Tag - startups

 
 

STARTUPS

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.
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.
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.
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.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional voices: Chubu
Jul 19, 2019
Better known as a manufacturing center, Chubu region is turning its talents to nurturing startups
The Chubu region, with Nagoya at its center, has never been known as a land of startups. Although the area is recognized as one of the nation's largest manufacturing hubs, few IT startups have been established and many students in the region tend to prefer joining big companies to becoming entrepreneurs....
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 9, 2019
If Masayoshi Son won't invest in Japan, why should you?
The SoftBank CEO's $100 billion Vision Fund is noticeably absent on its home turf. That speaks volumes about the health of Japan's startup scene.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2019
Japan startup making paper from stone seeks more pre-IPO funding
Making paper out of rock isn't just a novel idea — it saves water, is both recyclable and biodegradable and uses a mineral resource available anywhere on Earth.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan