Since its launch in 2011, Quan has launched smartphone app MyStickerShop in partnership with Thailand’s leading telco AIS, as well as developed the Japanese versions of popular mobile games from Thai developers such as Kiragames, PocketPlayLab, and PromptNow. The company fundraised an undisclosed sum from Japanese e-commerce giant Netprice.com and investment company East Ventures in 2012. In August this year, Quan invested in Bangkok-based game startup Magic Box Asia.
This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese. Ietty is a Japanese startup that provides an alternative to conventional house hunting. The startup announced today that it has fundraised about 200 million yen ($1.86 million) from YJ Capital and Incubate Fund. Coinciding with this, YJ Capital CEO Takao Ozawa and Incubate Fund partner Keisuke Wada will join the management board of the company. See also: Ietty fundraises $500,000, aiming to disrupt Japanese home rental industry When a user submits criteria for a home and a preferred date to visit candidates on the platform, they will receive a selection of property options from real-estate agencies. A user who then visits a property will receive a reward of 1,000 yen ($9.30) from the platform. Ietty was launched in July 2013, and subsequently raised about 50 million yen ($500,000) from I Mercury Capital, the investment arm of Japanese Internet company Mixi, in October of the same year. This June they launched a new service for corporate welfare called Ietty Biz. Ietty CEO Taikhei Ogawa explained recent developments: About 1,000 people use our service every month, and 20% to 30% of them visit property agencies. We ask users who have submitted…
This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese.
Ietty is a Japanese startup that provides an alternative to conventional house hunting. The startup announced today that it has fundraised about 200 million yen ($1.86 million) from YJ Capital and Incubate Fund. Coinciding with this, YJ Capital CEO Takao Ozawa and Incubate Fund partner Keisuke Wada will join the management board of the company.
When a user submits criteria for a home and a preferred date to visit candidates on the platform, they will receive a selection of property options from real-estate agencies. A user who then visits a property will receive a reward of 1,000 yen ($9.30) from the platform.
Ietty was launched in July 2013, and subsequently raised about 50 million yen ($500,000) from I Mercury Capital, the investment arm of Japanese Internet company Mixi, in October of the same year. This June they launched a new service for corporate welfare called Ietty Biz.
Ietty CEO Taikhei Ogawa explained recent developments:
About 1,000 people use our service every month, and 20% to 30% of them visit property agencies. We ask users who have submitted strict criteria in finding a home to loosen their requirements so that they will be more likely to find good candidates. We are monitoring these tendencies with the aim to automate the process.
On the corporate service, Ietty Biz has acquired about 40 clients, including listed IT companies, for as short as four months since the launch, which is more than expected, Ogawa says.
Some users (employees working in a corporate client) have decided their relocation using Ietty Biz. When a corporate client opts for a new home through our service, word spreads in the company and more users use our service. New companies, where employees are typically young and are likely to relocate many times, have an affinity for our service. However, we want to reach out to more established companies.
The company will use the funds to hire staff and strengthen sales, especially for supporting property agencies that use the platform.
See the original story in Japanese. Many startups offer platforms that allow users to develop outputs without the need for special skills, such as Monaca (developing mobile apps only with web app development skills) and Prott (prototyping mobile apps only with design skills). Zugyuuun, which was showcased at the recent Samurai Venture Summit event, gives users the tools to develop connected hardware devices that only require HTML and JavaScript coding skills. A new API called Milkcocoa eliminates back-end environment management operations for web developers. From an engineering perspective, the expansion of cloud services has reduced the need to visit data centers to set up or tune-up servers. But many back-end operations remain, such as maintaining server instances, so that front-end apps can keep properly serving users. An engineer may have to handle both front-end and back-end environments at several small startups. An engineer that is focused on the front-end of developing services may get into trouble to adjust the back-end environment. A small company may not be able to afford to hire someone to handle this task. Milkcocoa is the answer for such a situation. When developing a web app having a feature like login or a user-to-user messaging system,…
From the left: Technical Rockstars CEO Shuhei Hiya, and CMO Yohei Kawano
Many startups offer platforms that allow users to develop outputs without the need for special skills, such as Monaca (developing mobile apps only with web app development skills) and Prott (prototyping mobile apps only with design skills). Zugyuuun, which was showcased at the recent Samurai Venture Summit event, gives users the tools to develop connected hardware devices that only require HTML and JavaScript coding skills.
