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Japan’s Stellasia LED wins pitch competition at Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo

Masaru Ikeda 2015.12.28

See the original story in Japanese.This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2015. Tokyo-based VC firm Global Brain this month held an annual startup conference event called Global Brain Alliance Forum (GBAF) in Tokyo. As a part of GBAF, a startup pitch event called the Global Startups Pitch Battle was held, where 10 startups from Japan and the other Asian countries competed. Japan’s Stellasia LED won the top award. The judges were: Shigeyuki Tsuchida, Senior Executive Officer, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan Ken Matsui, Project Manager, Mitsui Fudosan Venture Co-Creation Project, a.k.a. 31 Ventures Takashi Shibayama, Director of Content and Media Business, Furyu Chester Jungseok Roh, CSO, Reality Reflection The top prize winner: Stellasia LED (Japan) Stellasia LED is developing an AC-driven LED lamp for industrial use, in contrast to typical LED lamps driven by AC. Stellasia LED’s design eliminates the use of easily malfunctioning electric components, such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors in AC-driven LED, thus reducing failure rates, energy consumption, and noise. Although voltage differs by country, the AC-driven LED will enable standardizing circuits in products and unified production lines, thus reducing manufacturing costs. The team is planning to start new businesses, such as smart…

See the original story in Japanese.This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2015.

Tokyo-based VC firm Global Brain this month held an annual startup conference event called Global Brain Alliance Forum (GBAF) in Tokyo.

As a part of GBAF, a startup pitch event called the Global Startups Pitch Battle was held, where 10 startups from Japan and the other Asian countries competed. Japan’s Stellasia LED won the top award.

The judges were:

Shigeyuki Tsuchida, Senior Executive Officer, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan
Ken Matsui, Project Manager, Mitsui Fudosan Venture Co-Creation Project, a.k.a. 31 Ventures
Takashi Shibayama, Director of Content and Media Business, Furyu
Chester Jungseok Roh, CSO, Reality Reflection

The top prize winner: Stellasia LED (Japan)

gbaf-pitch-winner-stellasia-led — Stellasia CEO Richard Matsuura (left) receives the award from judge Ken Matsui.

Stellasia LED is developing an AC-driven LED lamp for industrial use, in contrast to typical LED lamps driven by AC. Stellasia LED’s design eliminates the use of easily malfunctioning electric components, such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors in AC-driven LED, thus reducing failure rates, energy consumption, and noise.

Although voltage differs by country, the AC-driven LED will enable standardizing circuits in products and unified production lines, thus reducing manufacturing costs. The team is planning to start new businesses, such as smart lighting.

The Global Brain award winner: Kacific (Singapore)

Singapore-based Kacific aims to use communication satellites to provide broadband Internet service to isolated islands of countries in the Asia-Pacific region such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Leveraging existing technologies, it plans to provide an internet connection service of 50Mbps at cheaper rates than other services.

The satellites will be ordered in 2016 and launches will commence in 2018. The total investment is estimated to be $182 million. Fees will be collected by the wholesaling of the service to ISP or the government in each country. The control center for the satellites and the service will be in Japan.

See also:

Google ready to test Project Loon in Indonesia, bringing wifi to remote areas (Tech in Asia)

gbaf-pitch-kacific — Kacific CEO Christian Patouraux

The Global Brain award winner: Eatigo (Thailand)

Thailand-based Eatigo offers a mobile app for dining deals and restaurant reservations under the same name, attracting customers by providing discount information in off-peak hours. It launched domestically in June 2014, and is being developed for Singapore.

In comparison with typical customer services such as hotels or airlines having 73% and 74% of the usage rate for each, that for restaurants is only 35%. To lower vacancy rates of restaurants, this service supports user restaurants to shape their customer traffic.

