Startup news: Japan
The April 2020 Japan startup news round-up, covering Japan’s tech, fintech and startup funding news across the early-stage scene. News items are gathered at the country level, rather than at country-plus-technology level, to provide a broad overview of Japan’s startup ecosystem developments.
News links listed below are Japan’s startup headlines from April 2020, with each link connected to the online news source for that headline and covering either an individual Japanese startup in the news or the wider Japanese startup ecosystem in some way – Japan’s VCs, government or private startup support initiatives, or Japanese startup industry news, for example.
Please take a moment to visit our friends/partners as well, displayed in the banner ads below; these are Japanese startups or initiatives worthy of notice, support and news headlines of their own.
- Japan: SoftBank and telco KDDI partner in 5G JAPAN Corporation to accelerate 5G rollout in rural Japan, including managing design and construction of 5G base stations
- Japan: mymizu takes $40K award win at Chivas Venture Competition with water re-fill station approach to reducing consumption of single-use plastics
- Japan: Mizuho Bank partners Google Cloud Japan and others to launch proof-of-concept trial for biometric digital ID system to improve online customer authentication
- Japan: Matsuri Technologies launches website to match people forced into COVID-19 isolation with empty hotels in need of guests
- Japan: BitFlyer cryptocurrency exchange launches blockchain consulting service to aid companies taking their first steps into blockchain
- Japan: Tokyo Startup Events – online listing for tech-related meetups and networking events
- Japan: Cogent Labs AI startup secures $13M with 4 service offerings, aiming to expand in Asia
- Japan: All Nippon Airways invests in Avatar-in, startup launched by employees to develop remotely controlled avatars for use in tourism, retail and health care
- Japan: Kyash digital banking startup raises $45M with digital payments focus and Visa tie-in
- ICYMI: Japan earmarks $2.2BN of record economic stimulus package to help its manufacturers shift production out of China as coronavirus disrupts supply chains
- Japan: Paidy fintech raises $48M with focus on allowing customers to make online purchases without credit cards
- Japan sees shift to online nomikai, after-work drinks with colleagues, due to coronavirus social distancing measures, with some companies subsidising participation
To have your startup banner included in future online Japan startup news updates from Startup News Asia (monthly and quarterly) or on our daily startup news feeds (on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and via Startup News Asia mobile app) talk to us: Partner with Startup News Asia.