A new API called Milkcocoa eliminates back-end environment management operations for web developers. From an engineering perspective, the expansion of cloud services has reduced the need to visit data centers to set up or tune-up servers. But many back-end operations remain, such as maintaining server instances, so that front-end apps can keep properly serving users.
An engineer may have to handle both front-end and back-end environments at several small startups. An engineer that is focused on the front-end of developing services may get into trouble to adjust the back-end environment. A small company may not be able to afford to hire someone to handle this task. Milkcocoa is the answer for such a situation.
When developing a web app having a feature like login or a user-to-user messaging system, data sets (e.g., user ID or password) are usually stored in a database like MySQL or PostgreSQL in the open source environment. Special skills are needed to manage a database so that a web app and database can exchange data. But Milkcocoa allows a user to forget about processes around a database because these functions become possible by simply coding JavaScript functions. The Milkcocoa platform has a web-based dashboard that allows the maintenance of sets of login IDs and passwords in order to control user access to an app, which will enable the development of a simple app without a database environment, but only with web server components like Apache.
The platform was developed by Japanese startup Technical Rockstars, led by Shuhei Hiya. He was qualified in a Mitou Youth project and officially approved as a “super creator” in 2010 by Japanese governmental IT promotion agency IPA. Technical Rockstars was previously based in Fukuoka because many team members are graduates of Kyushu University, where they created app development tools for non-programmers, such as diagram-based coding environment Clooca (somewhat like Yahoo Pipes?) and Dataflow programming language FLOWer. Upon the beta launch of the Milkcocoa platform in August, they relocated to Shibuya, Tokyo, to explore funding opportunities and partnerships with other startups.
Hiya outlined their plans:
We only have a freemium version, but we are planning to launch a premium version in January or February next year. The premium version will give users an option of auto-scale out, which adds a number of virtual nodes automatically in accordance with a traffic balance to your app. Furthermore, it will also enable user authentication using Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts by merely inserting a line of JavaScript code to your app.
Milkcocoa uses AWS (Amazon Web Services) as their back-end environment. To provide users with the auto-scale out function, Milkcocoa will have to pay more to AWS for adding active instances. To cover this expense, Milkcocoa will need to raise money from investors.
CMO Yohei Kawano elaborated:
Our corporate philosophy is to make app creation easy. We want more startups to use Milkcocoa. That’s why we expect to attract investors with a vast network of startups rather than money.
There is great demand for this type of service in the global market. Y Combinator-backed Firebase and Facebook-acquired Parse might be competitors for the Technical Rockstars team, but these US-based platforms are primarily targeting the US market. So the Japanese startup aims to expand to Asia after launching the premium version. Their website, tutorials, and technical documents are available in English in preparation for the upcoming global expansion.
CEO Hiya will pitch at HTML5Minutes, a startup showcase event in Harumi, Tokyo, on Monday evening.
Japan’s Nikkei reported earlier this morning that Japanese telco KDDI will partner with 11 internet companies to provide the former company’s subscribers with an integrated portal menu. By integrating a user base of 40 million monthly visitors in total using services provided by these companies, KDDI wants to compete against Yahoo Japan which has one of the largest user bases in the Japanese internet industry. The article says that partnering companies include Weathernews, iStyle (a company behind cosmetics buzz site @Cosme), and Navitime Japan (transit navigation and updates), AppBroadcast (a company behind game media site GameGift, Natasha (a company behind j-pop culture site Natalie, acquired by KDDI in August), Hatena (social bookmark service), and Luxa (funraised from KDDI in October last year). These companies will share an integrated common menu and user profiles, where one can hop around web services by these companies without entering personal information even when required. Integrated services will be provided for KDDI subscribers in addition to smartphone users subscribing to other companies like NTT Docomo and Softbank. Through this integration and partnership, for instance, once a business trip using a calendar app is arranged, it will provide seamless access for finding the best transit route…
Japan’s Nikkei reported earlier this morning that Japanese telco KDDI will partner with 11 internet companies to provide the former company’s subscribers with an integrated portal menu. By integrating a user base of 40 million monthly visitors in total using services provided by these companies, KDDI wants to compete against Yahoo Japan which has one of the largest user bases in the Japanese internet industry.
