previous round of funding worth 330 million yen from Globis Capital Partners.

The startup was founded back in 2007 by former Recruit staffer Kensuke Furukawa and former Rakuten engineer Shuichi Wada. The pair and their colleagues launched the lifehack sharing site back in 2009, and have acquired more than 12 million users to date. Users exchange practical how-tos and daily tips, such as how to better cut vegetables, how to better clean up toilets, or how to wash your neckties in the washing machine. A partnership with Japan’s leading web portal Yahoo Japan came in 2012, and subsequently startup has pulled lots traffic from there, accounting for 10% to 20% of its 60 million monthly page views.

With these new funds, the startup plans to intensify development, especially for smartphone users.

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  1. KDDI Open Innovation Fund is jointly managed by Japan’s second largest telco KDDI and VC firm Global Brain. ↩