Japan’s startups
in April 2019
Today’s startup news: on LinkedIn, on Twitter and on Facebook
- Japan’s NIKKEI to acquire majority stake in Singapore-based DealStreetAsia, media startup that tracks PE and VC activity across SE Asia and India
- Japan: Grooves HR tech startup raises $3M to connect global hospitality and tourism talent with opportunities in Japan
- Japan: Taxis trial facial recognition to target ads based on a riders’ gender, age and more
- Japan: Mitsui OSK Lines tankers to gain navigation boost using augmented reality technology, another step towards autonomous shipping
- Japan: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country’s largest bank, boosts funding for Chainalysis cryptocurrency transaction analysis startup by $6M
- Japan: Financial Services Authority to require crypto exchanges to strengthen oversight of cold wallets in risk management move around economic growth
- Japan: Rakuten e-commerce giant opens registrations for Rakuten Wallet crypto exchange
- Japan: Resona Bank discontinues collaboration with MoneyTap payment app in favour of native brand apps
- Society 5.0: Japan’s future with robots and AI
- Japan: Financial Services Agency to offer cryptocurrency-enabled spot trading
- The Cool Japan Fund – aiming to support and promote demand overseas for Japanese products and services
- Japan: India’s Oyo announces joint venture with SoftBank to launch hotel business
- Japan: SoftBank conglomerate to add $15BN to already-huge $100BN Vision Fund; considering capital for a second tech fund
- Japan: Liquid cryptocurrency trading platform closes funding round, claiming valuation over $1BN
- Japan’s SBI Investment backs UK’s PixelPin startup to £1.5M pre-A for image-based authentication to replace log-in passwords with pictures
- India: Japan’s Incubate Fund to raise new $27M vehicle to invest in early-and-seed stage Indian startups
- Japan’s Incubate Fund India to launch $27M startup fund
- Uber self-driving car unit raises $1BN from Japan’s Toyota, Denso and Vision Fund