These companies will share an integrated common menu and user profiles, where one can hop around web services by these companies without entering personal information even when required. Integrated services will be provided for KDDI subscribers in addition to smartphone users subscribing to other companies like NTT Docomo and Softbank.
Through this integration and partnership, for instance, once a business trip using a calendar app is arranged, it will provide seamless access for finding the best transit route or checking weather update for the destination using third-party services, similarly to what Google makes possible alone in a seamless single interface.
In a series of these partnering efforts, KDDI also announced that it has acquired Nanapi (lifehack site operator, we learned that it has been acquired for about $72.6 million through our recent interview.) and BitSeller (mobile app developer). Furthermore, KDDI said it has invested in internet startups like Jorte (calendar app developer) and Vasily (a company behind fashion coordination app iQON)The total amount of these investments is worth 12 billion yen (about $113 million).
See the original story in Japanese. Space Market lists unused or idle venues and allows users to pick one to rent on demand for business needs such as corporate meetings, shareholder meetings, training courses or other events. They won the top prize at Rising Expo 2014, an annual startup showcase event held by CyberAgent Ventures this August. The company announced today that it has fundraised 100 million yen (or $936,000) from CyberAgent Ventures and Mizuho Capital. According to Space Market’s CEO Daisuke Shigematsu, they will use the funds to strengthen engineering as well as sales forces, including developing apps and acquiring more venues, in addition to providing a concierge service. Furthermore, they plan to promote partnering with in-company training providers, event planners, ad agencies plus catering service providers. They have listed more than 775 venues to date, including sailing vessel Miraie, Excel Air Service‘s heliport, Tokyo Bay’s uninhabited island Sarushima, and old Japanese-style houses in the historic village of Shirakawa-go. They have partnered with established companies like Sumitomo Fudosan, Tokyu Land, and Culture Convenience Club. It will be interesting to see how they will proceed towards their vision where they want to create a new value by giving users access to any venue in the world.
Space Market lists unused or idle venues and allows users to pick one to rent on demand for business needs such as corporate meetings, shareholder meetings, training courses or other events. They won the top prize at Rising Expo 2014, an annual startup showcase event held by CyberAgent Ventures this August.
The company announced today that it has fundraised 100 million yen (or $936,000) from CyberAgent Ventures and Mizuho Capital. According to Space Market’s CEO Daisuke Shigematsu, they will use the funds to strengthen engineering as well as sales forces, including developing apps and acquiring more venues, in addition to providing a concierge service.
Furthermore, they plan to promote partnering with in-company training providers, event planners, ad agencies plus catering service providers. They have listed more than 775 venues to date, including sailing vessel Miraie, Excel Air Service‘s heliport, Tokyo Bay’s uninhabited island Sarushima, and old Japanese-style houses in the historic village of Shirakawa-go.
They have partnered with established companies like Sumitomo Fudosan, Tokyu Land, and Culture Convenience Club. It will be interesting to see how they will proceed towards their vision where they want to create a new value by giving users access to any venue in the world.
An old Japanese-style house in the historic village of Shirakawa-go.
See the original story in Japanese. In August, Tokyo-based financial advisory startup Zuu fundraised 105 million yen (about $1 million) from four angel investors including Japan’s mobile i-mode web service inventor Takeshi Natsuno. Another news recently came in from the company. Zuu recently announced that it has appointed Masaki Goto, the former CTO at Japanese learning startup Best Teacher, as CTO. In addition to the fact that Japan’s governmental IT promotion agency heralded him as a “talented genius” in the computer industry with his learning management system project, he’s also known for conducting at Ryukyu Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Okinawa. Goto joined Zuu as a technical advisor to the board in July but he committed to the team upon the appointment at this time. Since its launch last April, Zuu has not been exposed to media much, so I have had no opportunity to hear from them despite many years of acquittance with the company’s CEO, Kazunari Tomita. Inviting such a talented engineer like Goto, what is Zuu trying to do? We had an opportunity to hear from Tomita and Goto at their office. Financial services for consumers ranging from banking and brokerage to insurance are called retail finance. The internet penetration makes them possible to complete transactions online, in ways like online banking and online stock trading as well as online insurance…
From the left: Zuu CEO Kazunari Tomita, newly-appointed CTO Masaki Goto
In August, Tokyo-based financial advisory startup Zuufundraised 105 million yen (about $1 million) from four angel investors including Japan’s mobile i-mode web service inventor Takeshi Natsuno. Another news recently came in from the company.
