tokyo

Roblox beefs up its developer tools as it looks to a future beyond games

Roblox CTO Dan Sturman talks about how the company is building tools for developers, the challenges of building a tech stack for the masses and its foray into virtual currency.

World Innovation Lab wants to connect the innovation gap between startups and corporates in the US and Asia with $1B

World Innovation Lab (WiL), a Palo Alto- and Tokyo- headquartered venture capital firm, said Tuesday it has raised more than $1 billion. It’s an enormous fund for the outfit, relatively speaking

Niantic transcends Discord to build Campfire, an AR social network, and unveils Lightship VPS

Since the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016, players have been coordinating meetups, in-game raids and battles on platforms like Reddit and Discord. This summer, parent company Niantic is unveiling Campfi

Nexon founder Jung-ju Jay Kim has passed away at age 54

Jung-ju Jay Kim, founder of South Korean gaming company Nexon, has passed away at age 54.  On Tuesday, Nexon’s holding company NXC released a statement: “With deep sadness, Nexon mourns the unexp

How our SaaS startup broke into the Japanese market without a physical presence

As a SaaS company with a community-led growth model, our journey to breaking into Japan might be different to companies with other models, but the core tenets remain the same. Here's what we learned.

Warehouse robotics startup ForwardX raises $31M in first Series C close

ForwardX Robotics, a Beijing-headquartered company that makes autonomous mobile robots (AMR), said Tuesday it has closed the initial tranche of its Series C funding round as it looks to expand globall

News aggregator SmartNews raises $230 million, valuing its business at $2 billion

SmartNews, a Tokyo-headquartered news aggregation website and app that’s grown in popularity despite hefty competition from built-in aggregators like Apple News, today announced it has closed on

YouTube TV adds a $20 monthly upgrade for 4K support and offline viewing

With less than a month to go before the Olympics kick off in Tokyo, cord-cutting services like YouTube TV are attempting to woo new subscribers who are looking for a way to watch summer sports. But wh

Fashion wholesale marketplace JOOR opens China office

JOOR, an online marketplace that connects fashion brands and retailers around the world, has opened its first China office in downtown Shanghai as it eyes growth in the region. The 11-year-old New Yor

Japanese VC Samurai Incubate closes $18.6M fund for African startups

Samurai Incubate, a Tokyo-based venture capital firm, announced today it has closed its “Samurai Africa 2nd General Partnership” fund, totalling 2.026 billion yen (~$18.6 million). Accordi

Virgin Galactic debuts its first third-generation spaceship, ‘VSS Imagine’

Commercial human spaceflight company Virgin Galactic has unveiled the first-ever Spaceship III, the third major iteration of its spacecraft design. The first in this new series is called “VSS (V

Google promises better 3D maps

Google is announcing a handful of major updates to Google Maps today that range from bringing its Live View AR directions indoors to adding weather data to its maps, but the most tantalizing news &#82

Japan’s Uncovered Fund launches $15M fund to back early-stage startups in Africa

Uncovered Fund, a VC firm targeting early-stage startups in Africa, announced today that it has launched its $15 million fund, which is expected to close at the end of June this year. The Tokyo-based

Japanese payment service provider Paidy raises $48M from ITOCHU

Paidy, a Japanese fintech startup that allows customers to make online purchases without credit cards, announced today that it has raised a $48 million Series C extension from ITOCHU. The company says

American Airlines cuts long-haul international flights by 75%

American Airlines said it will suspend 75% of its long-haul international flights from the U.S., beginning March 16 in response to decreased demand and government travel restrictions put in place to l

These specialized Africa VC funds are welcoming co-investors

For global venture capitalists still on the fence about entering Africa, a first move could be co-investing with a proven fund that’s already working in the region. Africa’s startup scene

Japanese vacation rental management startup H2O raises $7 million Series B from investors including Samsung Ventures

Japan’s tourism industry is booming, but it faces a hotel room shortage, especially in Tokyo as the country prepares for the Summer Olympics. H2O (the name stands for Hospitality 2.0) addresses the

Rocket Lab readies Electron for its first launch with rocket recovery systems on board

Update: Running Out of Fingers has launched successfully! We’ll know more about the results of the recovery system study soon. Rocket Lab is getting ready to fly its tenth mission, delayed from

AI Medical Service raises $42.9 Series B for AI-based software that checks endoscopy scans for signs of cancer

AI Medical Service, a Tokyo-based company developing AI-based software to help detect gastric cancer, announced today that it has raised a $42.9 million Series B. Investors include Globis Capital Part

Bodega, once dubbed ‘America’s most hated startup,’ has quietly raised millions

The startup — now Stockwell — is backed by GV, NEA and DCM Ventures.
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