Eatigo is developing a mobile app for Japan and India. Also, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia are targeted as future markets.

gbaf-pitch-eatigo-michael-cluzel — Eatigo CEO Michael Cluzel

The audience award winner: Axelspace (Japan)

gbaf-pitch-winner-axelspace — Axelspace CEO Yuya Nakamura (right) receives the award from judge Takashi Shibayama.

Japan’s Axelspace was established as a spin-off from the University of Tokyo in 2008. The team developed a micro-satellite only 50 centimeters square and 60 kilograms in weight. It will launch satellites for Japan’s weather information service Weathernews (TSE:4825). Starting from three satellites in 2017, it will launch ten satellites every year from 2018, to construct a system of 50 low-earth orbit satellites for data collection of weather or topography. The data will be sold to public agencies or private companies. The launch of a typical satellite can cost several tens of millions dollars, however, the micro-satellite can be launched for about $8 million.

See also:

news

Japan’s LifeRobotics opens series A round with $2.2 million in funding

Masaru Ikeda 2015.11.26

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based LifeRobotics, the Japanese startup behind a cooperative working robot called Coro, announced today that it has fundraised about 270 million yen (about $2.2 million) in a series A funding round. This round is led by Global Brain (GB) with participation from Nippon Technology Venture Partners (NTVP), and Lead Capital Management (LCM), anticipating additional funds from other investors to secure the final total of 400 million yen ($3.3 million). Coinciding with this funding, Takashi Kato, NTVP CEO Kazutaka Muraguchi and GB venture partner Hidetaka Aoki will join the board of directors while GB CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto will be appointed as an outside auditor. Kato is renowned as the co-founder of Japanese robotics company Schaft which was acquired by Google in 2013. See also: Japanese robotics entrepreneur forms $20M fund for bio and energy startups Google’s newly acquired robotics company wins DARPA Challenge Trials LifeRobotics was founded in December of 2007 by Dr. Woo-Keun Yoon who has been studying livelihood-support robot arms at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and other research institutions for over 15 years. His team have been developing cooperative working robots which allow users to let the…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based LifeRobotics, the Japanese startup behind a cooperative working robot called Coro, announced today that it has fundraised about 270 million yen (about $2.2 million) in a series A funding round. This round is led by Global Brain (GB) with participation from Nippon Technology Venture Partners (NTVP), and Lead Capital Management (LCM), anticipating additional funds from other investors to secure the final total of 400 million yen ($3.3 million).

Coinciding with this funding, Takashi Kato, NTVP CEO Kazutaka Muraguchi and GB venture partner Hidetaka Aoki will join the board of directors while GB CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto will be appointed as an outside auditor. Kato is renowned as the co-founder of Japanese robotics company Schaft which was acquired by Google in 2013.

See also:

LifeRobotics was founded in December of 2007 by Dr. Woo-Keun Yoon who has been studying livelihood-support robot arms at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and other research institutions for over 15 years. His team have been developing cooperative working robots which allow users to let the robot learn motions using a 3D mouse or a game pad without complicated programming skills.

Along with the funding announcement, the company just unveiled a co-robot for picking work called Coro, which will be showcased at International Robot Exhibition 2015 taking place in Tokyo from December 2nd to 5th. Its sales will start in January 2016. Coro uses the company’s patent-pending Transpander technology, allowing placement of the co-robot in small manufacturing spaces where conventional-type robots are difficult to locate. In this way, this brand new robot will help people improve their productivity as well as automate processes in manufacturing.

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

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Japan’s Kabuku, 3D printing platform operator, closes $6 million round

