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Japan’s outsourced logistics platform OpenLogi secures $500,000 funding round

SCORE 1,230 Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
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This is the abridged version from our original article in Japanese. Tokyo-based OpenLogi, a startup that provides an outsourced logistics platform focused on SMEs and freelancers, announced today that it has fundraised about 60 million yen ($500,000) from Japanese investment fund Infinity Venture Partners (IVP) and Kotaro Chiba, executive vice-president of Japanese mobile game company Colopl (TSE:3668). Upon this funding round, Masashi Kobayashi, managing partner at IVP, and Kimiyuki Suda aka Sudax, who has been serving as an auditor for recently-IPOed Japanese companies such as Bengo4.com (legal consulting platform) and Crowdworks (crowdsourcing platform), joined the board of management. The company also invited Star Mica (TSE:3230) Chairman Masashi Mizunaga as an advisor. OpenLogi is an outsourced logistics service offering affordable rates that leverages unused warehouse assets and downtime of logistic facilities. The company plans to use the funds to enlarge their four-person management team and to strengthen system development. In accordance with the company’s business expansion, IVP intends to make an additional investment of several million dollars. OpenLogi was founded in December 2013 by Hidetsugu Ito, who was previously involved in launching Japanese magazine subscription service Fujisan.co.jp. Based on his experience in discussing and negotiating with logistics companies, he founded OpenLogi…

openlogi_featuredimage

This is the abridged version from our original article in Japanese.

Tokyo-based OpenLogi, a startup that provides an outsourced logistics platform focused on SMEs and freelancers, announced today that it has fundraised about 60 million yen ($500,000) from Japanese investment fund Infinity Venture Partners (IVP) and Kotaro Chiba, executive vice-president of Japanese mobile game company Colopl (TSE:3668).

Upon this funding round, Masashi Kobayashi, managing partner at IVP, and Kimiyuki Suda aka Sudax, who has been serving as an auditor for recently-IPOed Japanese companies such as Bengo4.com (legal consulting platform) and Crowdworks (crowdsourcing platform), joined the board of management. The company also invited Star Mica (TSE:3230) Chairman Masashi Mizunaga as an advisor.

OpenLogi is an outsourced logistics service offering affordable rates that leverages unused warehouse assets and downtime of logistic facilities. The company plans to use the funds to enlarge their four-person management team and to strengthen system development. In accordance with the company’s business expansion, IVP intends to make an additional investment of several million dollars.

OpenLogi was founded in December 2013 by Hidetsugu Ito, who was previously involved in launching Japanese magazine subscription service Fujisan.co.jp. Based on his experience in discussing and negotiating with logistics companies, he founded OpenLogi to address logistics solutions for small e-commerce players.

Looking at the recent upward trend in the C2C business in Japan thanks to instant e-commerce platforms like Base or Stores.jp, as well as resale shopping app Mercari, C2C-based commerce businesses have become more common, so logistics services for professional use lags behind those for small commerce business players in terms of service flexibility.

In view of the fabless business concept, OpenLogi is very similar to online printing startup Raksul or online laundry startup Lenet, where they have no assets to provide services. Upon signing up with OpenLogi platform, it provides management features on a dashboard, such as warehouse inspection, warehouse storage, shipping, and management of returned merchandise at affordable rates.

Since its launch in beta in June 2014, OpenLogi has successfully attracted many SMEs and freelancers because of its price transparency and affordable rates, and is seeing a 400% growth on a month-to-month revenue basis. While planning to expand the service to warehousing of frozen foods and hazardous materials, they are working on the launch of a cross-border shipping service to serve international e-commerce businesses, and is expected to launch in April.

openlogi-hidetsugu-ito-kimiyuki-suda
L to R: OpenLogi CEO Hidetsugu Ito and newly-appointed auditor Kimiyuki Suda aka Sudax

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by Kurt Hanson

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Japan’s mobile app analytics startup Fuller raises $1.9 million for global expansion

