Tech in Japan
April, May & June 2021
Technology news from Japan, across Q2 2021
– articles, reports & downloads
The Japan tech news summary for second quarter 2021 collects startup-related headlines from April, May and June of the year on subjects including, for example: buy-now-pay-later fintech services in Japan; research into setting 6G standards; Shibuya’s startup support and welcome service; Japan’s first ‘gym for e-sports’ facility; the country’s cyber security strategy; and others.
Each headline bullet-listed hyperlinks to the Japan-focused tech news article behind them – online, advertising-free, and at no cost to read.
Click the jump links to go straight to the Japan technology news snapshots for April 2021, May 2021 or June 2021; or simply browse the page for the subjects that interest you the most.
April 2021 | May 2021 | June 2021
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Japan’s tech news: June 2021
- Japan: MPower Partners Fund launches with $150M to focus on social challenges in fields including health care, financial tech, education and the environment
- A brief look at LINE BK, digital bank from Japan’s LINE messenger app LINE, initially launched in Thailand and now expanding its user base in Taiwan
- Japan: A brief intro to byFood, food tourism startup recently recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list
- Japan: Government agencies reportedly suffered data breaches including hacker access to 76K email addresses originating from hack of 3rd-party info sharing tool
- Japan: Ashirase develops app-connected ‘in-shoe navigation system’ to help visually impaired with walking, graduating from Honda’s IGNITION business creation program
- Japan: A look at Softbank-backed digital payments firm PayPay, boasting 3M merchants and over 39M users
- Industry groups from Japan and Finland to conduct joint research and development of 6G communications tech, looking to lead the creation of 6G standards
- Japan signs $338M semiconductor research agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co to develop chip tech, aiming for Japanese competitiveness
- Download: Japan’s Cybersecurity Strategy, From The Olympics To The Indo-Pacific (pdf)
- Japan’s Next Meat Co to showcase vegan barbecue short ribs at Sacramento Vegan Food Festival, followed by launch of e-commerce retail shop in Los Angeles
- Japan: A video discussion of visa options for software engineers looking to work in Japan, delivered by Le Wagon Tokyo
- FastTrack Webinar takes place June 23rd for international startups looking to launch or base in Japan, providing info on the 2021 Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka program
- A brief look at byFood from Tablecross, providing restaurant bookings online for overseas tourists in Japan, donating part of profit to feeding children in developing countries
- Japan: Police Agency to set up new bureau and team dedicated to cybercrime responses, including to state-sponsored attacks from China, North Korea and Russia
Japan’s tech news: May 2021
- Video pitch made by Ginkan, an AI-driven social restaurant discovery platform, at the recent Unicorn Battle South East Asia & Oceania event
- Tokyo to open country’s first ‘gym for esports’, facility for competitive video gaming tuition
- Major infrastructure firms to discontinue use of Chinese-made drones in favour of domestic firms, citing data security concerns
- Download: FinTech Market in Japan – Blockchain, via FinCity Tokyo (pdf)
- An intro to Shibuya Startup Support’s Startup Welcome Service, led by Tokyo Shibuya City, to help founders and entrepreneurs start a business in Japan
- ICYMI: Japan Startup Funding 2020 report is online, looking at investors, startups, sectors and IPOs
- A brief intro to 5 firms working in the ‘buy now, pay later’ market, touching on virtual credit cards, point of sale financing and more
- Japan-HQ’d CyberAgent closes CA Startups Internet Fund 3, raising $55.5M to invest in globally-focused, seed stage Asian tech startups
- An interview intro to Minna Bank, gearing up for launch as an app-based digital-only challenger bank
- Download: Project Bakong CBDC Case Study – The National Bank of Cambodia, Hyperledger Iroha and Japan’s Soramitsu (pdf)
- Singapore/Japan research develops method converting Wi-Fi signals to electricity to power small LEDs, aiming to wirelessly power medical wearables and consumer devices
- SAP unveils 6 startups selected for B2B accelerator, focusing on energy and natural resources industries in Australia and New Zealand
Japanese tech news: April 2021
- Bank of Japan launches first phase of experimenting with a central bank digital currency, testing technical feasibility of core functions and features
- Japan: Daiei supermarket chain, affiliate of Aeon, to open cashierless store in Tokyo in partnership with China’s Cloudpick
- Japan: ANA airline group to launch drone delivery service using Germany’s Wingcopter startup to carry necessities to remote islands and mountain regions
- Japan: Sagawa Express Co delivery firm unveils electric vehicle prototype jointly produced with startup, ASF, in first step towards electrifying 7200-strong delivery van fleet
- Japan: Minna Bank, digital banking arm of Fukuoka Financial Group, expected to launch in May, partnered with Accenture and running on Google cloud infrastructure
- Japan: Paidy buy-now-pay-later provider completes Series D, raising $120M with more than 5M consumer accounts and 7K company accounts
- Japan: A look at how some municipalities are embracing digital currency, launching community-focused digital money initiatives to boost local economy and identity
- Japan: Paidy BNPL firm launches Paidy Link mobile wallet integration feature, partnering with PayPal and allowing users to pay for purchases in monthly instalments
- Japan: Shibuya Startup Support, a concierge for entrepreneurs, provided by Shibuya City Office in Tokyo
- Japan: Startup City Acceleration Program Demo Day set for April 12th, running virtually and showcasing 23 of Japan’s leading tech startups
- XELS blockchain-based carbon offset platform gains Bittrex listing for XELS token, providing tokenised voluntary carbon offset credits for individuals and companies
- Singapore: Glints online recruitment platform gains $22.5M backing led by Japan’s Persol, one of the country’s largest temporary staffing companies
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