CONSTRUCTING THE LARGEST NETWORK ON LIMITED TIME
On the evening of April 20 (Fri.), addlight hosted the 8th Edition of Tokyo Startup Dating at the Mixi Event Space in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Full of energy and activity, “constructing the largest network within a limited time” was the theme of the day.
Tokyo Startup Dating was co-hosted by Masa Tadokoro, who has had success as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and addlight’s Tadaaki Kimura, who was the event facilitator.
At the full house event, some 80 people who are active at the front line of the startup industry participated, including 25 active investors, 13 lawyers, and media stakeholders. Forty-two entrepreneurs were also present, with 9 companies taking part in the pitching session.
In addition to enjoying refreshments (pizza, sushi, and drinks), the excited participants had time for networking and the exchange of ideas. By the time the pitching session began at 8 p.m., a warm and relaxed atmosphere had been created.
STARTUPS FROM FAR AND WIDE
Nine startups took part in the pitching battle:
Whomor. Provides apps for novels, digital comics, and games illustrations. Via a specialized production system, they produce comic books in a short production cycle.
Monomy. A service that makes it easier to accessorize using smartphone; users can buy and sell jewelry using the service.
AnchorZ. A calendar-based reminder service that aids long-term memory and greater engagement than conventional push notification services.
Zest. A human resources sharing service—to match an employer’s needs to those of a worker—for people who work in the same industry.
ValuationMatrix. An enterprise analysis service that organizes a company’s algorithms as well as an IoT-type enterprise analysis service that does not rely on financial statements.
96problems. A new reader in the smartphone era, this “linear” and “open” reading app service is compatible with SNS and Amazon platforms.
Moso Mafia. This platform makes it easier for hairdressers, nailists, and others to create web pages. It allows them to book appointments and settle bills within 10 minutes.
Setsuro Tech. This gene editing technology has application in a variety of fields, including drug discovery, animal husbandry, and textiles.
Cinnamon. Using A.I., the technology enables users to create new materials from data, chatbots with natural language, and high precision recommendation devices.
Following the pitching session, the audience voted for the most impressive presentation. Cinnamon won first place. Nao Yoshizawa from the Uruma Law Offices Legal Professional Corporation awarded 200,000 yen (1,760 dollars, approx.) to the winner.
According to Tadokoro, the votes were spread among the companies, reflecting a high level of attractiveness and quality of service provided by each company.
A variety of fields were represented in the pitching session, and each company gave a good account of themselves—this was reflected in the enthusiasm shown by the participants.
Before closing, the 10 participant companies engaged in “speed-dating” introductions—lasting 30 seconds each—of their services and products.
The 9th Edition of Tokyo Startup Dating is currently under planning, and will be held in the summer.
For inquiries regarding this article, please contact us here.
Written by JA
Related links: This article is absed on the original Japanese, published by GoodWay Inc.
