THE BRIDGE

tag pickup

Japan’s Brave group sets up shop in US to develop VTubers for English-speaking markets

The Bridge The Bridge
SHARE:

Tokyo-based Brave group, a Japanese VTuber studio, announced that it has founded a US subsidiary to begin full-scale global operations. Their first initiative is V4Mirai, a VTuber production project focused on English-speaking markets, in which two VTubers (Abi Kadabura and Serina Maiko) will debut on June 11. Brave group US plans to use this as a springboard to expand their VTuber business globally. The company was founded in 2017 by Japanese serial entrepreneur Keito Noguchi. The company runs the BlitzWing virtual music label and the V-Spo next-gen virtual eSports project in addition to producing other VTuber groups, IP businesses, platform business utilizing their own Brave metaverse engine, and the development of emerging areas such as eSports and Web3. In January of 2023, Brave group raised 300 million yen (about $2.2 million) from the Japanese subsidiary of Animoca Brands, which brought their funding sum up to date to 3.04 billion yen ($21.9 million). via PR Times    Summarized by ChatGPT

 Image credit: Brave group

Tokyo-based Brave group, a Japanese VTuber studio, announced that it has founded a US subsidiary to begin full-scale global operations. Their first initiative is V4Mirai, a VTuber production project focused on English-speaking markets, in which two VTubers (Abi Kadabura and Serina Maiko) will debut on June 11. Brave group US plans to use this as a springboard to expand their VTuber business globally.

The company was founded in 2017 by Japanese serial entrepreneur Keito Noguchi. The company runs the BlitzWing virtual music label and the V-Spo next-gen virtual eSports project in addition to producing other VTuber groups, IP businesses, platform business utilizing their own Brave metaverse engine, and the development of emerging areas such as eSports and Web3.

In January of 2023, Brave group raised 300 million yen (about $2.2 million) from the Japanese subsidiary of Animoca Brands, which brought their funding sum up to date to 3.04 billion yen ($21.9 million).

via PR Times    Summarized by ChatGPT

Related news

  1. Pathee gets $6M from Mitsui, others; helps physical stores reach more consumers online
  2. puzzle-dragons-clash-of-clans Japan’s most successful mobile game is picking up steam in the US market
  3. Japan’s Space Market, on-demand venue rental marketplace, files for IPO

Japan’s W fund to start investing in Southeast Asian startups

The Bridge The Bridge
SHARE:

Tokyo-based VC firm W (formerly W ventures) announced on Tuesday that it has increased the fund size of W fund II from its initially-announced size of 5 billion yen to 7 billion yen. The fund invests in toC startups and others with innovative technology in a seed to Series A round. The fund has invested in 102 startups to date, with one IPO (Creema) and four M&As (Monokabu acquired by Sneaker Dunk). LinQ, one of the firm’s portfolio companies, has developed a location sharing app called Whoo, which has been downloaded over 10 million times. In response to portfolio companies creating globally competitive services, the firm has decided to start full-fledged investments in Southeast Asia. The team focused on the region is expected to include Amanda Umezono, a former East Ventures employee with investment experience and network in the region, and Kengo Takada, who has experience in global projects at Dentsu. via PR Times

The W team
Image credit: W

Tokyo-based VC firm W (formerly W ventures) announced on Tuesday that it has increased the fund size of W fund II from its initially-announced size of 5 billion yen to 7 billion yen. The fund invests in toC startups and others with innovative technology in a seed to Series A round. The fund has invested in 102 startups to date, with one IPO (Creema) and four M&As (Monokabu acquired by Sneaker Dunk).

LinQ, one of the firm’s portfolio companies, has developed a location sharing app called Whoo, which has been downloaded over 10 million times. In response to portfolio companies creating globally competitive services, the firm has decided to start full-fledged investments in Southeast Asia. The team focused on the region is expected to include Amanda Umezono, a former East Ventures employee with investment experience and network in the region, and Kengo Takada, who has experience in global projects at Dentsu.

via PR Times

Related news

  1. Japan curated news app SmartNews secures $230M in series F at $2B valuation
  2. puzzle-dragons-clash-of-clans Japan’s most successful mobile game is picking up steam in the US market
  3. Funderbeam, stock exchange for startups, teams up with Taizo Son for Asia expansion

Singapore’s lab-grown fish meat startup Umami Meats announces Japan expansion

The Bridge The Bridge
SHARE:

Singapore-based cultured seafood developer Umami Meats made an official announcement on Thursday that it will expand into the Japanese market. The company is focused on developing cultured fish for endangered species such as eel, grouper, snapper, and tuna, which are in high demand in Japan. It is actively working to build partnerships with Japanese companies and create an ecosystem to generate technology and manufacturing applications for the Japanese market. Umami Meats, founded in 2020, produces cultured seafood that is nutritious and affordable. The company aims to provide a delicious eating experience by offering cultured seafood that is free of heavy metals, antibiotics, and microplastics and has the same nutritional value as conventional seafood. It has previously signed a licensing agreement with NUProtein in Tokushima, Japan, to license its growth factor production system. In this particular vertical, US startup Finless Foods, backed by Japanese fish wholesaler Dainichi, IndieBio, Twitch founder Justin Kan, and others, has successfully developed plant-based cultured tuna meat. BlueNalu, another American cultured fish startup backed by Sumitomo Corporation (TSE:8053) and others, formed a business alliance with Food & Life Companies (TSE:3563), the company behind Japanese major sushi restaurant chain Sushiro. Tokyo-based startup IntegriCulture has begun joint research on…