Junya Mori Junya Mori
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This is the abridged version from our original article in Japanese. Fuller, a Japanese startup that provides market survey and analytics focused on mobile apps, announced today that it has fundraised 230 million yen ($1.9 million) from Global Catalyst Partners (vc firm), Colopl (gaming company), Opt (digital ad agency), The Asahi Shimbun (newspaper publishing), Nihon Kotsu (cab operator), Infoteria (system integrator), and unnamed individual investors. This follows their previous round funding 100 million yen from UK-based m8 capital and Tokyo-based internet service provider Asahi Net in 2012. See also: Amazing gesture control Ring wins Tokyo pitch event, moves on to SF Japan Night Fuller is based out of KOIL (Kashiwa-no-ha Open Innovation Lab), a startup hub in Tokyo’s suburb, has developed Mr. Mobile, the battery saver (previously known as I’m Joe, the battery saver) and a mobile app-focused audience rating and analytics service called App Ape. App Ape allows app developers to conduct a market survey and a competitive research, and has acquired over 2,000 app developers as users since its launch in November 2014. App Ape uses a methodology similar to an audience rating for TV programs like Nielsen does to measure viewership, acquiring data from randomly-selected mobile users…

appape_featuredimage

This is the abridged version from our original article in Japanese.

Fuller, a Japanese startup that provides market survey and analytics focused on mobile apps, announced today that it has fundraised 230 million yen ($1.9 million) from Global Catalyst Partners (vc firm), Colopl (gaming company), Opt (digital ad agency), The Asahi Shimbun (newspaper publishing), Nihon Kotsu (cab operator), Infoteria (system integrator), and unnamed individual investors. This follows their previous round funding 100 million yen from UK-based m8 capital and Tokyo-based internet service provider Asahi Net in 2012.

See also:

Fuller is based out of KOIL (Kashiwa-no-ha Open Innovation Lab), a startup hub in Tokyo’s suburb, has developed Mr. Mobile, the battery saver (previously known as I’m Joe, the battery saver) and a mobile app-focused audience rating and analytics service called App Ape. App Ape allows app developers to conduct a market survey and a competitive research, and has acquired over 2,000 app developers as users since its launch in November 2014.

App Ape uses a methodology similar to an audience rating for TV programs like Nielsen does to measure viewership, acquiring data from randomly-selected mobile users who have acknowledged to provide information like what apps they have installed on their mobile or how often these apps are used, using App Ape’s monitoring app installed on their device.

According to Fuller CEO Shuta Shibuya, the App Ape service has been adopted by notable Japanese internet companies such as Gunosy, Eureka, and Adways. They plan to expand to mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as launching the survey service in Korea and three US cities by the end of this year. Also they will introduce a usage optimization app for global smartphone users and the next generation version of the Mr. Mobile, the battery saver app.

Fuller CEO Shuta Shibuya
Fuller CEO Shuta Shibuya

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by Kurt Hanson
Proofread by “Tex” Pomeroy

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Japanese crowdsourcing startup Lancers raises $8.5 million from KDDI, others

Yukari Mitsuhashi Yukari Mitsuhashi
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This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese. Tokyo-based crowdsourcing startup Lancers was launched in December 2008. It has since acquired over 100,000 companies and 410,000 crowdsourced users. Lancers announced today that it has fundraised about 1 billion yen (or about $8.45 million) from KDDI (telco), Intelligence Holdings (employment service), Colopl (gaming company), Gree Ventures, Globis Capital Partners, and GMO Venture Partners. The company will use the funds to cultivate crowdsourceing needs in the market, support freelancers using the crowdsourcing platform, hire new people, and strengthen their system development efforts. Coinciding with the funds, Lancers has partnered with KDDI, Intelligence, and Gree, and will help these companies use crowdsourced forces for their content production activities. See also: Japanese crowdsourcing startup Lancers launches matchmaking platform for regional businesses Lancers CEO Yosuke Akiyoshi on obstacles facing crowdsourcing in Japan Japanese crowdsourcing marketplace Lancers raises $2.9 million Can crowdsourcing startups change Japan’s employment landscape?

lancers-logo

This is the abridged version of our original article in Japanese.