Masaru Ikeda 2015.11.25

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Kabuku, the startup known for its 3D printing service brand Rinkak, announced today that it has fundraised 750 million yen ($6 million) from Japanese VC firm Global Brain, Dentsu Digital Holdings (DDH), and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital. Since having secured 400 million yen ($3.3 million) in August from Global Brain, Kabuku has been exploring additional funding opportunities from other sources together with the VC firm, the lead investor in this round. Kabuku has closed the latest round by securing 350 million yen ($2.8 million) funding from DDH and Mitsui Sumitomo Capital. Kabuku fundraised 20 million yen from angel investors in June of the same year, followed by securing 200 million yen ($1.7 million) funding from CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) and Fuji Startup Ventures (FSV) in June 2014. With the latest funding, Kabuku has fundraised 600 million yen ($4.8 million) 950 million yen ($7.8 million) to date. [1] In September 2014, Kabuku partnered with Dentsu, an ad agency company under DDH, to develop a solution in the digital fabrication space, aiming to support hardware inventing activities between startups and corporates. In July, Global Brain, one of the investors in the latest round, invested in…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Kabuku, the startup known for its 3D printing service brand Rinkak, announced today that it has fundraised 750 million yen ($6 million) from Japanese VC firm Global Brain, Dentsu Digital Holdings (DDH), and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital.

Since having secured 400 million yen ($3.3 million) in August from Global Brain, Kabuku has been exploring additional funding opportunities from other sources together with the VC firm, the lead investor in this round. Kabuku has closed the latest round by securing 350 million yen ($2.8 million) funding from DDH and Mitsui Sumitomo Capital.

Kabuku fundraised 20 million yen from angel investors in June of the same year, followed by securing 200 million yen ($1.7 million) funding from CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) and Fuji Startup Ventures (FSV) in June 2014. With the latest funding, Kabuku has fundraised ~~600 million yen ($4.8 million)~~ 950 million yen ($7.8 million) to date. [1]

In September 2014, Kabuku partnered with Dentsu, an ad agency company under DDH, to develop a solution in the digital fabrication space, aiming to support hardware inventing activities between startups and corporates. In July, Global Brain, one of the investors in the latest round, invested in HWTrek, Taiwan-based online community platform for hardware developers, so expect a business synergy with Kabuku through supporting forming the ecosystem of digital fabrication startups.

Kabuku was established in January 2013. Originally launched as a showcase and marketplace of 3D printing products, Kabuku has diversified its business to providing other solutions such as Rinkak 3D Printing PPP (Printing Partner Program) that connects orders to relevant printing factories based on manufacturing needs, and Rinkak 3D Printing MMS (Manufacturing Management Service) that provides a cloud-based production management system for 3D printing factories. The company will use the funds to strengthen development and global marketing of these new services.

Edited by Kurt Hanson

Updated based on feedback from CyberAgent Ventures. ↩

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Japan’s Kabuku raises $3.3 million from Global Brain to diversify 3D printing business

Masaru Ikeda 2015.08.28

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Kabuku, the startup known for its 3D printing service brand Rinkak, announced today that it has fundraised 400 million yen ($3.3 million) from Global Brain. This round is not yet closed but Global Brain leads other investors who have potential business synergy with Kabuku. The funds will be used to develop a cloud-based production management system for 3D printing factories as well as expand partnerships with third-party 3D printing manufacturing services, both of which were recently announced. Launched back in 2013, Kabuku fundraised 20 million yen from angel investors in June of the same year, followed by securing 200 million yen ($1.7 million) funding from CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) and Fuji Startup Ventures (FSV) in June 2014. Originally launched as a showcase and marketplace of 3D printing products, Kabuku has diversified its business to providing other solutions such as Rinkak 3D Printing PPP (Printing Partner Program) that connects orders to relevant printing factories based on manufacturing needs, and Rinkak 3D Printing MMS (Manufacturing Management Service) that provides a cloud-based production management system for 3D printing factories. As part of their open-innovation effort where a startup collaboratively works with corporates, Kabuku provides customized choices of…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Kabuku, the startup known for its 3D printing service brand Rinkak, announced today that it has fundraised 400 million yen ($3.3 million) from Global Brain. This round is not yet closed but Global Brain leads other investors who have potential business synergy with Kabuku. The funds will be used to develop a cloud-based production management system for 3D printing factories as well as expand partnerships with third-party 3D printing manufacturing services, both of which were recently announced.