The Umami Meats management team. CEO Mihir Pershad stands in the middle.
Image credit: Umami Meats

Singapore-based cultured seafood developer Umami Meats made an official announcement on Thursday that it will expand into the Japanese market. The company is focused on developing cultured fish for endangered species such as eel, grouper, snapper, and tuna, which are in high demand in Japan. It is actively working to build partnerships with Japanese companies and create an ecosystem to generate technology and manufacturing applications for the Japanese market.

Umami Meats, founded in 2020, produces cultured seafood that is nutritious and affordable. The company aims to provide a delicious eating experience by offering cultured seafood that is free of heavy metals, antibiotics, and microplastics and has the same nutritional value as conventional seafood. It has previously signed a licensing agreement with NUProtein in Tokushima, Japan, to license its growth factor production system.

In this particular vertical, US startup Finless Foods, backed by Japanese fish wholesaler Dainichi, IndieBio, Twitch founder Justin Kan, and others, has successfully developed plant-based cultured tuna meat. BlueNalu, another American cultured fish startup backed by Sumitomo Corporation (TSE:8053) and others, formed a business alliance with Food & Life Companies (TSE:3563), the company behind Japanese major sushi restaurant chain Sushiro. Tokyo-based startup IntegriCulture has begun joint research on cultured fish meat with Maruha Nichiro (TSE: 1333), one of Japan’s largest fishery processors.

via PR Times

Related news

  1. EF Polymer secures $4M to develop water absorbent from residues for farmers
  2. puzzle-dragons-clash-of-clans Japan’s most successful mobile game is picking up steam in the US market
  3. Japan’s Space Market, on-demand venue rental marketplace, files for IPO

EF Polymer secures $4M to develop water absorbent from residues for farmers

The Bridge The Bridge
SHARE:

Updated on 7am, May 17: Added a part of the sentence in red. Okinawa-based EF Polymer, the Indian scientists-led startup developing polymer absorbent technology, announced on Thursday that it has secured 550 million yen (about $4 million US) in a Series A round. Participating investors are Universal Materials Incubator (UMI), Nishimoto Wismettac Holdings, MTG Ventures, Beyond Next Ventures, Lime Time Ventures, and Okinawa Development Finance Corporation. MTG Ventures and Beyond Next Ventures followed their seed investment in the startup. Founded by Indian researchers who attended an accelerator program by at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), EF Polymer has developed super absorbent polymer (SAP). Made from inedible parts of fruits such as orange peels,  the polymer is fully organic and biodegradable. When applied to farmland, it is expected to save about 40% of water consumption and 20% of fertilizer dispense, and increase yields by 10-15%. The company has sold about 100 tons of super absorbent polymers to date, mainly to the U.S., India, and Japan, and has successfully upcycled about 1,000 tons of crop residues, since about 10 tons of crop residues are used to produce one ton of the polymer product. The company boasted the product has been…

Image credit: EF Polymer

Updated on 7am, May 17: Added a part of the sentence in red.

Okinawa-based EF Polymer, the Indian scientists-led startup developing polymer absorbent technology, announced on Thursday that it has secured 550 million yen (about $4 million US) in a Series A round. Participating investors are Universal Materials Incubator (UMI), Nishimoto Wismettac Holdings, MTG Ventures, Beyond Next Ventures, Lime Time Ventures, and Okinawa Development Finance Corporation. MTG Ventures and Beyond Next Ventures followed their seed investment in the startup.

Founded by Indian researchers who attended an accelerator program by at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), EF Polymer has developed super absorbent polymer (SAP). Made from inedible parts of fruits such as orange peels,  the polymer is fully organic and biodegradable. When applied to farmland, it is expected to save about 40% of water consumption and 20% of fertilizer dispense, and increase yields by 10-15%.

Founders of EF Polumer. From left: CEO Narayan Lal Gurjar, COO Puran Singh Rajput

The company has sold about 100 tons of super absorbent polymers to date, mainly to the U.S., India, and Japan, and has successfully upcycled about 1,000 tons of crop residues, since about 10 tons of crop residues are used to produce one ton of the polymer product. The company boasted the product has been introduced into about 12,000 farm households in five countries.

The company will use the funds to expand its polymer production capacity, strengthen research and development, and prepare to meet global demand. They also aims to establish research and development capabilities for applications in fields beyond agriculture.

EF Polymer is one of the finalist at the Okinawa Startup Program 2019-2020; it also won the Carbon Tech award at the 2019 Climate Launchpad Award Grand Final.

via EF Polymer

Related news

  1. Singapore’s lab-grown fish meat startup Umami Meats announces Japan expansion
  2. puzzle-dragons-clash-of-clans Japan’s most successful mobile game is picking up steam in the US market
  3. For fresh graduates in Japan, a new startup eases the pain of job hunting

Recent Articles

Trends