Acquisitions are relatively rare in Japan’s tech startup scene, but today Yahoo Japan caused a splash when the country’s biggest web company announced it acquired Tokyo-based Community Factory (which launched in 2006). TechCrunch Japan is reporting that the price stands at around 1 billion yen, which currently translates to US$12.8 million. Community Factory runs a… Continue reading For $12.8 Million: Yahoo Japan Acquires Decopic Creator Community Factory
Tag: Investment
Gree Starts Investment On East/South East Asian Start-ups
Japan’s social game networking service giant Gree announced today November 2 that it had established a new invest subsidiary Gree Ventures. Gree Ventures is going to form GV-I Investment Partnership, which is planned to invest (tantative) 2 billion yen (US$25.6 million) in total. GREE to Begin Investing in Southeast and East Asia – Plans to… Continue reading Gree Starts Investment On East/South East Asian Start-ups
Itochu Technology Ventures Invests $2 Million In Ooyala’s $22 Million Series D Round
As TechCrunch reported yesterday, video publishing platform Ooyala from the US plans to bolster its activities in Asia after raising a $22 million series D round (the company is now funded with $42 million in total). TechCrunch quotes CEO Fulcher as saying that future markets include places like Japan, Taiwan, China, and Korea. What’s interesting… Continue reading Itochu Technology Ventures Invests $2 Million In Ooyala’s $22 Million Series D Round
Japanese Social Marketplace Flutterscape Gets $300,000 Seed Money
A Japanese Internet startup that not only has international ambitions but that’s also able to receive a substantial amount of seed money is a very, very rare beast. But today, we can report that such a beast has been sighted. Singaporean tech blog e27 just broke the news that Tokyo-based Flutterscape, a cross-border social marketplace… Continue reading Japanese Social Marketplace Flutterscape Gets $300,000 Seed Money
Social Application Forum: Made-in-Japan apps for the world
The recession, almost no IPOs, structural shortcomings, not enough hot startups to invest in: The Japanese venture capital industry is in a critical situation. The current state of affairs forces companies that have money to pump into promising ventures to go new ways, and one of these is a joint initiative by a total of… Continue reading Social Application Forum: Made-in-Japan apps for the world
Japan’s IVP Invests $1.5 million In Chinese Social Gaming Company Rekoo
One of Japan’s most famous independent venture capital firms, Infinity Venture Partners (IVP), seems to have a big interest in the social gaming space and China. IVP already has a number of startups with this profile in their portfolio, and today it came to light they’ll intensify the relationship with one of them through a… Continue reading Japan’s IVP Invests $1.5 million In Chinese Social Gaming Company Rekoo
Japan’s CyberAgent Sets Up $22.7 Million Fund For Startups In East Asia
The more you talk with Japanese VCs and entrepreneurs these days, the more you hear “China” as the next target for investing money or establishing a subsidiary. Now Japanese web behemoth CyberAgent (listed at the Tokyo Stock Exchange) says it has set up a fund exclusively focused on web startups in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan… Continue reading Japan’s CyberAgent Sets Up $22.7 Million Fund For Startups In East Asia
Japan’s Biggest Social Network Mixi Buys 20% Of Foreigner-Led Social Gaming Company Pikkle
Mixi [JP], Japan’s largest social network (17.4 million members at the end of June), yesterday announced [JP, PDF] they acquired a 20% stake in Pikkle, a Tokyo-based social gaming company that was founded in 2005. What’s particularly interesting about this deal is that Pikkle was founded by David “DC” Collier, a veteran in the videogaming… Continue reading Japan’s Biggest Social Network Mixi Buys 20% Of Foreigner-Led Social Gaming Company Pikkle
Agile Media Network raises $1M
Agile Media Network raised a $1M investment from Ant Capital Partners on March 31st. They use the investment to develop new software systems. Agile Media Network is a Japanese ad-network / blog marketing company for blogs and social media which was established in February 2007. They sell ads of many Japanese top blogs such as… Continue reading Agile Media Network raises $1M