Launched back in 2013, Kabuku fundraised 20 million yen from angel investors in June of the same year, followed by securing 200 million yen ($1.7 million) funding from CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) and Fuji Startup Ventures (FSV) in June 2014.

Originally launched as a showcase and marketplace of 3D printing products, Kabuku has diversified its business to providing other solutions such as Rinkak 3D Printing PPP (Printing Partner Program) that connects orders to relevant printing factories based on manufacturing needs, and Rinkak 3D Printing MMS (Manufacturing Management Service) that provides a cloud-based production management system for 3D printing factories.

As part of their open-innovation effort where a startup collaboratively works with corporates, Kabuku provides customized choices of fabricated body parts or interiors for Toyota i-Road, a personal mobility product under development in Toyoda’s Open Road Project.

Edited by Kurt Hanson

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Japan’s Global Brain partners with Korea’s startup incubator, sets up office in Campus Seoul

Masaru Ikeda 2015.05.14

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Global Brain, a Japanese VC firm focused on investing in startups, signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Asan Nanum Foundation, a non-profit organization backed by Korea’s leading conglomerate Hyundai to help nourishing startups and entrepreneurship, on Wednesday in Seoul. Based on the partnership, the Japanese firm announced that it has set up a regional office in Campus Seoul, Google’s state-of-the-art incubation facility which was just launched last week in Korea’s startup hub area of Gangnam. The firm recently announced that it has also launched its Singapore office. Collocating resident investors like 500 Startups, Maru180, the incubator of the Asan Nanum Foundation, has an incubation space in Campus Seoul. Upon the launch of the new local office, Global Brain wants to strengthen investments in Korean startups and help with market expansion into the Japanese market as well as encouraging Japanese enterprises to enter the Korean market in partnership with Maru180. Global Brain announced last year that it had appointed Chester Jungseok Roh as chief representative for its Seoul office, however he will step down from the position and become an advisor for the company because he will launch a new startup. To make up for that, the firm’s venture partner Jooil Hong will be…

yasuhiko-yurimoto-hyungjin-lee-mat-180 — Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto (left) and the Asan Nanum Foundation’s managing director Hyungjin Lee (right) sign the partnership MoU at Maru180, Seoul.

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Global Brain, a Japanese VC firm focused on investing in startups, signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Asan Nanum Foundation, a non-profit organization backed by Korea’s leading conglomerate Hyundai to help nourishing startups and entrepreneurship, on Wednesday in Seoul. Based on the partnership, the Japanese firm announced that it has set up a regional office in Campus Seoul, Google’s state-of-the-art incubation facility which was just launched last week in Korea’s startup hub area of Gangnam. The firm recently announced that it has also launched its Singapore office.

Collocating resident investors like 500 Startups, Maru180, the incubator of the Asan Nanum Foundation, has an incubation space in Campus Seoul. Upon the launch of the new local office, Global Brain wants to strengthen investments in Korean startups and help with market expansion into the Japanese market as well as encouraging Japanese enterprises to enter the Korean market in partnership with Maru180.

Global Brain announced last year that it had appointed Chester Jungseok Roh as chief representative for its Seoul office, however he will step down from the position and become an advisor for the company because he will launch a new startup. To make up for that, the firm’s venture partner Jooil Hong will be appointed as the new representative for the Seoul office.

Prior to joining Global Brain, Hong had been previously supervising the growth strategy department of Kakao and Daum Kakao (KOSDAQ:035720), Korea’s leading internet companies, following his founding of several startups. Leveraging a vast network that Maru180, Campus Seoul, Roh, and Hong have realized in the local startup community, the firm looks to explore prominent startups and more investment opportunities in Korea.

Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

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Japan’s Global Brain setting up Singapore subsidiary to expand in region, with hotshot exec as chief

Global Brain

Masaru Ikeda 2015.05.07

See the original story in Japanese. Tech in Asia Singapore 2015, the annual startup conference by Singapore-based tech news media Tech in Asia, is now taking place at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on 6th and 7th May. At the event, Yasuhiko Yurimoto, CEO of Tokyo-based investment firm Global Brain, told The Bridge that his company will set up a regional office in Singapore soon and appointed Hisashi Suzuki as the chief representative for the office, aiming to better serve local entrepreneurs and startups in the Southeast Asian region. Co-founding notable Japanese video game company Square in 1986 (subsequently merged and rebranded as Square Enix), Suzuki produced legendary game series Final Fantasy and then made the company IPO at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in August, 2000. Subsequently he was appointed as the chairman of Japanese leading entertainment agency LDH where he produced many stars including popular J-pop performing group Exile and Japanese supermodel Jun Hasegawa. Following that he served Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten as Director and Senior Executive Officer, he is currently serving as independent director for Japanese companies like video recording device maker Spider and online business school company Business Breakthrough (TSE:2464). Since 2005 when he started working…

hisashi-suzuki-yasuhiko-yurimoto — Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto (right), Singapore office representative Hisashi Suzuki (left)

See the original story in Japanese.

Tech in Asia Singapore 2015, the annual startup conference by Singapore-based tech news media Tech in Asia, is now taking place at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on 6th and 7th May. At the event, Yasuhiko Yurimoto, CEO of Tokyo-based investment firm Global Brain, told The Bridge that his company will set up a regional office in Singapore soon and appointed Hisashi Suzuki as the chief representative for the office, aiming to better serve local entrepreneurs and startups in the Southeast Asian region.

Co-founding notable Japanese video game company Square in 1986 (subsequently merged and rebranded as Square Enix), Suzuki produced legendary game series Final Fantasy and then made the company IPO at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in August, 2000. Subsequently he was appointed as the chairman of Japanese leading entertainment agency LDH where he produced many stars including popular J-pop performing group Exile and Japanese supermodel Jun Hasegawa. Following that he served Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten as Director and Senior Executive Officer, he is currently serving as independent director for Japanese companies like video recording device maker Spider and online business school company Business Breakthrough (TSE:2464).

Since 2005 when he started working with Rakuten, he has been working while flying back and forth between Singapore and Japan so he has built up a vast network of business executives in Southeast Asia. Joining Global Brain is the first experience for him to work in the startup community, so he said “People to meet up with, things to talk about, everything happening here is very new to me.” However, leveraging his deep insights dependent on his IPO experience, we can expect that he will devote himself to fostering entrepreneurship and forming startup ecosystems in the region.

Global Brain will establish a local business entity in Singapore in the near future, meaning that the regional office will become the company’s subsidiary named “Pte Ltd.” Their Singapore office is the second overseas office in Asia, following the launch of their Seoul office back in December 2014.

In this region, Global Brain is better known for having recently invested in Singapore-based online cosmetics and skincare products e-commerce site Luxola as well as India- / Singapore-based adtech startup AdNear. Going forward, the firm plans to strengthen investing in startups in the region upon the launch of the Singapore office at this time.

See also:

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Japanese data analysis startup pLucky raises funds from Adways and Global Brain

Junya Mori 2015.03.18

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based pLucky, the company behind service analysis platform Logbook, announced today it has fundraised an undisclosed sum from Japanese internet company Adways (TSE:2489) and startup-focused investment firm Global Brain. Logbook helps internet companies to conduct a data-driven improvement on their web services, offering easy-to-use tools for service analysis such as auto-setting performance indicators and object values in addition to proposing countermeasures for improvement according to the web service category. Since its launch in Alpha version back in April, pLucky has improved Logbook for almost a year and acquired over 300 users. See also: LogBook makes data analysis more accessible to startups Japanese data analysis startup pLucky raises funds from CyberAgent Ventures Supporting mobile apps Using the funds, pLucky plans to enhance the Logbook platform to service analysis in the mobile app space. While there are an increased number of players offering service analysis platforms for web services, very few platforms support mobile apps. In view of the recently increased number of web service companies developing mobile apps, pLucky wants to enhance Logbook so that people can easily make service analysis for their mobile apps without expertise. Following adding mobile app support to Logbook earlier this month, the…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based pLucky, the company behind service analysis platform Logbook, announced today it has fundraised an undisclosed sum from Japanese internet company Adways (TSE:2489) and startup-focused investment firm Global Brain.

