SeedStars World is an initiative touring 20 cities worldwide to discover high profile startups. Here in Japan, a local preliminary competition event took place on Friday at Samurai Startup Island, an incubation office located on Tokyo’s bayfront.
More than a dozen of startups from Japan and the rest of the world gave pitches in an effort to qualify for the final global competition next February in Lausanne, Switzerland. Here is a quick rundown of the three teams selected from the bunch.
1st place: Locarise
Locarise is an analytics solution for retail stores. By placing small sensors inside and around your store, the system can collect metrics such as how many people passed in front of the store and how many customers you have served. The system’s web-based dashboard shows you these metrics, as well as other things like visit duration, and retention rate. For a business owner monitoring many store locations, you can easily stay up to date on real-time target rates for KPIs at many stores in a single interface.
2nd place: Eigooo
Eigooo is a service that lets users learn English by chatting with a native speaker using mobile message apps such as Line. The service was launched by Peter Rothenberg, who previously worked in Japan’s public schools as an English conversation teacher. Through his own experience of exchanging messages on mobile during his commutes, he was convinced that messaging using mobile apps is a good way to master foreign languages.
3rd place: Infogra.me
Infogra.me is a sort of slideshare for infographics. You can upload your infographic and share it with many users for free, or even ask the company to create an infographic from your own data. The service is available in six languages, both on the web or with its iOS app.
Their offering is comparable to Piktochart from Malaysia.
In my view, this world championship tour is well-organized, supported by global entrepreneur network SandBox. However, it’s probably too early to see how much impact the event make can have on the global startup community, since it’s still just the first batch.
On the event website, you can browse the many startups that have been selected in other participating cities. After Tokyo, the next local event will take place next Friday in Sydney, Australia.
Based on our original article in Japanese United Inc. has announced that it will implement Metaps’ Exchanger, a network for user traffic exchange, into its popular smartphone homescreen decoration app CocoPPa. The newly released Exchanger service enables developers to optimize their Android app icons for best performance. With the implementation of Exchanger, CocoPPa is looking to bolster its profitability and advertising. Recently provided by Metaps as a beta release, Exchanger is a developer platform for monetizing Android apps. In line with the official release of Exchanger, it has been designated for introduction into CocoPPa. Metaps, as many of our readers may know, is a subsidiary of United, with investment from Venture United Inc. Apps which use Exchanger can have full screen advertisements displayed at any time. Icons are displayed as advertisements in other apps where Exchanger has also been introduced. By transferring customers reciprocally between apps in this manner, the platform allows developers to acquire users at no cost. Furthermore, when a user downloads a new app via a displayed Exchanger advertisement, the developer receives advertising revenue based on the number of downloads. To learn more about the platform, Metaps has recently published some informative slides which you can check…
United Inc. has announced that it will implement Metaps’ Exchanger, a network for user traffic exchange, into its popular smartphone homescreen decoration app CocoPPa.
The newly released Exchanger service enables developers to optimize their Android app icons for best performance. With the implementation of Exchanger, CocoPPa is looking to bolster its profitability and advertising.
Recently provided by Metaps as a beta release, Exchanger is a developer platform for monetizing Android apps. In line with the official release of Exchanger, it has been designated for introduction into CocoPPa. Metaps, as many of our readers may know, is a subsidiary of United, with investment from Venture United Inc.
Apps which use Exchanger can have full screen advertisements displayed at any time. Icons are displayed as advertisements in other apps where Exchanger has also been introduced. By transferring customers reciprocally between apps in this manner, the platform allows developers to acquire users at no cost.
Furthermore, when a user downloads a new app via a displayed Exchanger advertisement, the developer receives advertising revenue based on the number of downloads. To learn more about the platform, Metaps has recently published some informative slides which you can check out below.
On a related note, CocoPPa also recently announced that it would collaborate with Chinese search giant Baidu on the Japanese input method editor app, Simeji for Android.
In Japan, the word ‘Enjo” refers to when something goes viral on social networks for all the wrong reasons. Twitter is the most common environment for such unfortunate incidents, and recently, there has been an unusual series of prank photos posted by various part-time restaurant employees. Sometimes the people responsible are customers as well, but in almost every case the results are pretty embarrassing. Below you can see some examples of some prank photos that an assortment of foolish kids have posted on Twitter. In many cases, the people behind these incidents are teenagers. News of such cases has appeared on TV, which appears to be spawning more and more dumbass kids to imitate the behavior. In an extreme case, one steakhouse was forced to shut down after waves of complaints were made to the restaurant. In Japan, these sorts of pranks also contribute to an unfounded fear of social networks as well. Now there are even websites and Twitter accounts that keeps people informed about these incidents. And as you might expect, Naver Matome, has a round-up of these viral photos too. These pranks on social networks are becoming more and more of a problem, with no sign of…
In Japan, the word ‘Enjo” refers to when something goes viral on social networks for all the wrong reasons. Twitter is the most common environment for such unfortunate incidents, and recently, there has been an unusual series of prank photos posted by various part-time restaurant employees. Sometimes the people responsible are customers as well, but in almost every case the results are pretty embarrassing. Below you can see some examples of some prank photos that an assortment of foolish kids have posted on Twitter.
