Forkwell was launched as a service by Grooves, a Garbs subsidiary, fundraised an undisclosed sum from CyberAgent Ventures in November of 2011, and subsequently 60 million yen (about $600,000) from Nippon Venture Capital in April of 2012.
While Garbs had been operating Crowd Agent, a platform that connects non-engineer job seekers with recruiting agents, Grooves had been operating engineer-focused recruiting site Forkwell. But the two companies thought that these two businesses can be operated under the same roof, and Garbs was merged into Grooves this April upon approvals from their existing investors.
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Shelfy, the company that operates a platform connecting renovation companies and retail store owners, announced on Friday that it has secured seed funding from East Ventures. Funding details have not been disclosed but it’s likely worth around a six-digit number in US dollars. See also: Japan’s Shelfy helps restaurant owners get better deals on renovations On the platform, store owners willing to renovate their interiors can invite tenders from renovation companies and compare their estimates before making an order. The company’s CEO Shunki Roy found that there are larger market needs in this sector than he had expected before launching the service. Roy explained: Most orders about renovating stores ranging from 130 to 200 square meters in size abound. Because the size of their budgets varies, our commission ranges widely, from $1,000 to $10,000. When we launched the service, we intended to focus more on scaling up our business and acquiring as many store owners and renovation companies as possible. But we will carefully select and acquire from both sides of these. To streamline the matching process, they found that they should carefully handpick store owners and renovation companies allowed to join the platform. That’s because acquiring skillful finishers while avoiding tire kickers…
Tokyo-based Shelfy, the company that operates a platform connecting renovation companies and retail store owners, announced on Friday that it has secured seed funding from East Ventures. Funding details have not been disclosed but it’s likely worth around a six-digit number in US dollars.
On the platform, store owners willing to renovate their interiors can invite tenders from renovation companies and compare their estimates before making an order. The company’s CEO Shunki Roy found that there are larger market needs in this sector than he had expected before launching the service. Roy explained:
Most orders about renovating stores ranging from 130 to 200 square meters in size abound. Because the size of their budgets varies, our commission ranges widely, from $1,000 to $10,000.
When we launched the service, we intended to focus more on scaling up our business and acquiring as many store owners and renovation companies as possible. But we will carefully select and acquire from both sides of these.
To streamline the matching process, they found that they should carefully handpick store owners and renovation companies allowed to join the platform. That’s because acquiring skillful finishers while avoiding tire kickers from among the store owners is a must.
Their business is already monetizable. But that’s not only the reason why East Ventures’ Taiga Matsuyama has invested in Shelfy. He said:
I think that Shunki is suitable for this kind of business because he is tough, a survivor. Replacing a conventional business with an online service is very hard to do. So the founder has to be a tough guy.
We want to massively invest in more startups improving real business related to necessities of life.
We’ve recently seen not only online-completition services but also startups solving issues in the real world. Shelfy looks to realize optimization of costs upon renovation.
Shelfy currently serves the greater Tokyo metropolis, which has some 6,000 retail stores opening each year. The company aims to serve 20% of all these store, handling 100 renovation projects a month via the platform annually.
This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese. Tokyo-based Exiii, a company that develops functional prosthetic hand Handiii, started its crowdfunding campaign on Japanese crowdfunding site Kibidango on Monday, and has reached the funding goal of 1 million yen (about $8,400) in only five days. See also: Japan’s Exiii unveils teaser page for functional prosthetic hand In view of Japanese startups developing assistive devices, Whill, the Japanese startup behind the smart wheelchair under the same name, got its start by raising money on Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire. Having introduced its first prototype in late 2011, Whill was qualified by 500 Startups to join its incubation program and subsequently secured two major funding rounds from investors. The company aims to ship 2,000 wheelchairs by the end of 2015. The Exiii team is developing the second-generation model of the prosthetic hand series called Handiii Coyote. At the Maker Faire event recently held in Tokyo, their clinical trial user Mr. Morikawa demonstrated the prototype. He is expected to use the device developed through the crowdfunding campaign. Exiii CEO Genta Kondo spoke about their work: While the previous device needed to be operated by our development team rather than the user,…
This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese.
Tokyo-based Exiii, a company that develops functional prosthetic hand Handiii, started its crowdfunding campaign on Japanese crowdfunding site Kibidango on Monday, and has reached the funding goal of 1 million yen (about $8,400) in only five days.
