news

Japan’s Lancers raises $9M from HR giant and bank, offers loans to freelance workers

Lancers

Takeshi Hirano 2018.01.24

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Lancers, the Japanese startup providing a major crowdsourcing platform under the same name, announced last month that it had raised 1 billion yen (about $9 million) from Persol Holdings (TSE:2181) and Shinsei Bank (TSE:8303). Concluding business partnership contracts with both companies concurrently, Lancers will commence its new financing business targeting freelance workers. According to Lancers, the current number of freelancers in Japan is 11.22 million comprising 17% of the entire working population, showing a 5% increase from last year. It is said that more and more Japanese workers are coming to choose a ‘new work style’ which is neither full-time nor contract work. On the other hand, Persol Group, one of the investors this time, has developed various businesses that enhance job mobility of the Japanese working population, by using temporary staff company Tempstaff (TSE:2476) or staffing agency Persol Career (TSE:4757, formerly known as Intelligence) that it owns. While the two companies had been affiliated through investment via Persol Career, by adding Shinsei Bank into this framework, they aim to develop and provide a new loan service to individual workers who need equipment investment or education / training upon starting new business. At…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Lancers, the Japanese startup providing a major crowdsourcing platform under the same name, announced last month that it had raised 1 billion yen (about $9 million) from Persol Holdings (TSE:2181) and Shinsei Bank (TSE:8303). Concluding business partnership contracts with both companies concurrently, Lancers will commence its new financing business targeting freelance workers.

According to Lancers, the current number of freelancers in Japan is 11.22 million comprising 17% of the entire working population, showing a 5% increase from last year. It is said that more and more Japanese workers are coming to choose a ‘new work style’ which is neither full-time nor contract work. On the other hand, Persol Group, one of the investors this time, has developed various businesses that enhance job mobility of the Japanese working population, by using temporary staff company Tempstaff (TSE:2476) or staffing agency Persol Career (TSE:4757, formerly known as Intelligence) that it owns.

While the two companies had been affiliated through investment via Persol Career, by adding Shinsei Bank into this framework, they aim to develop and provide a new loan service to individual workers who need equipment investment or education / training upon starting new business.

At the press conference held last April, Lancers announced that its sales in 2016 exceeded 2.1 billion yen and then revealed a new concept of Open Talent Platform as its business strategy out of an otherwise conventional online work matching platform. It presented several action plans for gearing up of its service operation as part of the concept, such as start of individual skill matching platform Pook or the spin-off of Quant for corporate customers.

See also:

The loan business to individuals announced this time is an extension of the concept, and is expected to be a system enabling individual workers to receive credit examination or third-party evaluation as with full-time workers. Specifically, they plan to visualize individual workers’ skill or work style as ‘Talent Score’ based on evaluation data accumulated by Persol Group or Lancers, and input it into business activities leveraging Shinsei Bank’s financial know-how.

Yohsuke Akiyoshi, CEO of Lancers, explained that the firm will jointly develop Talent Score as an evaluation criterion for the establishment of ‘Lancer Economies’:

Our cumulative fundraised amount is 2.3 billion yen (about $21 million) including this round. I see the two companies as partners to establish Talent Score together in order to increase freelancers’ working option under the framework of Open Talent Platform.

With Persol Holdings, we will jointly develop an evaluation system of freelancer’s work style and skill. Even in Lancers or Persol, full-time workers taking up freelance works as side jobs have been appearing.

Akiyoshi said the kind of workers that are expected to benefit most through this business partnership is those who hold full-time jobs and freelance work concurrently, called ‘parallel worker’:

Conventionally, work contents or performance evaluation were completely separated between the main job and the extra job.

However, in the economic area we are going to create, users can receive higher salary in their main job reflecting feedback of the subsidiary job performance at Lancers, or vice versa.

With the other partner Shinsei Bank, Lancers plans to carry out activities related to credit examination based on the score, according to Akiyoshi:

We also develop Talent Score with Shinsei Bank. Although Lancers has own unique data, the bank has a strength in individual credit data in terms of quality and quantity.

