Tag - startups

 
 

STARTUPS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 5, 2020
Robot-maker ZMP targets tractors, taxis and carts for elderly
Robot-maker ZMP Inc. is aiming to launch the first commercial level 3 automated bus operation in Japan at an airport in 2020.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 9, 2019
SoftBank's new tech fund to fall shy of target, Telegraph reports
SoftBank Group Corp. has scaled back ambitions for its second Vision Fund after the failure of big bets, including WeWork, by its first fund rattled partners such as Saudi Arabia, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 7, 2019
Japanese government may offer companies 25% tax break on investment in startups
The government and ruling coalition plan to allow companies to deduct 25 percent of the amount they invest in startups from their taxable income, informed sources said Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 6, 2019
Defying local skepticism and 'Tokyo first' mentality, Science Park thrives in rural Yamagata
When Keio University professor Masaru Tomita accepted an offer in 2000 to head a new science lab in the city of Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, his fellow researchers — shocked at what they evidently considered his relegation to the countryside — warned him that his career was done for.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2019
Japan considering tax breaks for firms that invest ¥10 million in startups
Government and ruling coalition officials are considering giving tax breaks to small and midsize companies that invest ¥10 million or more in startups, sources familiar with their discussions said Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2019
SoftBank's startup bookkeeping draws scrutiny after WeWork fiasco
In early 2018, the founders of Chinese artificial intelligence startup SenseTime Group Ltd. flew to Tokyo to see billionaire investor Masayoshi Son. As they entered the offices, Chief Executive Officer Xu Li was hoping to persuade the head of SoftBank Group Corp. to invest $200 million in his three-year-old...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2019
Inspired by 3/11, Tokyo-based Looop advances to semifinals of Startup World Cup 2020
A startup that's friendly to both the environment and your wallet is two steps away from a $1 million prize.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 25, 2019
Japan wants foreign entrepreneurs, but what's missing?
For foreign entrepreneurs, Japan has never been the easiest place to launch a startup for a number of reasons, including its conservative corporate culture, restrictive visa requirements and daunting language barrier.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2019
SoftBank in talks with Japanese banks as it seeks loans to bail out WeWork
SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks with partner financial institutions including Mizuho Bank to secure loans totaling ¥200 billion to ¥300 billion to support The We Co., operator of the WeWork office-sharing business, sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 20, 2019
Google moves head office in Japan to Shibuya Stream building, launches campus for startups
Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai was in Tokyo on Tuesday to inaugurate the move of the company's Japanese head office to an expansive new complex in the Shibuya district.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 13, 2019
New York beats Tokyo to become world's top innovative city
New York took first place in a list of the world's most innovative cities on Tuesday, with the United States performing strongly for its embrace of smart technology and startups.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 15, 2019
Investors pour record $735 million into Singapore fintech deals
Investors poured a record $735 million into financial-technology ventures in Singapore in the first nine months of this year, according to research from Accenture PLC, which analyzed data from CB Insights, Pitchbook and Tracxn.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2019
WeWork's Adam Neumann steps down as CEO, with IPO on the line
Adam Neumann, the charismatic entrepreneur who led WeWork to become one of the world's most valuable startups, stepped down Tuesday as chief executive officer after a plan to take the company public hit a wall.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 7, 2019
Steve Sakanashi has the heart of a coach
Student startup incubator Sekai Creator founder Steve Sakanashi on the most creative pitch he's ever heard, what sets Japanese youth apart from their American counterparts and how he kicks off his mornings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2019
Japan Post Capital fund puts money behind Tokyo-based news startup SmartNews
It's a challenging time in the digital media industry. BuzzFeed Inc. and Vice Media Inc., which defined a generation of news startups, dismissed hundreds of employees this year in cost-cutting maneuvers. But a glimmer of hope is coming from a software company in Tokyo.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’