Logbook helps internet companies to conduct a data-driven improvement on their web services, offering easy-to-use tools for service analysis such as auto-setting performance indicators and object values in addition to proposing countermeasures for improvement according to the web service category.

Since its launch in Alpha version back in April, pLucky has improved Logbook for almost a year and acquired over 300 users.

See also:

Supporting mobile apps

Using the funds, pLucky plans to enhance the Logbook platform to service analysis in the mobile app space. While there are an increased number of players offering service analysis platforms for web services, very few platforms support mobile apps.

In view of the recently increased number of web service companies developing mobile apps, pLucky wants to enhance Logbook so that people can easily make service analysis for their mobile apps without expertise. Following adding mobile app support to Logbook earlier this month, the company started accepting sign-ups from Android and iOS app developers.

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy

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Japan’s online diamond jeweler Brilliance+ secures funding from Global Brain

Masaru Ikeda 2015.01.27

See the original story in Japanese. Tokyo-based Queue, the company behind online diamond jeweler that sells engagement and wedding rings, called Brilliance+, announced today that it has fundraised an undisclosed sum from Japanese investment firm Global Brain. Queue was founded in 2006, followed by the launch of a jewelry-focused e-commerce site called Brilliance+ in 2008. On Brilliance+, users can custom order an engagement ring from a selection of over 7,000 kinds of diamonds and 2,000 ring designs, enabling the creation of over three million ring combinations. Wedding rings can be customized in six crafting categories such as material, width, and ring texture. While they have showrooms in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district and Yokohama to serve customers on a face-to-face basis, their system of cutting out inventory and optimizing distribution channels has allowed them to sell rings and jewelry at almost half of retail market prices. Queue will use the funds to develop a mobile app and strengthen systems development in order to receive fully-customized orders online. Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE) is the leading online jeweler in the US. Leveraging the e-commerce opportunity, they cut the cost of samples showcased at storefronts that conventional jewelers have been handling, and their revenue has…

See the original story in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Queue, the company behind online diamond jeweler that sells engagement and wedding rings, called Brilliance+, announced today that it has fundraised an undisclosed sum from Japanese investment firm Global Brain.

Queue was founded in 2006, followed by the launch of a jewelry-focused e-commerce site called Brilliance+ in 2008. On Brilliance+, users can custom order an engagement ring from a selection of over 7,000 kinds of diamonds and 2,000 ring designs, enabling the creation of over three million ring combinations. Wedding rings can be customized in six crafting categories such as material, width, and ring texture.

While they have showrooms in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district and Yokohama to serve customers on a face-to-face basis, their system of cutting out inventory and optimizing distribution channels has allowed them to sell rings and jewelry at almost half of retail market prices.

Queue will use the funds to develop a mobile app and strengthen systems development in order to receive fully-customized orders online.

Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE) is the leading online jeweler in the US. Leveraging the e-commerce opportunity, they cut the cost of samples showcased at storefronts that conventional jewelers have been handling, and their revenue has exceeded that of the e-commerce sales of Tiffany (NASDAQ:TIF), one of the largest jewelers in the US.

Blue Nile has expanded to Japan, so they may be a rival to Billiance+. It will be interesting to see how Queue will be able to expand their e-commerce site on top of the business model derived from the US-based online jeweler giant.