Zuu recently announced that it has appointed Masaki Goto, the former CTO at Japanese learning startup Best Teacher, as CTO. In addition to the fact that Japan’s governmental IT promotion agency heralded him as a “talented genius” in the computer industry with his learning management system project, he’s also known for conducting at Ryukyu Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Okinawa.
Goto joined Zuu as a technical advisor to the board in July but he committed to the team upon the appointment at this time. Since its launch last April, Zuu has not been exposed to media much, so I have had no opportunity to hear from them despite many years of acquittance with the company’s CEO, Kazunari Tomita.
Inviting such a talented engineer like Goto, what is Zuu trying to do? We had an opportunity to hear from Tomita and Goto at their office.
Financial services for consumers ranging from banking and brokerage to insurance are called retail finance. The internet penetration makes them possible to complete transactions online, in ways like online banking and online stock trading as well as online insurance services. These are beneficial for providers in absorbing operational costs, in addition for consumers in terms of convenience in that they don’t need to visit a store.
However, this kind of financial products sold online requires consumers to have a high literacy in purchasing and ordering. It may give you a high flexibility of choice in favorable perspective, but you need to completely judge yourself in choosing which financial services you will adopt.
Seen globally, only 20% of financial services are provided via direct sales channels. The remaining 80% are sold via indirect sales channels from financial planners to insurance canvassers. It means the majority of consumers buying these financial products require someone’s advice upon purchase. No matter how things change along with time, the need to sell financial services via indirect sales channels will never disappear.
Zuu provides a matchmaking platform that connects consumers who want to buy financial services via indirect sales channels and providers like financial planners giving advice or selling these products. To date, while users have had to depend on their friends to find a good advisor, these advisors have had no way to approach their potential customers.
Having Goto as CTO, Zuu is trying to develop the core of this matchmaking platform. Tomita elaborated what they want to proceed from here:
Our business is connecting businesses and consumers. To make it possible, we developed a system of gathering advisors and launched 10 media sites for engaging consumers. We cannot disclose the details at the moment, but we’ll be working on a platform that keeps a tight grasp on consumers, which will be launched during the period from this year-end to the beginning of next year.
Zuu targets consumers with net financial assets worth ranging from $280,000 to $4.7 million, which means they are not super-millionaire but in the upper middle class that have some money in their bank accounts. In terms of market scale, they are 10 million out of all 50 million households in Japan, so 20% of all households in the country are Zuu’s potential customers.
Hearing from Tomita and Goto, I came up with an idea that there’s a tendency commonly seen in typical fintech startups. As we previously heard from Crowdcast about their business, there are typically existing giants that target the top tier of a pyramid of users. Those in the bottom layer manage themselves so they are unlikely to use convenient advisory services. Therefore startups can find a huge market potential in the middle range.
However, you wouldn’t expect so much on sales per customer in the middle-range tier. To make your business profitable, you will need to leverage crowdsourced forces and provide your services more efficiently. At the bottom line, Zuu targets the middle-tier customers in financial services while Crowdcast wants to acquire that in the expense reimbursement market.
Goto is devoting himself to development with his team members.
As you can easily assume from the fact that Zuu has as many as ten media sites, they have been focused on content development to date. They have exceeded one million monthly unique users in total, thus we can see they are one of the biggest operators of money issue-focused websites.
While Zuu is about a 25-person team including full-time and part-time workers as well as interns, only about five to six people out of them are being committed to systems development under Goto. However, to accelerate development of the aforementioned platform, they are currently strengthening the engineering team, so the number of their engineers will exceed that of non-engineers soon.
Goto elaborated how they will acquire talented engineers:
Engineers who want to keep up with trends typically start their careers at a systems integration company, then hop around giants like Google or gaming developers, and now they are set for fintch startups. They may go to the healcare or IoT (Internet of Things) space later on, but I think people who want to do something new are gathering around fintech startups.
While it’s quite difficult to hire engineers in the startup scene, fintech startups may be more likely to gather good people because this is the hottest space not only for entrepreneurs and investors but also for engineers. It will be interesting to see what service Zuu will launch during the period from this to next year.
Masaru Ikeda
Junya Mori
Yukari Mitsuhashi
