[5/12-5/19] Featured startup news and funding information

Among the startup news and funding information announced from May 12, 2023 to May 19, 2023, we will pick up and deliver the projects that JP Startups (Japasta) is paying attention to.

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Startup News

BRAVE, a program to promote the commercialization of research results, will be held again in 2023. Pre-registration has started (announced May 17, 2023)

Beyond Next Ventures Co., Ltd., an independent VC, has a commercialization promotion program for researchers "BRAVE" has been decided to be held again in 2023, and pre-registration of participants has started. In 2023, it will be held from the end of September to the beginning of December, and is scheduled to be held on the largest scale ever.

BRAVE is a pitch contest for researchers aiming to commercialize their research results, which started in 2016. If selected for the contest, Beyond Next Ventures will match management personnel suitable for the research. Researchers will have the opportunity to form a management team to launch a business. In addition to supporting the team building of the management team, the company also provides support for business growth and fund raising, with leading domestic VC capitalists and R&D startup managers serving as mentors. In addition, there is funding of up to 10 million yen and support for obtaining subsidies such as JST START and NEDO, and an environment that can accelerate commercialization at a stretch is prepared for social implementation of research results.

BRAVE has a track record of adopting a total of 125 research teams so far. After graduating from the program, 52 startups were established, with a startup rate of 64%, and more than 40 startups have raised over 100 million yen.

BRAVE's main entry is scheduled to start on August 1st. You can check the details of this year and past contests on the BRAVE official website. Here is the original release.

DIMENSION, which invests in startups, has completed the formation of the second fund with a total of 10.15 billion yen (announced on May 12, 2023)

DIMENSION Co., Ltd., which handles domestic venture investment funds since October 2019, DIMENSION No. 2 Investment Business Limited Liability Partnership (Hereinafter referred to as Fund No. 2) announced the final close of the total amount of 10.15 billion yen.

DIMENSION was originally a 100% subsidiary of Dream Incubator. The first fund started in October 2019 when it was a subsidiary, and while investing mainly in cutting-edge businesses such as AI, DX, and SaaS, the development of therapeutic applications that were listed at an initial price of 24.8 billion yen in December 2021. Susmed Co., Ltd., which handles VTuber production, Cover Co., Ltd., a VTuber production business that was listed in March 2023 with an initial price of 107 billion yen, and LegalOn Technologies Co., Ltd., which increased domestic capital by up to 13.7 billion yen in 2022. Independent from Dream Incubator in the form of MBO in September 2021. The second fund was launched in May 2022, aiming for a fund of 10 billion yen.

The 2nd fund will be invested by the Innovation Investment Corporation of Japan, an institutional investor, 11 founders of listed companies, overseas institutional investors, business companies, etc., and will carry out activities to cultivate and create large-scale startups. Here is the original release.

Fund overview

Funding Information

[Series A] TOWING, which aims to solve problems in the food production system, has raised a total of 840 million yen (announced on May 17, 2023)

With the mission of “realizing sustainable super-recycling agriculture both on earth and in space,” high-performance biochar "Soratan" TOWING Co., Ltd., a venture from Nagoya University that developed The company raised a total of 840 million yen in series A through a third-party allocation of shares and loans. In addition to existing investors Beyond Next Ventures and two other companies, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, U3 Innovations and eight other companies will underwrite the third-party allotment. The loans were provided by the Japan Finance Corporation and the Aichi Bank. With this funding, the company's total procurement amount has reached 1 billion yen.

From the perspective of sustainability, the agriculture currently practiced around the world faces issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, the use of chemical fertilizers, and the disposal of large amounts of unused biomass residue. For example, 49 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO2 equivalent) are emitted globally, a quarter of which comes from agriculture, forestry and other land uses. In Japan as well, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Green Food System Strategy Reference Material, there is data that the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector emits approximately 47.47 million tons of greenhouse gases.

TOWING aims to solve such problems in the food production system by developing high-performance biochar "Coratan" as a soil improvement material that simultaneously achieves reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction of chemical fertilizers and organic conversion. In addition to shortening the time required to make soil suitable for organic fertilizers from five years to about one month, Cosmotan is expected to be effective in fixing carbon in farmland and improving yields.

Currently, 24 prefectures in Japan have started trial introduction of carbon. After this funding, we aim to introduce it in 47 prefectures in 2023, and we would like to expand our activities toward overseas expansion. In addition, the company plans to use the funds to advance technology related to high-performance biochar, develop a plant for mass production, recruit for business expansion, and build an organizational structure. Here is the original release.

[Series B] Kanly, which operates a comprehensive store information management service, has raised approximately 1 billion yen in funding (announced on May 16, 2023)

Collective management service for store information "Canley" Kanly Co., Ltd., which develops and provides , has raised about 1 billion yen in series B through a third-party allocation of shares and borrowing from financial institutions. In the third-party allotment of new shares, JAFCO Group, an existing investor, is the lead investor, with UB Ventures, Deep Core, Mizuho Capital, Toshiba Tec as a new investor, and several other companies as underwriters. As a result, the company has completed a total of approximately 1.5 billion yen in funding.