In many cases, the people behind these incidents are teenagers. News of such cases has appeared on TV, which appears to be spawning more and more dumbass kids to imitate the behavior. In an extreme case, one steakhouse was forced to shut down after waves of complaints were made to the restaurant. In Japan, these sorts of pranks also contribute to an unfounded fear of social networks as well.
Now there are even websites and Twitter accounts that keeps people informed about these incidents. And as you might expect, Naver Matome, has a round-up of these viral photos too. These pranks on social networks are becoming more and more of a problem, with no sign of ending. Even planking is better than this.
A customer lies on ice cream. (photo via. Hamsoku)
Burger King employee dives into leftover hamburger buns. (photo via m9l)
Pizza Hut employee using pizza dough as a facial mask. (photo via. 2ch)
See the original story in Japanese. Crowdsoucing platforms can be divided into two categories: 1) general purpose and 2) industry-focused. The latter is very much focused on specific business fields such as translation or design, and such crowdsourcing platforms are on the rise. MugenUp is a Tokyo-based startup that provides a crowdsourcing platform for animated content and illustrations. The company just announced that it has raised series B funding worth 130 million yen (or approximately $1.3 million) from Industrial Growth Platform and SMBC Venture Capital. MugenUp was launched back in June of 2011 as a social games developer, but that plan didn’t quite work out. So last year they shifted to work on an animation-focused platform, since they thought they would be able to take advantage of the experiences from their past projects. Readers may recall when we spoke with the startup’s CEO Ryota Ichioka back in May, he told us about how they serve as an illustration solution to many game companies who might have just a few full-time illustrators. We plan to grow into a 100-person team in a year For crowdsourcing platform operators, if you focus on a specific business sector, the fortunes of your business will…
Crowdsoucing platforms can be divided into two categories: 1) general purpose and 2) industry-focused. The latter is very much focused on specific business fields such as translation or design, and such crowdsourcing platforms are on the rise.
MugenUp is a Tokyo-based startup that provides a crowdsourcing platform for animated content and illustrations. The company just announced that it has raised series B funding worth 130 million yen (or approximately $1.3 million) from Industrial Growth Platform and SMBC Venture Capital.
MugenUp was launched back in June of 2011 as a social games developer, but that plan didn’t quite work out. So last year they shifted to work on an animation-focused platform, since they thought they would be able to take advantage of the experiences from their past projects. Readers may recall when we spoke with the startup’s CEO Ryota Ichioka back in May, he told us about how they serve as an illustration solution to many game companies who might have just a few full-time illustrators.
We plan to grow into a 100-person team in a year
For crowdsourcing platform operators, if you focus on a specific business sector, the fortunes of your business will obviously be very directly dependent on trends in that sector. The rise of the Japanese social gaming industry has helped the startup’s business grow rapidly, enabling them to raise a 100 million yen ($1 million) in funding from Japanese VC Nissay Capital back in September of 2012.
MugenUp functions as an intermediary between customers and clients, helping them find appropriate matches. A key aspect of this process is a chat system called Mugen Work Station. This allows their directors to communicate with crowdsourced workers, monitor the production process, and give workers revision requests if needed.
We heard more from CEO Ichioka about how business is going these days.
In terms of the orders we’re receiving, projects related to mobile games are continuously growing. But I think the content of games on each gaming platform is changing. For example, illustration work for card battle games is still in a high demand in browser-based gaming apps, but native app developers typically ask us to help them develop animated 3D/2D content developed with Unity.
MugenUp directors advice crowdsourced workers using the chat system.
Ichioka shared a little more about their hiring plan:
Our total number of registered crowdsourced workers will hit 10,000 very shortly. In the office, we have 60 full-time and part-time workers. With these funds, we will add people with skills to handling 3D animated content, and we plan to grow into a 100-person team in a year.
In addition, our chat system has a handy translation feature that helps our directors communicate with foreign crowdsourced workers in English and Chinese.
According to Mr. Ichioka, the chat system also keeps clients updated about how their outsourced projects are going, and an upcoming version will allow them to check how workers are creating character designs at any time.
The startup is receiving many orders for 3D content. Ichioka explained the startup’s future exists in the accumulation of these content data.
We’ve been receiving orders for 3D models of real products. They are typically orders to optimize data for actual production rather than just digital content. So we are aiming to move into a market that will replace the metal mold business.
When we look at the digital fabrication industry, 2D or 3D design data can be alternatives to metal molds. The point is not about creating products featuring popular characters, but the accumulation of design data allows the startup to analyze and predict what kind of characters or shapes will be popular in different markets.
While most of their future plans were not disclosed, they revealed that the accumulated design data includes many useful engineering tips, such as how much shrinkage you need to plan for when creating a vinyl chloride creation with digital 3D data.