Edited by Kurt Hanson and “Tex” Pomeroy

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Taiwan’s iChef wins pitch competition at Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo

Masaru Ikeda 2014.12.19

See the original story in Japanese. This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2014. Tokyo-based startup VC firm Global Brain held an annual showcase conference called Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo today. In the event, 10 startup teams from Japan and the rest of Asia gathered to compete at a startup competition session called World Ventures Pitch Battle 2014, where Taiwan-based iChef won the top award. Judges for the competition are: Shinichro Isago, Evangelist, Developer & Platform, Microsoft Japan Oranuch Lerdsuwankij (Mimee), Founder, ThumbsUp (Thailand) Jimmy Rim, CEO, K Cube Ventures (Korea) Tomohiro Ebata, Head of Business Development and Investment Director, KDDI (Japan) The top award winner: iChef (Taiwan) Conventional point-of-sales solutions are slow and heavy, and they result in bottlenecks during peak restaurant hours. But in contrast, the iChef app is much quicker and versatile, using one iPad or multiple synchronized iPads. Currently they have 400 restaurants using their solution in Taiwan and Hong Kong. They recently partnered with FoodPanda, in addition to having partnered with Taiwan’s CTBC Bank to provide credit card payment solutions for their restaurants, available with a commission of as little as 2.00%, which is even cheaper than that of…

See the original story in Japanese.

This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2014.

Tokyo-based startup VC firm Global Brain held an annual showcase conference called Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo today.

In the event, 10 startup teams from Japan and the rest of Asia gathered to compete at a startup competition session called World Ventures Pitch Battle 2014, where Taiwan-based iChef won the top award.

Judges for the competition are:

Shinichro Isago, Evangelist, Developer & Platform, Microsoft Japan
Oranuch Lerdsuwankij (Mimee), Founder, ThumbsUp (Thailand)
Jimmy Rim, CEO, K Cube Ventures (Korea)
Tomohiro Ebata, Head of Business Development and Investment Director, KDDI (Japan)

The top award winner: iChef (Taiwan)

gbaf-pitch-winner-ichef — L to R: Microsoft Japan Shinichiro Isago (judge), iChef co-founder Ken Chen, Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto, K Cube Ventures CEO Jimmy Rim (judge)

Conventional point-of-sales solutions are slow and heavy, and they result in bottlenecks during peak restaurant hours. But in contrast, the iChef app is much quicker and versatile, using one iPad or multiple synchronized iPads.

Currently they have 400 restaurants using their solution in Taiwan and Hong Kong. They recently partnered with FoodPanda, in addition to having partnered with Taiwan’s CTBC Bank to provide credit card payment solutions for their restaurants, available with a commission of as little as 2.00%, which is even cheaper than that of Square. They are currently looking for strategic partners in Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

The Global Brain award winner: Podo Labs (USA)

gbaf-pitch-winner-podolabs — L to R: Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto, Podo Labs CEO Jae Hoon Choi

While a selfie stick has recently become popular among people, Podo Labs avails an opposite approach. They have developed a camera which can stick on (most) any type of surfaces like glass, wood, concrete walls etc. It connects to the Podo smartphone app to show you a live preview of the shot, so it always turns out the way you want.

The product will be available for $89.99. They plan to launch a Kickstarter campaign for it in 2015 Q1. Podo Labs has fundraised over $1 million from investors including PCH International (known for running hardware-focused startup incubator Highway 1), Seoul-based BonAngels, and London-based Seedcamp.

gbaf-pitch-podolabs — A Podo Labs’s camera product is attached in front of the presenter podium.

The audience award winner: VMFive (Taiwan)

gbaf-pitch-winner-vmfive — L to R: VMFive CEO Sam Ding, K Cube Ventures CEO Jimmy Rim (judge)

VMFive provides a virtual environment solution for mobile. Their solution AdPlay lets users demo an app before purchasing it with no pre-installed software or SDKs required from developers. They recently partnered with Japan’s Adways and started a service that lets users demo an app before its launch on Adway’s Yoyaku Top 10 solution (also known in English as PreLaunch Party). They also recently partnered with Japanese digital ad agency D2C, aiming to accelerate efforts to partner with ad networks and app introduction sites.