Tokyo-based crowdsourcing startup Lancers was launched in December 2008. It has since acquired over 100,000 companies and 410,000 crowdsourced users.

Lancers announced today that it has fundraised about 1 billion yen (or about $8.45 million) from KDDI (telco), Intelligence Holdings (employment service), Colopl (gaming company), Gree Ventures, Globis Capital Partners, and GMO Venture Partners. The company will use the funds to cultivate crowdsourceing needs in the market, support freelancers using the crowdsourcing platform, hire new people, and strengthen their system development efforts.

Coinciding with the funds, Lancers has partnered with KDDI, Intelligence, and Gree, and will help these companies use crowdsourced forces for their content production activities.

See also:

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Japan’s Fril to start TV commercial campaign, featuring actresses from popular drama series

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
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See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Fablic, the startup behind flea market app Fril, announced that it will start airing a TV commercial on Friday. Coinciding with this, the company will also launch a promotion campaign giving away costumes used in the commercial film. Four actresses from Fuji TV’s popular drama series First Class – Erika Sawajiri, Kavka Shishido, Tomoe Shinohara, and Mirei Tanaka – are featured in this film, where they perform as close friends giving and taking their fashion items from each others. The Fablic team said they do not intend to look into cross-marketing with the drama series but this casting makes it easier for viewers to understand the story’s background. By casting high-fashion actresses, the company wants to present their vision and brand image to potential users through this campaign. Fashion magazine Numero Tokyo editorial director Sayumi Gunji and popular fashion stylist Tetsuro Nagase participated in creating the film. Since its launch in July 2012, the Fril app has acquired over 2 million downloads, generating a monthly transaction volume of $5 million. The company fundraised about $10 million from Japanese internet companies like Cookpad and Colopl in September.

fril_firstclass

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Fablic, the startup behind flea market app Fril, announced that it will start airing a TV commercial on Friday. Coinciding with this, the company will also launch a promotion campaign giving away costumes used in the commercial film.

Four actresses from Fuji TV’s popular drama series First Class – Erika Sawajiri, Kavka Shishido, Tomoe Shinohara, and Mirei Tanaka – are featured in this film, where they perform as close friends giving and taking their fashion items from each others.

The Fablic team said they do not intend to look into cross-marketing with the drama series but this casting makes it easier for viewers to understand the story’s background.

By casting high-fashion actresses, the company wants to present their vision and brand image to potential users through this campaign. Fashion magazine Numero Tokyo editorial director Sayumi Gunji and popular fashion stylist Tetsuro Nagase participated in creating the film.

Since its launch in July 2012, the Fril app has acquired over 2 million downloads, generating a monthly transaction volume of $5 million. The company fundraised about $10 million from Japanese internet companies like Cookpad and Colopl in September.

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Japanese flea market app Fril secures $10 million funding round

Takeshi Hirano Takeshi Hirano
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See the original story in Japanese. Nikkei’s Sept. 25 morning edition reported earlier today that Tokyo-based Fablic, the startup behind Japanese flea market app Fril, has fundraised about 1 billion yen (or $9.2 million) from Japanese online recipe site Cookpad, gaming company Colopl, and VC firm Jafco. Fablic is earmarking the funds to enhance promotional activities with TV commercials as well as to hire in new employees. See also: CNet Japan Startup Award nominees: Mobile C2C flea market apps – Fril and Mercari Fablic, established in 2012, is a fourth batch graduate of Tokyo-based seed accelerator Open Network Lab. The company introduced a C2C (consumer to consumer) marketplace app in September 2012, an early entrant in the Japanese market which started its business about an year before Japan’s Mercari. In July of 2014, Fablic CEO Shota Horii unveiled that the company has acquired over 1.5 million downloads, handling deals worth over $5 million via the platform every month. But today’s Nikkei report says that the downloads have already exceeded 1.9 million. Fablic has not fundraised except for a small portion of seed funding from Open Network Lab. It is also understood that they have grown to date without much promotional…

fril_featuredimage

See the original story in Japanese.