By cooperating with the institution, we will upgrade Talent Score and invest in Lancers users who are scored at a certain level, in order to change the current situation where it is harder for freelancers to borrow money than full-time workers. Imagine how we can improve their work style together as well as their life generally.

With respect to the concept of scoring individuals, Japan’s Crowd Works had also announced a similar lending service called Crowd Cash. The two players seem to lead the construction of infrastructure surrounding the Japanese new work style now in formation.

Translated by Taijiro Takeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japanese HRTech startup SmartHR secures $13M series B from Tokio Marine, Nissen

SmartHR

Masaru Ikeda 2018.01.23

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based SmartHR, the Japanese startup offering a cloud-based personnel management service under the same name, announced today that it has raised 1.5 billion yen (about $13.3 million US) in a series B round. This round was conducted through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by 500 Startups Japan with participation from Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, ad agency Nissen (TSE:6543), three unnamed institutional investors and corporate venture capitals, as well as angel investors. See also: Japan’s cloud-based personnel management tool SmartHR secures $5M from WiL, others At the press briefing at SmartHR’s new office in Tokyo, James Riney, Head of 500 Startups Japan, explained about how useful the new funding scheme is for startups, especially for their management: When a startup is raising funds, their management usually needs to be committed to that effort for three to six months to secure it. (In case of SmartHR,) I told Miyasa-san (CEO of SmartHR) to believe us that we’ll definitely gather investors in his stead. Ryo Tamaki, who previously worked for Tokyo-based startup incubator Samurai Incubate but recently joined SmartHR as CFO, said that the new scheme enabled them to secure funding in as short…

L to R: Takayuki Sumi (Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance), Yohei Sawayama (Managing Partner, 500 Startups Japan), Shoji Miyata (CEO, SmartHR), James Riney (Head, 500 Startups Japan), Ryo Tamaki (CFO, SmartHR)
Image credit: Masaru Ikeda

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based SmartHR, the Japanese startup offering a cloud-based personnel management service under the same name, announced today that it has raised 1.5 billion yen (about $13.3 million US) in a series B round. This round was conducted through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by 500 Startups Japan with participation from Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, ad agency Nissen (TSE:6543), three unnamed institutional investors and corporate venture capitals, as well as angel investors.

See also:

Japan’s cloud-based personnel management tool SmartHR secures $5M from WiL, others

At the press briefing at SmartHR’s new office in Tokyo, James Riney, Head of 500 Startups Japan, explained about how useful the new funding scheme is for startups, especially for their management:

When a startup is raising funds, their management usually needs to be committed to that effort for three to six months to secure it. (In case of SmartHR,) I told Miyasa-san (CEO of SmartHR) to believe us that we’ll definitely gather investors in his stead.

Ryo Tamaki, who previously worked for Tokyo-based startup incubator Samurai Incubate but recently joined SmartHR as CFO, said that the new scheme enabled them to secure funding in as short as about a month and the labor required was about a quarter of the usual fundraising efforts.

The SPV scheme
Image credit: Masaru Ikeda

Shoji Miyata, CEO of SmartHR, revealed several figures seeing the growth of his business such as 17.1% of monthly sales growth rate and 6.28 times of YoY user growth rate, plus 9,300 corporate users with 99.3% of user persistency rate.

The latest funds are intended to be used for advertising (airing TV commercial, attending exhibitions, running online and transportation ads) and system development (hiring and employing developers). In addition to the current service menu, the company expects to develop up-sell products and a one-stop platform serving surrounding related solutions together, while driving potential customers to financial services such as company pension plans and “benefit-your-locality” tax scheme businesses.

