= First quarter 2018 =
Japan’s Startup News
Below is a broad and uncategorised summary of Japan’s startup and tech news as reported in the English-language media across January, February and March in 2018.
We also deliver a monthly startups round-up for Japan.
Accompanying this, we also deliver a daily startup news report
via social media, posting Japan’s startup news on Twitter,
on LinkedIn and via StartupAsiaNews on Facebook.
The collected quarterly items – spanning all countries in South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand – can also be ordered as a 90+ page publication in full-colour hardopy.
- University of Tokyo tech startups set as focus of new $220M fund
- WeWork to open the first of 4 planned Tokyo coworking locations on February 1
- Crowdfunding helps turn Kyoto’s ageing town houses into inns
- Line messaging app reportedly looking at cryptocurrencies for payment services
- SmartHR HR automation service backed to $13.3M
- Dream Incubator set to launch $44M fund focused on India’s tech scene
- A look at 6 startups from Honda Xcelerator dealing with future mobility solutions
- Mercari flea market app unicorn to branch into new bike-sharing service
- Uber and Toyota prep for closer ties around autonomous driving
- Nissan partners DeNA for self-driving taxi trial with e-commerce platform for localized marketing
- Shiseido Optune to combine IoT, mobile app and dispenser to create beauty program for users
- Japan’s LINE launches subsidiary to offer crypto trading, loans and insurance
- ZBB blockchain startup partners Benefit One employee perks provider for in-house currency for companies
- The world’s 10 biggest cities in 2030, and none are in the US or Europe
- Kita City partnering Fujitsu to evaluate AI in nursing care insurance processing
- Newspaper Shinano Mainichi Shimbun working with Fujitsu to speed up news updates using AI summarization
- A quick look at a handful of Japan’s startups
- A look at Japanese startup Sansan, aiming to change how we view business cards
- WTC, Japan’s largest travel agency and B&B accommodation platform, to partner CryptoBnB blockchain-based vacation rental startup
- GREE VR Capital closes 1st virtual, augmented and mixed reality fund at $18.3M
- Aeon partners DeepBlue Technology startup for AI-run cashierless stores
- Rakuten to launch $9BN loyalty program via new blockchain-based cryptocurrency, Rakuten Coin
- Trillium automotive IoT cybersecurity startup takes startup competition
- OmiseGO, Global Brain launch Neutrino, blockchain startup coworking space, in Tokyo
- Japan’s 16 registered cryptocurrency exchanges to form self-regulating body
- Sou used luxury items startup debuts on Tokyo stock exchange
- Credify blockchain-driven reputation tracker set to pitch at Slush Tokyo event
- Qoo10 e-commerce platform acquired by eBay to expand local presence
- A quick intro to 10 Japanese startups
- Toshiba trials smart glasses with ‘assisted reality’ via small wearable PC