Nikkei’s Sept. 25 morning edition reported earlier today that Tokyo-based Fablic, the startup behind Japanese flea market app Fril, has fundraised about 1 billion yen (or $9.2 million) from Japanese online recipe site Cookpad, gaming company Colopl, and VC firm Jafco. Fablic is earmarking the funds to enhance promotional activities with TV commercials as well as to hire in new employees.

See also:

Fablic, established in 2012, is a fourth batch graduate of Tokyo-based seed accelerator Open Network Lab. The company introduced a C2C (consumer to consumer) marketplace app in September 2012, an early entrant in the Japanese market which started its business about an year before Japan’s Mercari.

In July of 2014, Fablic CEO Shota Horii unveiled that the company has acquired over 1.5 million downloads, handling deals worth over $5 million via the platform every month. But today’s Nikkei report says that the downloads have already exceeded 1.9 million.

Fablic has not fundraised except for a small portion of seed funding from Open Network Lab. It is also understood that they have grown to date without much promotional efforts.

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Kamcord raises $7M in funding, now lets users share game videos to Line, WeChat

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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San Francisco-based Kamcord announced this morning that it has raised $7.1 million in series A funding, in a round led by Silicon Valley-based TransLink Capital. Other participants included DeNA, SV Angel, Innovation Works, KLab, M&Y Growth Partners, and XG Ventures. Kamcord’s SDK enables game developers to put a ‘movie’ button in game, and when it is pressed, users can then share video clips/replays of game play. Namco Bandai was the first Japanese company to use the localized version of Kamcord’s SDK, as we mentioned back in February. But now we understand that it’s also used in games from DeNA and Colopl. When we spoke with Kamcord co-founder Adi Rathnam last December in Kyoto (see below), he emphasized the importance of Asian markets, including Japan, Korea, and China. We wondered about the possibility of sharing Kamcord videos to Asian message services Line and WeChat, and the sharing functionalities to those networks has now been added. In their announcement this time around, Adi had this to say: In order to build a truly global platform for sharing and watching gameplay videos, we prioritized strengthening our presence in Asia. The partnerships we’ve formed with this round of funding will help us tremendously in…

kamcord

San Francisco-based Kamcord announced this morning that it has raised $7.1 million in series A funding, in a round led by Silicon Valley-based TransLink Capital. Other participants included DeNA, SV Angel, Innovation Works, KLab, M&Y Growth Partners, and XG Ventures.

Kamcord’s SDK enables game developers to put a ‘movie’ button in game, and when it is pressed, users can then share video clips/replays of game play. Namco Bandai was the first Japanese company to use the localized version of Kamcord’s SDK, as we mentioned back in February. But now we understand that it’s also used in games from DeNA and Colopl.

When we spoke with Kamcord co-founder Adi Rathnam last December in Kyoto (see below), he emphasized the importance of Asian markets, including Japan, Korea, and China. We wondered about the possibility of sharing Kamcord videos to Asian message services Line and WeChat, and the sharing functionalities to those networks has now been added. In their announcement this time around, Adi had this to say:

In order to build a truly global platform for sharing and watching gameplay videos, we prioritized strengthening our presence in Asia. The partnerships we’ve formed with this round of funding will help us tremendously in that effort.

As for Kamcord’s recent progress, we understand that users are now sharing at a pace of one video every two seconds, and that rate is sure to grow with more support for games and gamers here in Asia. The company has also recently launched a new Kamcord app (screenshots above) where you can watch fun mobile gameplay videos all in one place. You can get it for free over on the App Store.