Kanly develops and provides a web system that can collectively manage store information on Google business profiles, websites, and various SNS. Management and analysis of word-of-mouth, response to user questions, etc. can all be handled on the system, so the number of man-hours required for web marketing can be greatly reduced. Central implementation is underway.

The company expects that the value of physical stores will increase in the future due to the development of AI. In addition to the services related to the current marketing area, the idea is to aim for a global infrastructure that supports store management, such as providing services that lead to solving problems in the recruitment area. It is said that the funds raised this time will be used to invest in new businesses currently under development, expand existing businesses, and strengthen recruitment, etc., toward such a future concept. Here is the original release.

[Series B] TRUSTDOCK, which develops digital ID and online identity verification platform, raises 1.5 billion yen through third-party allotment (announced on May 17, 2023)

TRUSTDOCK Co., Ltd., which provides an online identity verification platform (eKYC) and digital identification service that can be used regardless of industry, has raised a total of 1.5 billion yen in series B through a third-party allotment. The underwriters are a total of six companies, including Globiz Capital Partners and Mizuho Capital.

TRUSTDOCK is a digital ID wallet app that provides a service that allows businesses to quickly and safely verify their identity online, and a digital ID wallet app that allows consumers to manage their own personal data. "TR SUT DOCK" are providing. In addition to various eKYC methods of the Prevention of Criminal Transfer Proceeds Act, we provide APIs for confirmation operations necessary for customer confirmation, such as My Number acquisition, risk checks, and corporate eKYC that does not require a certified copy. It has been introduced in a wide range of industries such as financial services, gig work, real estate, human resources, and EC, and is currently a service introduced by more than 180 companies. The need for online identity verification has increased after the corona disaster, and it is expected that the demand for the company's services will increase further in the future as My Number cards become more popular and administrative procedures become more digital.

Based on the funds raised this time, the company aims to develop various services such as strengthening the system as a stable eKYC infrastructure, coordinating with government policies, and providing digital ID wallets. Here is the original release.

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[Series C] Kyoto Fusioneering, which aims to realize and industrialize fusion energy, raises a total of 10.5 billion yen (announced on May 17, 2023)

Next-generation energy that can simultaneously solve energy problems and global environmental problems "Fusion Energy" Kyoto Fusioneering Co., Ltd. conducts research and development of nuclear fusion reactor peripheral equipment and plants for the realization and industrialization of The company has raised a total of 10.5 billion yen in Series C funding. A total of 17 companies including JIC Venture Growth Investments as the lead investor, SMBC Venture Capital, Coral Capital, Mitsui & Co., and Mitsubishi Corporation. After this round of fundraising, the company has raised a total of 12.2 billion yen.

The company's business theme, "fusion energy," refers to the energy released when light atomic nuclei (deuterium, tritium) fuse together and transform into another atomic nucleus (helium). Just like the energy that makes the sun and stars shine, (1) CO2 is not emitted in the process of power generation, (2) the fuel exists in seawater, so it can be used in any country with the technology, and it can be produced almost inexhaustibly (3) in small quantities. (4) Stopping the fuel supply or power supply stops the reaction, so it is inherently safe. It has five characteristics that it can be disposed of by using technology.

Based on these characteristics, it is possible to simultaneously solve both the energy problems and environmental problems that the world currently faces. In Japan, the ``Nuclear Fusion Strategy Expert Meeting'' has been held since September 2022, and in April 2023, the government decided on the ``Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy,'' with a policy to promote industrialization and accelerate practical application. being launched.

The company will combine the research results of Kyoto University and Japan's manufacturing capabilities to develop special nuclear fusion plant equipment for such fusion energy. We have world-leading technological capabilities in the field of advanced nuclear fusion engineering, such as plasma heaters and hydrogen isotope pumps, and our customers include the UK Atomic Energy Authority and other fusion research and development institutions and companies around the world. The company intends to use the funds procured this time to accelerate the research and development of nuclear fusion reactor peripheral equipment and plants, which are its main products. In addition, in addition to further strengthening business expansion based in the United States and the United Kingdom, we will work to strengthen governance as the company expands. Here is the original release.

[Series G] SORABITO, which promotes construction equipment rental DX, increased its capital. Cumulative procurement amount exceeds 3 billion yen (announced on May 19, 2023)

Aiming to promote construction equipment rental DX, SORABITO Co., Ltd., which develops various services for the industry, implemented a third-party allotment of new shares in series G with multiple operating companies such as Kawata Construction Co., Ltd. and VCs as underwriters. and raised approximately 840 million yen. With this funding, the total amount raised exceeded 3 billion yen.

Since its founding in 2014, the company has provided sales support apps for construction equipment rentals. "i-Rental order" and construction machinery inspection services "i-Rental inspection", Efficiency of construction equipment rental order work Cloud "i-Rental Order Management" and so on. We have been aiming to build various services to solve problems faced by the construction equipment rental industry, such as labor shortages.

This funding is aimed at the participation of new partners such as construction companies for the purpose of refining and disseminating services. In the future, the company plans to sequentially plan and implement concrete collaborative initiatives aimed at improving and popularizing services from multiple perspectives, together with existing and new investors. Here is the original release.