SmartHR CEO shows the press user growth and persistency rate.
Image credit: Masaru Ikeda

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japanese video recipe app Kurashiru secures $30M in funding from Softbank, others

Masaru Ikeda 2018.01.22

The Japanese startup Dely, which runs video-centric culinary media Kurashiru, announced today that it has raised 3.35 billion yen (about $30 million US) from Softbank, YJ Capital (investment arm of Yahoo Japan), Akatsuki and United. YJ Capital and United have taken part in the previous round. In terms of the funding amount, the latest round let Dely beat its main rival Every, the company behind Delish Kitchen, which had recently secured $18 million in last year’s end. According to disclosed figures, Dely has raised more than $60 million in total while Delish Kitchen has secured about $50 million to date. Dely will use the funds to strengthen hiring and marketing efforts, while undertaking new businesses build-up and putting acquisition of other companies into consideration. Coinciding with the announcement, the company unveiled that their mobile app has surpassed 10 million downloads last month. Dely was established in April of 2014. In September of the same year the Tokyo-based company received funding from Anri and began a food delivery business as the inaugural service. However, after judging the outlook for such services difficult, around February of 2016 the firm pivoted to video curation media, which became the model for their current business….

The Japanese startup Dely, which runs video-centric culinary media Kurashiru, announced today that it has raised 3.35 billion yen (about $30 million US) from Softbank, YJ Capital (investment arm of Yahoo Japan), Akatsuki and United. YJ Capital and United have taken part in the previous round.

In terms of the funding amount, the latest round let Dely beat its main rival Every, the company behind Delish Kitchen, which had recently secured $18 million in last year’s end. According to disclosed figures, Dely has raised more than $60 million in total while Delish Kitchen has secured about $50 million to date.

Dely will use the funds to strengthen hiring and marketing efforts, while undertaking new businesses build-up and putting acquisition of other companies into consideration. Coinciding with the announcement, the company unveiled that their mobile app has surpassed 10 million downloads last month.

Dely was established in April of 2014. In September of the same year the Tokyo-based company received funding from Anri and began a food delivery business as the inaugural service. However, after judging the outlook for such services difficult, around February of 2016 the firm pivoted to video curation media, which became the model for their current business.

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japanese asset management startup Folio raises $63M in series A2, partners with Line

Folio

Masaru Ikeda 2018.01.18

Tokyo-based Folio, the Japanese startup offering an online asset management platform, announced today that it has raised 7 billion yen (about $63 million US) in a series A2 round. Participating investors are Line, Goldman Sachs, Dentsu Ventures, Mitsui & Co., SMBC Venture Capital, DCM Ventures and Draper Nexus Ventures. With previous funds in a seed round and a series A round conducted last year, the company has raised a total of 9.1 billion yen (about $82 million US) since its launch. Apart from the funding, Folio has partnered with messaging giant Line to give access to the startup’s investment services for the massive user base of 71 million monthly active users in Japan on the the latter’s messaging platform. Foilo also says it will launch an in-house R&D department focused on developing services leveraging Machine Learning, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT for short, also known as blockchain) and other emerging technologies. See also: Japan’s Folio secures $16 million to help non-savvy investors better trade stocks Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

Tokyo-based Folio, the Japanese startup offering an online asset management platform, announced today that it has raised 7 billion yen (about $63 million US) in a series A2 round. Participating investors are Line, Goldman Sachs, Dentsu Ventures, Mitsui & Co., SMBC Venture Capital, DCM Ventures and Draper Nexus Ventures. With previous funds in a seed round and a series A round conducted last year, the company has raised a total of 9.1 billion yen (about $82 million US) since its launch.

Apart from the funding, Folio has partnered with messaging giant Line to give access to the startup’s investment services for the massive user base of 71 million monthly active users in Japan on the the latter’s messaging platform. Foilo also says it will launch an in-house R&D department focused on developing services leveraging Machine Learning, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT for short, also known as blockchain) and other emerging technologies.

See also:

Japan’s Folio secures $16 million to help non-savvy investors better trade stocks

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japan’s Boostnote secures funding to boost global expansion of GitHub alternative

