April, May & June 2020
Startup Japan
Startup News Asia’s quarterly summary of Japan’s startup news headlines from April, May and June 2020.
Each item listed is a technology or startup news headline reported in Q2 2020 covering an aspect of Japan’s startup ecosystem in some way, whether an announcement by a Japanese startup around a product, pivot or funding, or an article outlining changes to Japan’s startup scene generally. Items and articles here are drawn from the online English-language press.
The focus here is on Japan, obviously, but ‘outside world’ tech and startup news headlines are included where appropriate to provide points of reference, food for thought for early-stage Japanese startups, and to provide wider tech knowledge.
June 2020 | May 2020 | April 2020
June 2020
- Japan: SynchroLife raises $2.6M Series A with restaurant review platform rewarding users in SynchroCoin crypto token, claiming 2120K reviews across 100K restaurants
- Japan: Ubie medtech startup gains $18.7M with AI-driven healthcare software, focused on both identification of symptoms and creation of clinical records
- Japan’s Softbank invests $19.5M in UK’s Splyt, startup allowing app operators to integrate ride-hailing options with existing services, part of search for super-app investments
- Japan: Kyushu Electric Power to provide blockchain platform to Fukuoka’s regional bank Chikuho Bank to help digitize ‘premium vouchers’ for low-income families
- Japan: Sequoia Capital, US VC giant, hunting Japanese startups delivering high-end tech to corporate customers with valuations of $279M to $1.3BN
- Japan’s virtual idol, Hatsune Miku, joins China’s Taobao as live-streaming ambassador for upcoming 618 online shopping festival
- India: Gojo & Company, Japanese impact investor, boosts financial inclusion-focused investments with stakes in Satya MicroCapital and Aviom, women-focused lender
- TechShake Southeast Asia Online Pitch Session set for July 9th, showcasing Japanese startups in this session
May 2020
- Japan: Kyash digital banking startup raises $45M as cashless payments become the norm in response to coronavirus
- Japan: A brief intro to 5 of the country’s property-tech and real estate-focused startups
- Japan: An overview of how AI is changing Japan’s labor-intensive anime industry, with machine learning enabling 8K image processing and fast translation
- Japan: An overview of Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Special Loan Program for Women, Youth and Senior entrepreneurs
- Japan: JETRO Kyoto launches English-language Startup Visa program website to boost information related to Kyoto’s startup ecosystems
- Japan: IntegriCulture cellular agriculture firm launches Uni-CulNet framework, aiming to standardise cell-based agriculture infrastructure and systems
- Japan: IntegriCulture raises $7.4M Series A with focus on cell-based meat
- Taiwan: An overview of Japan’s LINE messaging app’s aims as a virtual bank in Taiwan, both with LINE Pay and the soon-to-launch LINE Bank
- Taiwan AI Robotics Accelerator, Japan’s Mizuhu Bank and StarFab Accelerator ink MoU to establish accelerator platform focusing on 5G, AI and medicine (pdf)
April 2020
- 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
Startups: Get featured
To have your startup banner featured in future Australian startup news updates from Startup News Asia (monthly and quarterly) or to have a news item distributed 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.
Asia’s tech news, daily
To stay up-to-the-minute with ongoing daily updates:
• follow @wadekwright on Twitter
• follow Startup Asia News on Facebook
• follow our LinkedIn startup news updates
• or install the Startup News Asia Android app
