12 rising startups in Japan

This week, there is something for everyone with twelve featured startups.

nNew Ropenn

Photo credit: Eli DeFaria / Unsplash

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New Rope is the AI-driven fashion startup that just raised US$473,000 from Reality Accelerator, Daiwa Corporate Investment, and Tsuzuki International Scholarship Foundation. Its product, CBK Scnnr takes photos of Instagrammers, models, and other fashionistas and automatically analyzes their outfits and then proceeds to finds similar items that one can purchase.

nCreofugann

Photo credit: Abigail Keenan / Unsplash

Creofuga’s Audiostock is, as the name implies, a stock website full of audio snippets. People can purchase background beats or the sound of clapping for their podcasts. People can also register to sell their creations.

This week the company raised US$2.5 million from Space Shower Network, Nippon Venture Capital, Hiroshima Venture Capital, FFG, Tomato Bank, and HBCC Technology Investments.

nVAZnn

Photo credit: vadymvdrobot / 123RF

Since June 2017, VAZ has raised near US$11 million for its series C from 21 investors which include some big names like Skyland Ventures and Freakout Holdings. Vaz’s services include things like influencer marketing, where VAZ’s contracted social influencers, like famous Japanese Youtuber Hikaru, are connected to companies for marketing jobs.

While the startup is mainly media focused, it’ll use this funding for its career support service that connects employers to young job hunters.

nSasuke Financial Labnn

Photo credit: Fabian Blank / Unsplash

Set to debut in April, robo insurance advisor Donuts offers an optimal insurance plan after answering just seven questions. Sasuke Financial Lab has a partnership with insurance provider Aflac, and is working with more providers to have a total of four by the time of the scheduled debut.

This week the team raised US$474,000 from Klab venture partners, Global Catalyst Partners Japan, and Monex Ventures.

nYorniturenn

Photo credit: Federica Campanaro / Unsplash

Affordable, customizable furniture: that is the goal of Yorniture. It can customize furniture to the centimeter and allows for color customization as well. It’s still early days for the store, which for now only sells one thing – a simple, box-shaped shelf. Its factory in Indonesia allows for cheaper labor, although that means longer shipping times.

Its newest round is US$284,000 from Genesia Ventures.

nJiraffenn

Photo credit: Paweł Durczok / Unsplash

Price comparison site Hikakaku just raised US$664,000 from Adways, as well as a few angel investors, which follows US$1.2 million in March 2017. This latest investment brings its series B to US$4.7 million.

Jiraffe’s site lists prices of new products side by side with the price of its secondhand counterpart. Sellers can list items at the price that is most likely to result in a sale.

nQuatrenn

Photo credit: Annie Spratt / Unsplash

In cosmetic stores it is customary to give out samples, and in Japan along you’ll often see people handing out tissues on the streets to advertise their business. Quatre is looking to bring this idea to a larger scale. Aircatalog is the online matching service where companies that make samples can connect to establishments that would like to distribute samples. Whether it be a hotel looking for shampoo samples or a gym looking for protein bar samples, there is a myriad of opportunities.

It recently raised US$500,000 from Hack Ventures, Nagoya Television Ventures, and angel investors.

nAppBrewnn

Photo credit: Jamie Street / Unsplash

Shoppers often buy products by first consulting a trusted source – like a favorite Youtuber, Amazon reviews, or Instagramers. AppBrew is cashing in on the trend with its LIPS app for cosmetic reviews. Users can write and browse reviews, find out what’s popular, and then be directed to Amazon and other ecommerce sites.

It’s just nabbed US$5.2 million from ANRI, Gree, and Gunosy.

nBaseconnectnn

Photo credit: rawpixel.com / Unsplash

After graduating from Code Republic’s second batch of accelerated startups, Baseconnect ended 2017 with a seed round of US$880,000 from backers including YJ Capital and East Ventures. Now the startup has a partnership with Uzabase which resulted in US$375,000 raised.

The team is developing BaseconnectList, a database of business contacts that can be used for sales. Thousands of businesses’ contact lists can be accessed in about 30 seconds. It has contact lists from 130,000 companies, with the goal to snatch 1 million within the year.

A beta version of BaseconnectList is up and running, but it’s not open to the public for now.

nLiberawarenn

Photo credit: Sorry imKirk / Unsplash

The move to automatization continues, and this week we see another drone company getting funding in Japan. Liberaware amassed an undisclosed amount from Drone Fund, Orso Inc., and Aerial Lab Ventures. It’s working on drone technology that can function in the absence of a GPS signal, operate in narrow spaces, and even fly automatically without a human controller behind it at all times.

Other Japanese drone companies like ACSL and Clue have also won funding in the past few months. Similar investors also participated with Drone Fund, which invested in all three companies.

nSkySeekernn

Photo credit: Aaron Burden / Unsplash

Skyseeker this week attracted US$895,000 for its drones used in wildlife research and disaster prevention scenarios. With this fresh funding the crew is working on applications for water and sewer services as well as for agricultural purposes.

nBonxnn

Photo credit: Bonx

Much like GoPro targets sports enthusiasts, Bonx has produced a wearable, walkie talkie-like device for group conversations while in action. The Bluetooth earpiece is shock and waterproof, allowing your phone to be protected in a waterproof case.

In its series A, the startup pocketed US$4.2 million from major investors including Adways.