The Bridge 2018.01.13

This guest post is authored by Masanori Hashimoto, co-founder and CEO of Nulab, the Fukuoka-based startup behind SaaS (software as a service) platforms like Backlog, Cacoo and Typetalk. In addition to managing his startup, he has been involved in various local initiatives encouraging entrepreneurship such as Oreoka.com and Myojo Waraku. See the original story in Japanese. Fukuoka-based Maisin & Co., the Japanese startup developing a programmer tool called Boostnote, recently announced that it has rebranded into BoostIO and raised an undislosed sum from Japanese seed round-focused startup funds Anri and F Ventures in addition to six angel investors. Participating angel investors include several key players on the local startup scene in the western Japan city of Fukuoka such as Shinji Hamauzu (CEO of Aratana) and Shuhei Hiya (Tech Lead of Tsumug, Former Head of Uhuru Technical Rockstars). Junji Murakami, one of the Myojo Waraku startup festival organizers, is helping increase angel investors in the city because he thinks not only VC funds but also angel investors are crucial upon building the local startup community. Other angel investors participating in this round were Masao Ito (CEO of User Local), Shinichi Iwata (Japan head of Atomico and former President of Skype Japan),…

This guest post is authored by Masanori Hashimoto, co-founder and CEO of Nulab, the Fukuoka-based startup behind SaaS (software as a service) platforms like Backlog, Cacoo and Typetalk.

In addition to managing his startup, he has been involved in various local initiatives encouraging entrepreneurship such as Oreoka.com and Myojo Waraku.

L to R: Anri Samata (founder of Anri), Kazumasa Yokomizo (CEO of BoostIO CEO), Choi Junyoung (BoostIO CTO)
Image credit: BoostIO

See the original story in Japanese.

Fukuoka-based Maisin & Co., the Japanese startup developing a programmer tool called Boostnote, recently announced that it has rebranded into BoostIO and raised an undislosed sum from Japanese seed round-focused startup funds Anri and F Ventures in addition to six angel investors.

Participating angel investors include several key players on the local startup scene in the western Japan city of Fukuoka such as Shinji Hamauzu (CEO of Aratana) and Shuhei Hiya (Tech Lead of Tsumug, Former Head of Uhuru Technical Rockstars). Junji Murakami, one of the Myojo Waraku startup festival organizers, is helping increase angel investors in the city because he thinks not only VC funds but also angel investors are crucial upon building the local startup community.

Other angel investors participating in this round were Masao Ito (CEO of User Local), Shinichi Iwata (Japan head of Atomico and former President of Skype Japan), Yusuke Sato (President of FreakOut Holdings) and an unnamed angel investor.

Angel investors participating in this round
Image credit: BoostIO

With native apps for platforms including Macintosh, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, Boostnote allows system developers to save and share their source codes online. The open source project was launched in beta under the previous name of Boost back in 2015 but it has succeeded in engaging contributors from around the world to build up a global community.

Programmers worldwide are now participating in development and improvement of Boostnote, which is also so loosely operated as a warm community that their users can help each others solve questions and bugs. Going forward, the team expects to provide more versatile solutions while verifying technical issues.

Boostnote is characterized by its global spread in both developers and users since almost all developers and 82% of users are based outside Japan. With user access from more than 200 countries, the service has seen a good growth by taking the “global-first” strategy from Day One. In view of a notebook app, many of us will first come up with Evernote but the app has become complicated and heavy because of too many functions that are overloaded and eventually churn existing users. I wish Boostnote maintains simplicity yet still excites programmers.

The BoostIO team has strength not only in software development but also as to community of open source programmers that they have been steadily building. Their co-founders CEO Kazumasa Yokomizo and CTO Choi Junyoung are looking at future workstyle through open source activities while having started stepping toward the next growth under the stealth mode. Just after they finished a meeting with their investors, I had a chance to talk with them. They looked full of energy and told me:

I want to make big things happen within 2018.

Happy new year to all!

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japan’s MiddleField secures $2.2M to drive customer traffic to autoparts makers, shops

Takeshi Hirano 2018.01.13

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based MiddleField, operating the auto parts database website Garage, announced back in December that it had raised 250 million yen ($2.2 million) from Femto Growth Fund 2.0. The detail of the investment including share ratio is not disclosed. Femto Growth Fund 2.0 is managed by Femto Growth Capital where Tetsuya Isozaki acts as General Partner. Garage provides information about auto parts from engine to exterior by category / manufacturer, used for dressing-up or tuning-up of autos for race or enjoyment. When a user chooses a car model on the website, the car is displayed by linking with information about each additional part, allowing him / her to make inquiries for purchasing. Currently, Garage covers 1,500 brands and is tied up with 300 shops which deal with attachable aftermarket parts. Garage does not only provide auto parts information, but also intermediates between purchase wishers and shops supporting mounting work to allow users to get reservation. Shota Nakayama, CEO of MiddleField, says most of its users visit Garage by smartphone: Like other industries, the major inflow path is the search with smartphone shifted from magazine in this field as well, and 80% of our users visit…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based MiddleField, operating the auto parts database website Garage, announced back in December that it had raised 250 million yen ($2.2 million) from Femto Growth Fund 2.0. The detail of the investment including share ratio is not disclosed. Femto Growth Fund 2.0 is managed by Femto Growth Capital where Tetsuya Isozaki acts as General Partner.

Garage provides information about auto parts from engine to exterior by category / manufacturer, used for dressing-up or tuning-up of autos for race or enjoyment. When a user chooses a car model on the website, the car is displayed by linking with information about each additional part, allowing him / her to make inquiries for purchasing.

Currently, Garage covers 1,500 brands and is tied up with 300 shops which deal with attachable aftermarket parts. Garage does not only provide auto parts information, but also intermediates between purchase wishers and shops supporting mounting work to allow users to get reservation. Shota Nakayama, CEO of MiddleField, says most of its users visit Garage by smartphone:

Like other industries, the major inflow path is the search with smartphone shifted from magazine in this field as well, and 80% of our users visit Garage with smartphone. The purchase wishers of auto parts tend to take enough time to consider which parts to choose within the budget. Although they formerly used to collect information mainly from magazines, magazines are not suitable for carrying and covering information only about a part of auto makers, so that they have come to search with smartphone.

The author of this article also likes cars and have purchased such magazines covering parts information (have not attached parts though). As the main information gathering means having shifted from magazine to smartphone, a certain format is needed to overcome problems such as underdevelopment of shops’ website or complexity of information about attachment means or costs, and Garage aims to fill in the blank. According to Nakayama, the firm plans to renew the website early this year.

MiddleField was founded in December of 2015 by Nakayama, who had experienced business development in the racing team Lexus Team Sard which participated in many races, and have developed auto-related media Motorz.

In 2017, with Garage, the firm took part in the Asahi Shimbun Accelerator Program, an acceleration program by the Japanese major newspaper company Asahi Shimbun. After its Demo Day, the service was showcased at Incubate Camp 10th held by Incubate Fund or StarBurst managed by ProtoStar, and was highly evaluated by investors.

Translated by Taijiro Takeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japan’s Jiraffe launches “honesty” app Peing – QuestionBox for global audience

SCORE 1,094

The Bridge 2018.01.09

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Jiraffe announced today that it had launched a so-called “honesty” app for 40 English-speaking markets. The app, dubbed Japan’s answer to Sarahah, is called Peing – QuestionBox with the aim to to help users collect “honest” anonymous feedback from their friends, co-workers and neighbors. Peing was initially launched for Japanese users by freelance engineer Seseri (his real name has not been disclosed) back in November last year. The service saw about 200 million page views in a month from November 2017 to December 2017, and was subsequently acquired by Jiraffe last month. According to the company’s CEO Teruaki Aso, they expect the English version will target U.S., UK, Hong Kong, India and other English-speaking markets because even the original Japanese version has seen user access from Mainland China since its Launch. Aso said in a recent interview with The Bridge: The overseas expansion is challenging for us. But the rapid launch of the English version was made possible since the app has adopted a global platform like Twitter (for user authentication process). The company plans to integrate with other platforms like China’s Weibo, and also to support Instagram formats and Chinese language to…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Jiraffe announced today that it had launched a so-called “honesty” app for 40 English-speaking markets. The app, dubbed Japan’s answer to Sarahah, is called Peing – QuestionBox with the aim to to help users collect “honest” anonymous feedback from their friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Peing was initially launched for Japanese users by freelance engineer Seseri (his real name has not been disclosed) back in November last year. The service saw about 200 million page views in a month from November 2017 to December 2017, and was subsequently acquired by Jiraffe last month.

According to the company’s CEO Teruaki Aso, they expect the English version will target U.S., UK, Hong Kong, India and other English-speaking markets because even the original Japanese version has seen user access from Mainland China since its Launch.

Aso said in a recent interview with The Bridge:

The overseas expansion is challenging for us. But the rapid launch of the English version was made possible since the app has adopted a global platform like Twitter (for user authentication process).

The company plans to integrate with other platforms like China’s Weibo, and also to support Instagram formats and Chinese language to gain more market share in this sector.

See also:

Japan’s Hikakaku, purchase price comparison site for used items, raises $3.8M

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japanese hottest unicorn Mercari expands AI research with Sharp and academia leaders

Mercari

The Bridge 2018.01.08

See the original story in Japanese. Japan’s Mercari, providing the peer-to-peer marketplace app under the same name, announced in December that it has established Mercari R4D, a Research & Development organization with the aim to deploy emerging technologies to the society. Toshiya Kimura, Manager of Engineering Department at Mercari, was appointed the head of the new initiative. The name R4D stands for ‘Research for Development, Design, Deployment and Disruption.’ Mercari has been utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technologies so far, and the firm will begin projects for social deployment and commercialization of these technologies in cooperation with other enterprises or educational organizations through the initiative. At this time, eight research themes jointly with Sharp and university laboratories have already been chosen, as follows: Communications with multiple locations utilizing 8K TVs with Corporate R&D Business Unit, Sharp Outletless office with wireless power feed system with Kawahara Lab, The University of Tokyo Deep Hashing Network for similar image search with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University 3D form estimation from product image posted on the marketplace with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University Background auto-specification from product image with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University Trust framework using blockchain with Keio University Internet of Things ecosystem…

Mercari CEO Shintaro Yamada introduces in-house AI research initiative Mercari R4D
Image credit: Sekiko Suzuki/The Bridge

See the original story in Japanese.

Japan’s Mercari, providing the peer-to-peer marketplace app under the same name, announced in December that it has established Mercari R4D, a Research & Development organization with the aim to deploy emerging technologies to the society. Toshiya Kimura, Manager of Engineering Department at Mercari, was appointed the head of the new initiative.

The name R4D stands for ‘Research for Development, Design, Deployment and Disruption.’ Mercari has been utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technologies so far, and the firm will begin projects for social deployment and commercialization of these technologies in cooperation with other enterprises or educational organizations through the initiative. At this time, eight research themes jointly with Sharp and university laboratories have already been chosen, as follows:

Communications with multiple locations utilizing 8K TVs with Corporate R&D Business Unit, Sharp
Outletless office with wireless power feed system with Kawahara Lab, The University of Tokyo
Deep Hashing Network for similar image search with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University
3D form estimation from product image posted on the marketplace with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University
Background auto-specification from product image with Ochiai Lab, Tsukuba University
Trust framework using blockchain with Keio University
Internet of Things ecosystem with Cross-tech Design Lab, Kyoto University of Art & Design
Application of quantum annealing technology to art field with Ohzeki Lab, Tohoku University

According to Mercari CEO Shintaro Yamada, the investment amount to these research activities has not been clearly set yet, but it will be at several hundred millions of yen (several millions of dollars)-scale next year. The research themes are chosen from mid-to long-term plans requiring 3 to 5 years, as well as ones utilizing IoT or blockchain technologies having application possibility of social infrastructure.

Research is already being undertaken in the above eight themes and more themes will possibly be added. The commercialization and deployment of research results may be brought about as a Mercari product in the future. Yamada explains the background to the foundation of R4D:

Mercari achieved 100 million downloads just the other day. Meanwhile, we have implemented the wrongful exhibit detection system utilizing AI technology or the auto-estimation of weight of items to the app for the U.S.. One of our purposes is to differentiate the app by technologies through R&D.

The firm plans to enhance its engineer structure to 1000-staffer organization from current 100-staffer one. In addition, it started establishment of an organization capable of scaling by micronizing each function. Kimura explains the firm’s future vision:

As Fujifilm engaged in development of cosmetics, we may start different business in the future and are considering how to make good use of our owned technologies.

As the Japanese artist Sputniko!, a renowned British/Japanese artist and designer, who joined the team as Senior Producer, various direction of deployment can be seen, for example utilizing technologies which are hard to deploy immediately into a form of design or art. The firm focuses on research as well as commercialization and visualization of technology jointly with external research organizations.

Translated by Taijiro Takeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Japanese e-commerce platform Base raises $13M, launches payments service subsidiary

base
Pay

Takeshi Hirano 2018.01.06

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Base, the e-commerce platform provider dubbed Japan’s answer to Shopify, announced on Thursday that it has fundraised 1.5 billion yen (about $13.3 million US) from Japanese VC firm Global Brain and Japanese accounting SaaS (Software as a service) provider Money Forward (TSE:3994). This round was led by Global Brain but no financial term of the deal has been disclosed. Base has partnered with Money Forward to share a potential user base of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) with each others. Using the funds, Base plans to strengthen hiring talents to solidify management foundation. On the same day, Base announced that it has spun off payments platform businesses, such as PAY.JP and PAY ID, to set up a fully-owned subsidiary called Pay. Kenichi Takano, the current project leader for payment platform businesses at Base, was appointed CEO for the new company while Base CEO Yuta Tsuruoka joined the management board. See also: Base, Japan’s answer to Shopify, snags $14M to strengthen payment solutions unit Expanding beyond e-commerce platform The highly anticipated e-commerce platform has been advanced to the next stage by serving 450,000 merchants and 3 million mobile app users while their payments business…

L to R: Pay CEO Kenichi Takano, Base CEO Yuta Tsuruoka
Image credit: Base

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Base, the e-commerce platform provider dubbed Japan’s answer to Shopify, announced on Thursday that it has fundraised 1.5 billion yen (about $13.3 million US) from Japanese VC firm Global Brain and Japanese accounting SaaS (Software as a service) provider Money Forward (TSE:3994). This round was led by Global Brain but no financial term of the deal has been disclosed. Base has partnered with Money Forward to share a potential user base of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) with each others. Using the funds, Base plans to strengthen hiring talents to solidify management foundation.

On the same day, Base announced that it has spun off payments platform businesses, such as PAY.JP and PAY ID, to set up a fully-owned subsidiary called Pay. Kenichi Takano, the current project leader for payment platform businesses at Base, was appointed CEO for the new company while Base CEO Yuta Tsuruoka joined the management board.

See also:

Base, Japan’s answer to Shopify, snags $14M to strengthen payment solutions unit

Expanding beyond e-commerce platform

The highly anticipated e-commerce platform has been advanced to the next stage by serving 450,000 merchants and 3 million mobile app users while their payments business has processed transactions 40 times more than that one year ago. Tsuruoka showed his confidence by seeing some actual performance indicators are higher than disclosed ones while his company claims that it saw the greatest growth last year since its launch.

In response to our question about the situation of Base Live, the company’s recently-launched live commerce platform that enables merchants to introduce and sell products through live performance, he told us that it still gives them some impact on transactions while there are many apparel merchants whose monthly sales reach nearly 1 million yen ($8,800). However, the live commerce platform has become popular among merchants in view of another channel for creating a fan base.

This large-scale funding may be based on all these results. Regarding the purpose of the funding, Tsuruoka says:

Our funding purpose has been changed from surviving to growing.

No doubt that the payments business was spun off because this space has high potential for extensive growth. While the Base platform has been esteemed because it allows anyone to easily build an e-commerce presence, the company’s payments businesses have to deal with different types of data and serve diverse user demographics. So the company spin-out is reasonable in optimizing their decision-making process from now on.

The company now has a staff of about 100 people, which is doubled from last year, including 20 staffers in charge of payments businesses.

On a related note, Base unveiled on Thursday that it has launched another fully-owned subsidiary called Base Bank. They claim the new company will target a new business area but no further details have been disclosed. In view of Japanese C2C marketplace startup Mercari having invested in Base and founded a new business-focused subsidiary called Souzoh, Base Bank may aim at a similar goal like building various apps and diversifying businesses.

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

news

Accounting SaaS provider Money Forward foraying into blockchain and crypto business

Money Forward

Masaru Ikeda 2018.01.03

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Money Forward (TSE:3994), the Japanese company providing SaaS (software as a service)-based accounting solutions, announced last week that it is launching a new division called MF Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Lab with the aim to develop new services leveraging such emerging technologies. The new project will be led by Money Forward’s CTO Takuya Nakade in addition to Junichi Kanda, Executive Director in charge of Business Development and External Affairs. Kanda was a former BOJ (Bank of Japan) and FSA (Financial Services Agency of Japan) official but joined the startup in September last year. The company says it intends to make a blockchain- and cryptocurrency-powered business the third business pillar for them following accounting SaaS platforms for individuals and companies. With curated members among their current employees and hiring new talents from outside the company, it aims to form a new 100-people division within three years. It’s not definite but is likely for the company to apply for a cryptocurrency service operator registration to FSA. There are a variety of blockchain- or cryptocurrency-powered applications. Given that remittance fee in Japan is higher than other countries, they will probably come up with a remittance service as…

L to R: Takuya Nakade (CTO, Money Forward), Junichi Kanda (Executive Director, Business Development and External Affairs)
Image credit: Money Forward

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Money Forward (TSE:3994), the Japanese company providing SaaS (software as a service)-based accounting solutions, announced last week that it is launching a new division called MF Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Lab with the aim to develop new services leveraging such emerging technologies. The new project will be led by Money Forward’s CTO Takuya Nakade in addition to Junichi Kanda, Executive Director in charge of Business Development and External Affairs. Kanda was a former BOJ (Bank of Japan) and FSA (Financial Services Agency of Japan) official but joined the startup in September last year.

The company says it intends to make a blockchain- and cryptocurrency-powered business the third business pillar for them following accounting SaaS platforms for individuals and companies. With curated members among their current employees and hiring new talents from outside the company, it aims to form a new 100-people division within three years. It’s not definite but is likely for the company to apply for a cryptocurrency service operator registration to FSA.

There are a variety of blockchain- or cryptocurrency-powered applications. Given that remittance fee in Japan is higher than other countries, they will probably come up with a remittance service as a targeted one leveraging these technologies. Since the Japanese conventional remittance system has a cost problem and challenges to innovate its mechanism, a possible decentralized version would bring us significant benefits.

The possible blockchain-based remittance service would have high convenience and affinity with the company’s existing businesses which are mainly focused on helping users improve cashflow. Expected use case includes fee-free or low-free remittance service accompanying an automated erasure function upon money reception.

Money Forward has been aggressively pursuing new business after their IPO in August of 2017. The company launched a mobile piggybank app called Shiratama last September, followed by acquiring Klavis, the Japan-/Singapore-based startup behind accounting and book-keeping software Streamed. Also, the company founded a subsidiary called MF Kessai last June, aiming to launch a B2B postpay settlement service.

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

Startups

Japan’s Lancers raises $9M from HR giant and bank, offers loans to freelance workers

Japanese HRTech startup SmartHR secures $13M series B from Tokio Marine, Nissen

Japanese video recipe app Kurashiru secures $30M in funding from Softbank, others

Japanese asset management startup Folio raises $63M in series A2, partners with Line

Japan’s Boostnote secures funding to boost global expansion of GitHub alternative

Japan’s MiddleField secures $2.2M to drive customer traffic to autoparts makers, shops

Japan’s Jiraffe launches “honesty” app Peing – QuestionBox for global audience

Japanese hottest unicorn Mercari expands AI research with Sharp and academia leaders

Japanese e-commerce platform Base raises $13M, launches payments service subsidiary

Expanding beyond e-commerce platform

Accounting SaaS provider Money Forward foraying into blockchain and crypto business

Recent Articles

Trends

Startups

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Expanding beyond e-commerce platform

Related news

Related news

Recent Articles

Trends