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Japan’s Global Brain expands to Korea, notable angel investor joins as chief rep

Masaru Ikeda 2014.12.19

See the original story in Japanese. This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2014. Tokyo-based startup VC firm Global Brain is holding an annual showcase conference called Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo today. The company announced at the event today that it will open a regional office in Seoul, Korea, in January 2015, as part of their intensified investment effort in Asia. Chester Jungseok Roh, a prominent angel investor in Korea as well as CSO of Korean startup 5Rocks, will be appointed as chief representative for the Seoul office. Roh has invested in notable Korean startups such as TicketMonster, PaprikaLab, Dialoid, Shakr Media, Noom, and Memebox, as well as having exited his own four startups via IPO and M&A with Google. He is also a co-founder of Korean incubator Fast Track Asia. See also: Japanese VC invests $2.3M in Korean growth hacking startup According to Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto, there are many investment opportunities coming to Roh from promising startups in Korea. The company plans to strengthen investment in Korea in partnership with Korea’s governmental business promotion company KOTRA, as well as local incubators. Global Brain also announced that it will relocate its office…

See the original story in Japanese.

This is part of our coverage of Global Brain Alliance Forum 2014.

Tokyo-based startup VC firm Global Brain is holding an annual showcase conference called Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo today.

The company announced at the event today that it will open a regional office in Seoul, Korea, in January 2015, as part of their intensified investment effort in Asia. Chester Jungseok Roh, a prominent angel investor in Korea as well as CSO of Korean startup 5Rocks, will be appointed as chief representative for the Seoul office. Roh has invested in notable Korean startups such as TicketMonster, PaprikaLab, Dialoid, Shakr Media, Noom, and Memebox, as well as having exited his own four startups via IPO and M&A with Google. He is also a co-founder of Korean incubator Fast Track Asia.

See also:

Japanese VC invests $2.3M in Korean growth hacking startup

According to Global Brain CEO Yasuhiko Yurimoto, there are many investment opportunities coming to Roh from promising startups in Korea. The company plans to strengthen investment in Korea in partnership with Korea’s governmental business promotion company KOTRA, as well as local incubators.

Global Brain also announced that it will relocate its office to Shibuya, a startup hub in Japan. They will lease an entire building and focus on cultivating the startup community by deploying EIR (Entrepreneurs in Residence) activities.

Global Brain

Japan’s Stellasia LED wins pitch competition at Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo

The top prize winner: Stellasia LED (Japan)

The Global Brain award winner: Kacific (Singapore)

The Global Brain award winner: Eatigo (Thailand)

The audience award winner: Axelspace (Japan)

Japan’s LifeRobotics opens series A round with $2.2 million in funding

Japan’s Kabuku, 3D printing platform operator, closes $6 million round

Japan’s Kabuku raises $3.3 million from Global Brain to diversify 3D printing business

Japan’s Global Brain partners with Korea’s startup incubator, sets up office in Campus Seoul

Japan’s Global Brain setting up Singapore subsidiary to expand in region, with hotshot exec as chief

Japanese data analysis startup pLucky raises funds from Adways and Global Brain

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Japan’s online diamond jeweler Brilliance+ secures funding from Global Brain

Taiwan’s iChef wins pitch competition at Global Brain Alliance Forum in Tokyo

The top award winner: iChef (Taiwan)

The Global Brain award winner: Podo Labs (USA)

The audience award winner: VMFive (Taiwan)

Japan’s Global Brain expands to Korea, notable angel investor joins as chief rep

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Global Brain

The top prize winner: Stellasia LED (Japan)

The Global Brain award winner: Kacific (Singapore)

The Global Brain award winner: Eatigo (Thailand)

The audience award winner: Axelspace (Japan)

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Supporting mobile apps

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The top award winner: iChef (Taiwan)

The Global Brain award winner: Podo Labs (USA)

The audience award winner: VMFive (Taiwan)

Related news

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