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Colopl’s ‘Quiz RPG’ notches 23M downloads, ‘Slingshot Braves’ off to fast start

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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Japanese game developer Colopl announced today that its hit mobile game Quiz RPG now has 23 million downloads in Japan. The game is also available in English (see our video demo below), but hasn’t received the attention – nor the promotion – that it has in its home market. Meanwhile one of the company’s newer games, Slingshot Braves, notched its first million downloads on April 2nd. I’ve played it just a little so far, but for a smartphone title the graphics are really great, and the slingshot controls (reminiscent of Mixi’s Monster Strike) are super fun as well. This is a pretty hot start considering that the title initially launched on Android on February 27, and just recently on iOS on March 29th. For those who haven’t heard of Colopl, it’s because the company appears to not really care about its global business just yet, even though the company has games in English and is talking about other markets [1]. They clearly understand gaming, but as for branding, Colopl has my personal nomination for the worst-named company ever. How the hell is an English-speaking person expected to pronounce ‘Colopl’? Seriously.  ↩

colopl-quiz-rpg

Japanese game developer Colopl announced today that its hit mobile game Quiz RPG now has 23 million downloads in Japan. The game is also available in English (see our video demo below), but hasn’t received the attention – nor the promotion – that it has in its home market.

Meanwhile one of the company’s newer games, Slingshot Braves, notched its first million downloads on April 2nd. I’ve played it just a little so far, but for a smartphone title the graphics are really great, and the slingshot controls (reminiscent of Mixi’s Monster Strike) are super fun as well. This is a pretty hot start considering that the title initially launched on Android on February 27, and just recently on iOS on March 29th.

For those who haven’t heard of Colopl, it’s because the company appears to not really care about its global business just yet, even though the company has games in English and is talking about other markets [1].

  1. They clearly understand gaming, but as for branding, Colopl has my personal nomination for the worst-named company ever. How the hell is an English-speaking person expected to pronounce ‘Colopl’? Seriously.  ↩

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  3. colopl Colopl’s smartphone games have been downloaded 80M times

Colopl’s smartphone games have been downloaded 80M times

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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Good news for Japanese mobile games company Colopl this week as their repertoire of smartphone apps and games has now cumulatively passed 80 million downloads. One of its most popular games is Quiz RPG which has enjoyed television promotions in its home market, and has been pushed abroad with English and Korean versions. The bad news however (if they have any global aspirations) is that their name is still ‘Colopl’. In Japanese, the company’s name is ‘Koropura’ – which would have made for a far more normal name had they opted to leave it alone. [Colopl via Gamebiz.jp]

colopl

Good news for Japanese mobile games company Colopl this week as their repertoire of smartphone apps and games has now cumulatively passed 80 million downloads. One of its most popular games is Quiz RPG which has enjoyed television promotions in its home market, and has been pushed abroad with English and Korean versions.

The bad news however (if they have any global aspirations) is that their name is still ‘Colopl’. In Japanese, the company’s name is ‘Koropura’ – which would have made for a far more normal name had they opted to leave it alone.

[Colopl via Gamebiz.jp]

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Japanese startup Translimit raises $100,000 to launch social quiz app

Masaru Ikeda Masaru Ikeda
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Tokyo-based startup Translimit announced today that it has raised 10 million yen (about $100,000) from Genuine Startups [1] and Skyland Ventures. The funds will go towards launching a mobile quiz app with social competition features. The app will be called BrainWars, with an iOS version coming in mid-April, and an Android version to follow in June. BrainWars pits players against one another, playing three sets of mental exercise games (15 seconds each) to see which player performs better. Since these games require no verbal response [2], and users around the world can play and compete against each other regardless of language. The match is arranged to let you to play in real time, but if you can’t find anyone available to compete with, you can compete with someone you know according to their past results. In this space, we’ve already seen US-based Plain Vanilla Games, the startup behind trivia app QuizUp, which secured series B funding of $22 million from Sequoia Capital late last year. Here in Japan Namco Bandai has been selling a brain exercise app called Zen Notore. There’s Colopl Quiz RPG which has seen some success as well (iOS/Android). Translimit was initially launched back in January by Hiroki…

hiroki-takaba
Translimit CEO Hiroki Takaba

Tokyo-based startup Translimit announced today that it has raised 10 million yen (about $100,000) from Genuine Startups [1] and Skyland Ventures. The funds will go towards launching a mobile quiz app with social competition features. The app will be called BrainWars, with an iOS version coming in mid-April, and an Android version to follow in June.