In view of Japanese startups developing assistive devices, Whill, the Japanese startup behind the smart wheelchair under the same name, got its start by raising money on Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire. Having introduced its first prototype in late 2011, Whill was qualified by 500 Startups to join its incubation program and subsequently secured two major funding rounds from investors. The company aims to ship 2,000 wheelchairs by the end of 2015.
The Exiii team is developing the second-generation model of the prosthetic hand series called Handiii Coyote. At the Maker Faire event recently held in Tokyo, their clinical trial user Mr. Morikawa demonstrated the prototype. He is expected to use the device developed through the crowdfunding campaign.
Exiii CEO Genta Kondo spoke about their work:
While the previous device needed to be operated by our development team rather than the user, the new device can be controlled entirely by the user. Thanks to Mr. Morikawa, who demonstrated the device by controlling it himself, it drew great interest from the audience at the Maker Faire event.
Mr. Morikawa only spent about 10 minutes to learn how to use the prosthetic hand. Thanks to Mr. Morikawa’s demonstration, I think that he will help us close the gap between handicapped and non-handicapped people.
There are 53 days more to go until the crowdfunding campaign closes, so it will be interesting to see how much money Exiii manages to raise.
Tokyo-based Loyalty Marketing, the company that operates Japanese loyalty and rewards platform Ponta, announced on Friday that it will launch the localized version of the service in Indonesia from spring of 2015. The company is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (TSE:8058), a major Japanese trading company as well as the parent company of convenience store chain Lawson. Since its launch in 2010, the platform has acquired over 66 million consumers as users. It allows users to earn rewards by presenting a Ponta card at a storefront of participating retail chains, such as convenience stores, restaurants, and gas stations. Loyal Marketing plans to set up a local operating company called PT. Global Loyalty Indonesia in West Jakarta and launch the Ponta platform for local consumers next Spring. More than 10,700 retail stores from 10 brands under 8 companies are expected to participate in the program, which includes Alfamart convenience store chain, Dan Dan health and beauty stores, Solaria restaurants, and Es Teler 77 restaurants. A rival program, T-Point, is being pushed by Culture Convenience Club and has about 50 million members in Japan. It was joined by Yahoo Japan last year. See also: Japanese entertainment retail conglomerate launches startup incubation program Recruit Holdings, one of Japan’s larger Internet service and employment service companies, announced in April that it…
Tokyo-based Loyalty Marketing, the company that operates Japanese loyalty and rewards platform Ponta, announced on Friday that it will launch the localized version of the service in Indonesia from spring of 2015. The company is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (TSE:8058), a major Japanese trading company as well as the parent company of convenience store chain Lawson.
Since its launch in 2010, the platform has acquired over 66 million consumers as users. It allows users to earn rewards by presenting a Ponta card at a storefront of participating retail chains, such as convenience stores, restaurants, and gas stations.
Loyal Marketing plans to set up a local operating company called PT. Global Loyalty Indonesia in West Jakarta and launch the Ponta platform for local consumers next Spring. More than 10,700 retail stores from 10 brands under 8 companies are expected to participate in the program, which includes Alfamart convenience store chain, Dan Dan health and beauty stores, Solaria restaurants, and Es Teler 77 restaurants.
A rival program, T-Point, is being pushed by Culture Convenience Club and has about 50 million members in Japan. It was joined by Yahoo Japan last year.
Recruit Holdings, one of Japan’s larger Internet service and employment service companies, announced in April that it joined the Ponta program and started providing their customers with rewards points using it. Kiip, a mobile rewards platform offered by San Francisco-based startup, also partnered with Ponta with assistance from Digital Garage (JASDAQ:4819), one of the Kiip investors.
