January, February, March 2020
Each link below leads to the original Japanese startup news article – in English – for that headline, gathered from online Japan-focused tech news spanning the first quarter of 2020 – January, February and March.
Our quarterly Japan-specific startup news listings provide a one-page at-a-glance listing of startup headlines focused on Japan as a quick reference on the country’s early-stage startup scene in the first instance and, where applicable, as coverage of Japan’s startups that are succeeding overseas.
Startup News Asia’s quarterly summaries can also be ordered online in hardcopy, printed, bound and delivered. Our hardcopy publications feature scan-able links to connect you from print to each headline’s online news article using the Startup News Asia mobile app, or any similar app you already have on your device.
January 2020 | February 2020 | March 2020
Japan: January 2020
- An intro to Japan’s Linklusion, introducing Myanmar’s rural retailers to technology to better manage orders and inventory
- ICYMI: Japan-produced virtual music star Hatsune Miku to perform at Coachella music festival
- Japan: Preparations for 2020 Olympics fuel race to monetize autonomous vehicles
- Japan: Mitsubishi Motors signs with Israel’s Otonomo car data marketplace in attempt to catch up with US and Euro rivals in providing in-vehicle connected services
- Japan’s SBI Holdings and GMO Internet service provider reportedly prepping to mine Bitcoin at world’s largest crypto mine in Texas
- Japan: Toyota announces plan to create 70-hectare testing ground, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, to test autonomous driving and other smart city tech
- Japan: A look at Panasonic’s new VR glasses, unveiled at CES 2020
- An overview of Japan’s innovation ecosystem, characterised by gov’t support initiatives, growing participation by corporates, and an influx of foreign tech firms
- Japan: ‘VTubers’ on the rise in Japan, as brands look to virtual celebrities as low-risk, high-reward marketing tools
- Japan’s Shiseido opens Beauty Innovation Hub in Shanghai, to facilitate close collaboration with China’s startup ecosystem
- Japan: “…open banking would put Japan in the company of the UK and Australia, which are freeing up data access to spur competition and create innovative financial solutions”
- Japan: Lawmakers are working on proposal for Japan to issue its own digital currency, potentially a joint initiative between government and private companies
- Japan: Minma’s Curama online marketplace raises $36M with local services focus
- TransferGo account-to-account remittance firm partners Currencycloud global payments platform for cross-border payments in 14 new markets over Q1 2020
Japan: February 2020
- Japan: SBI Holdings financial group plans $920M VC fund, seeking investors to focus on 5G, robotics and IoT
- Japan: Daiko Holdings takes controlling stake in Bitgate cryptocurrency exchange parent, in step to keep up with competitor crypto moves
- Japan: A look at Aissy, neural network-driven taste analysis startup
- Japan: H2O vacation rental management startup raises $7M with platform aiding owners to manage operations, housekeeping and bookings
- Japan to expand support for domestic drone industry to alleviate security concerns posed by Chinese-made devices
- A brief look at Japan’s moves towards providing financial services for the unbanked population of expats and migrant workers
- Japan: Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers to trial blockchain technology for music copyright management
- Japan: An interview with the Director, InsurTech, at Plug And Play Japan, on Asia Insurtech Podcast
- An overview of Japan’s hesitancy around, and likely moves towards, a central bank digital currency
- Japan’s Rakuten e-commerce conglomerate offloads $1.4BN in tech shares, including entire Pinterest stake, adding to growing concerns about overvaluations
- Japan has a radically different profile when it comes to three important areas of 5G deployment…
- Japan: Manga designed by AI and drawn by robotic hand to be published in Japan’s Morning magazine, created by studying works of Astroboy creator, Osamu Tezuka
- A brief intro to 12 of Asia’s legal-tech startup founders and their businesses
Japan: March 2020
- Japan: China’s Didi Chuxing ride-hailing giant preps to launch food delivery services in Osaka in April, building on cab services already in 20 cities
- Japan: Nulab SaaS startup raises $5M with collaboration software for international teams of all sizes
- Japan: An overview of Startup Guide Tokyo, guide book on how the tech hub is reinventing itself for a new wave of entrepreneurs, startups and more
- Japan: Securitize develops blockchain-based real estate investment platform using digital securities
- Japan: Silicon Canals ranks Japan as the most startup-friendly country worldwide
- Japan: Sony Bank unveils Moneykit, English-language digital banking service for foreign residents in the country
- Japan: OKCoin fiat-to-crypto exchange gains Virtual Currency Exchange Service Provider registration
- IWD 2020: An intro to 11 of Asia’s female leaders in business, politics, activism and the arts