BrainWars pits players against one another, playing three sets of mental exercise games (15 seconds each) to see which player performs better. Since these games require no verbal response [2], and users around the world can play and compete against each other regardless of language. The match is arranged to let you to play in real time, but if you can’t find anyone available to compete with, you can compete with someone you know according to their past results.

battlehome

In this space, we’ve already seen US-based Plain Vanilla Games, the startup behind trivia app QuizUp, which secured series B funding of $22 million from Sequoia Capital late last year. Here in Japan Namco Bandai has been selling a brain exercise app called Zen Notore. There’s Colopl Quiz RPG which has seen some success as well (iOS/Android).

Translimit was initially launched back in January by Hiroki Takaba and Takuma Kudo, both of whom previously worked at CyberAgent companies. They have been involved in several game projects together, including the virtual avatar service Ameba Pico (which shut down back in 2012) and mobile social game Girl Friend BETA. The Translimit team is participating in Movida Japan incubation program here in Tokyo.

  1. Genuine Startups is an investment fund spun off from Movida Japan. ↩
  2. It could be a mathematical equation where you have to fill in the operator, for example. ↩

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Candy Crush Saga is the top iPhone game in Japan thanks to TV commercial

Rick Martin Rick Martin
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The undisputed king of puzzle games here in Japan is, of course, Puzzle & Dragons. Hitting the Apple App Store back in February of 2012, it has gone on to become Japan’s most popular and profitable mobile game [1]. But a new global challenger has just thrown its hat in the ring. That company is King.com Ltd, and the game is – of course – Candy Crush Saga. Currently Candy Crush Saga is the number one overall app on the Japanese App Store, thanks to a new TV commercial promoting the game in the country. It’s really interesting to see a foreign game dive into the Japanese market so emphatically like this. Serkan Toto notes over on his blog that King is the first foreign mobile game maker to do so. Recently we have seen games like Supercell’s Clash of Clans and Hay Day enter the market with some success, but that came via a different approach, tying up with Puzzle & Dragons on a cross promotion. Incidentally, heavy rotation on TV commercials really helped P&D achieve the success that it did here in Japan. Other titles have gone on to do the same, including Colopl’s hit Quiz RPG a…

candy-crush-wide

The undisputed king of puzzle games here in Japan is, of course, Puzzle & Dragons. Hitting the Apple App Store back in February of 2012, it has gone on to become Japan’s most popular and profitable mobile game [1]. But a new global challenger has just thrown its hat in the ring. That company is King.com Ltd, and the game is – of course – Candy Crush Saga.

Currently Candy Crush Saga is the number one overall app on the Japanese App Store, thanks to a new TV commercial promoting the game in the country. It’s really interesting to see a foreign game dive into the Japanese market so emphatically like this. Serkan Toto notes over on his blog that King is the first foreign mobile game maker to do so. Recently we have seen games like Supercell’s Clash of Clans and Hay Day enter the market with some success, but that came via a different approach, tying up with Puzzle & Dragons on a cross promotion.

Incidentally, heavy rotation on TV commercials really helped P&D achieve the success that it did here in Japan. Other titles have gone on to do the same, including Colopl’s hit Quiz RPG a few months back.

If you’d like to check out the Japanese commercial for Candy Crush, you can view it below. And if you haven’t tried the game yet, you can download it for free over on the App Store or on Google Play.

  1. I’m personally a huge fan of *P&D, as I’ve previously explained.  ↩

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