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based startup-focused investment firm Global Brain announced yesterday that it has invested an undisclosed sum in Japanese startup 16Lab, the hardware developer behind ring-shaped wearable device Ozon. Ozon is a gesture control device that fits on a user’s finger and allows the control of devices or appliances such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, TVs, and lighting fixtures. Top developers not only from Japan but also from other countries including Estonia and Spain are participating in the development project. 16Lab has partnered with Alps Electric (TSE:6770) and other established manufacturers in the fields of semiconductors, batteries, and chemicals to develop the device in a way of open innovation. The device’s interface was created under the direction of noted designer Manabu Tago of MTDO. 16Lab plans to start shipping the first generation of the product next summer in eight countries. Prototypes of the Ozon device was exhibited at showcase events like CEATEC 2014 and Any Tokyo recently, and drew great interest from industry watchers and consumers. To assure the best quality in order to provide the best user experience, all sensors and electronic parts in the device are made in Japan. For hardware startups, a big issue will…
Tokyo-based startup-focused investment firm Global Brain announced yesterday that it has invested an undisclosed sum in Japanese startup 16Lab, the hardware developer behind ring-shaped wearable device Ozon.
Ozon is a gesture control device that fits on a user’s finger and allows the control of devices or appliances such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, TVs, and lighting fixtures. Top developers not only from Japan but also from other countries including Estonia and Spain are participating in the development project. 16Lab has partnered with Alps Electric (TSE:6770) and other established manufacturers in the fields of semiconductors, batteries, and chemicals to develop the device in a way of open innovation.
The device’s interface was created under the direction of noted designer Manabu Tago of MTDO. 16Lab plans to start shipping the first generation of the product next summer in eight countries.
Prototypes of the Ozon device was exhibited at showcase events like CEATEC 2014 and Any Tokyo recently, and drew great interest from industry watchers and consumers. To assure the best quality in order to provide the best user experience, all sensors and electronic parts in the device are made in Japan. For hardware startups, a big issue will be to gain the reliability of their products with few resources because the repeated process of endurance tests and improvements require continuous operations, so partnering with big companies in this sector is key.
Logbar’s Ring may be a competitor for Ozon. THE BRIDGE may test these devices in the future and report on which one offers the best user experience.
See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Bitbank, previously known as Bitcheck, launched a Bitcoin-based rewards redemption platform called “Bitcoin Get” on Tuesday. On the Bitcoin Get platform, users can get rewards in bitcoin in return for actions that advertisers propose such as encouraging users to install an app or sign up for a service. Bitcoin Get is available via PC and smartphone, and the company is developing an Android version. Bitbank lists 700 to 1,000 actions from advertisers at all times through partnerships with rewards agencies. Bitbank is known for having placed a Bitcoin ATM at a restaurant in Roppongi in May. Subsequently they have introduced Bitbank Wallet, a payments processing service called Bitbank Pay. According to Bitbank CMO Yuji Kusunoki, they foresee that their Bitcoin-based rewards platform can differentiate from conventional rewards platform in several aspects. He explained: In contrast to conventional rewards platforms serving “rewards junkies”, our platform has a large user base of finance-savvy people, which may change the demographics of advertisers using us from encouraging users to install apps or sign up for a new service to introducing new financial services. With the launch of Bitcoin Get, we aim to reach potential users who don’t buy…
Tokyo-based Bitbank, previously known as Bitcheck, launched a Bitcoin-based rewards redemption platform called “Bitcoin Get” on Tuesday. On the Bitcoin Get platform, users can get rewards in bitcoin in return for actions that advertisers propose such as encouraging users to install an app or sign up for a service. Bitcoin Get is available via PC and smartphone, and the company is developing an Android version.
Bitbank lists 700 to 1,000 actions from advertisers at all times through partnerships with rewards agencies. Bitbank is known for having placed a Bitcoin ATM at a restaurant in Roppongi in May. Subsequently they have introduced Bitbank Wallet, a payments processing service called Bitbank Pay.
According to Bitbank CMO Yuji Kusunoki, they foresee that their Bitcoin-based rewards platform can differentiate from conventional rewards platform in several aspects. He explained:
In contrast to conventional rewards platforms serving “rewards junkies”, our platform has a large user base of finance-savvy people, which may change the demographics of advertisers using us from encouraging users to install apps or sign up for a new service to introducing new financial services.
With the launch of Bitcoin Get, we aim to reach potential users who don’t buy but are interested in using Bitcoins if given away. In this way, we are keen to expand the range of Bitcoin users.
This has not disclosed but the company has fundraised from several angel investors in Japan as well as Southeast Asian countries. While Japan has many convenient payment solutions, which make the convenience of digital currencies less outstanding. Bitbank plans to expand to regions where payments solutions are yet to be modernized.