We’re aiming at a comprehensive platform for design data, making the most of our experiences through our crowdsourcing platform business. We’re trying to adopt our kind of service operations and database design to genres such as toys or figure sculptures.
For anime studios out there, you will be able to easily digitize your intellectual property (such as anime characters), letting you easily partner with toy makers and co-develop derivative works.
The startup is already profitable and planning to get listed on a stock exchange in a few years. It is interesting to see how crowdsourcing work styles will be adopted here in Japan and around the world.
Japanese girls tend to be very fashion-conscious. And although there are popular apparel brands that they typically favor, a few individuals prefer to stand out from the crowd. If you’re one of those people looking to wear something a little different, you may want to check out ‘Rikei Accessories’. It’s a unique line of jewelry made using electronic components. Rikei Accessories comes from an Osaka company called Xi Design. The products can be purchased over on Sainome, an ecommerce site operated by the company. There you can find beautifully designed jewelry made from circuit boards, or a heat-resistant electronic wire bracelet that resembles DNA. According to the Nikkei, these jewelry are getting popular with women in their 20s and 30s Check out a few examples of this science jewelry below. Ear-pierce (¥6,600) DNA Bracelets (¥2,500) PC Board Necklace (¥3,400)
Japanese girls tend to be very fashion-conscious. And although there are popular apparel brands that they typically favor, a few individuals prefer to stand out from the crowd. If you’re one of those people looking to wear something a little different, you may want to check out ‘Rikei Accessories’. It’s a unique line of jewelry made using electronic components.
Rikei Accessories comes from an Osaka company called Xi Design. The products can be purchased over on Sainome, an ecommerce site operated by the company. There you can find beautifully designed jewelry made from circuit boards, or a heat-resistant electronic wire bracelet that resembles DNA.
According to the Nikkei, these jewelry are getting popular with women in their 20s and 30s Check out a few examples of this science jewelry below.
5Rocks is a Korean startup focused on providing business intelligence (BI) tools for mobile gaming developers. The startup announced today that it has raised 2.55 billion Korean won (approximately $2.3 million) from Japanese venture capital Global Brain. For the latter, this represents its first investment in a Korean startup. Tokyo-based Global Brain has formed joint investment funds with established businesses such as Japanese telco KDDI and internet portal Nifty. The firm boasts a strong portfolio of notable Japanese tech startups including Nanapi, Monoco, Rarejob, and Origami. 5Rocks was launched back in September of 2010 and raised 2 billion won ($1.8 million) from Seoul-based Stone Bridge Capital. The startup was previously known as Ablar Company, providing a mobile-based restaurant finder and booking services for Korean consumers. Back in June, the company rebranded itself as 5Rocks and started developing the mobile BI tools, capitalizing on its previous experience in the mobile app business. The company launched a closed beta version of its BI tools back in late June. A month after launch the tools were adopted by many local game developers including Sunday Toz, Link Tomorrow, Gamevil, Load Complete, Rocket Oz, and Momo. In terms of differentiation from similar tools like Micro…
From the right: Nobutake Suzuki (Global Brain), Yasuhiko Yurimoto (Global Brain CEO), Changsu Lee (5Rocks CEO), Jeong Seok Roh (5Rocks CSO).
5Rocks is a Korean startup focused on providing business intelligence (BI) tools for mobile gaming developers. The startup announced today that it has raised 2.55 billion Korean won (approximately $2.3 million) from Japanese venture capital Global Brain.
For the latter, this represents its first investment in a Korean startup. Tokyo-based Global Brain has formed joint investment funds with established businesses such as Japanese telco KDDI and internet portal Nifty. The firm boasts a strong portfolio of notable Japanese tech startups including Nanapi, Monoco, Rarejob, and Origami.
5Rocks was launched back in September of 2010 and raised 2 billion won ($1.8 million) from Seoul-based Stone Bridge Capital. The startup was previously known as Ablar Company, providing a mobile-based restaurant finder and booking services for Korean consumers. Back in June, the company rebranded itself as 5Rocks and started developing the mobile BI tools, capitalizing on its previous experience in the mobile app business.
The company launched a closed beta version of its BI tools back in late June. A month after launch the tools were adopted by many local game developers including Sunday Toz, Link Tomorrow, Gamevil, Load Complete, Rocket Oz, and Momo. In terms of differentiation from similar tools like Micro Strategy and Yellowfin, 5Rocks’ solutions are more niche-focused, and dedicated to improving user retention in mobile gaming apps.
The startup revealed that it will start soon providing a closed beta version to five Japanese game developers: Pokelabo, MyNet, Mutations Studio, KLab and NewsTech. Following its entry into the Japanese market, they are planning business expansion to Mainland China.
Here in Japan, we have seen several startups competing in this space, including planBCD, Growth Push, and Fello. With 5Rocks now also in the arena, these startups will be forced to be deliver even better features moving forward.
(Thanks to beSUCCESS for pointing out this one, and for image above)
Masaru Ikeda
Junya Mori
Yukari Mitsuhashi
Takeshi Hirano
