Episodes

Japan is lagging behind in AI, but that might not be the case for long. Today we sit down with Jad Tarifi, current founder of Integral AI and previously, founder of Google’s first Generative AI team, and we talk about some of Japan's potential advantages in AI, the most likely path to AGI, and how small AI startups can compete against the over-funded AI giants. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

While the rest of the world is copying Silicon Valley, Tokyo is looking at Paris. Today we sit down with Mark Bivens and Matt Romaine, the co-founders of Shizen Capital to talk about Japan's new startup policies, the changing role of M&A, the main force behind the changing attitudes about startups in Japan. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Today, we are going to talk about AI, but not in the way you expect. Today, I’m going to give creatives a solid three-point plan to beat AI in the marketplace. I’m going to explain how musicians, podcasters, authors and other artists can survive and even thrive amidst the unstoppable flood of AI generated slop we will all be forced to wade though for the foreseeable future, And to maybe do some good in the process. It’s taken me over a year to write the script for this episode, and like so many ...

The Japanese government is taking a very hands-on approach to funding startups. Yuka Hata, Senior Managing Director of the Japan Investment Corporation (JIC) explains the kinds of startups and funds they invest in, and why. We also talk about the two biggest challenges new Japanese VCs face, and what it’s really like for women in VC in Japan It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

We live in a global financial system, but the fintech innovation is surprisingly local. Makoto Shibata, the head of FinoLab, has been leading financial innovation Japan for over 20 years, long before the term fintech existed. We talk about the evolution of Japan's fintech landscape, and which fintech sectors are facing consolidation and which are facing growth. And we also explore Japan's rapid transition from a cash-based society to a cashless one and the startup opportunities that opens up. It...

Disrupting Japan is 10 years old today! This is a simple thank you rather than a full episode. Thanks for listening! Transcript Welcome to Disrupting Japan, Straight Talk from Japan's most innovative founders and VCs. I'm Tim Romero and thanks for joining me. This is a very short and very special episode. It's not an episode really, more of a personal message. You see, ten years ago today. I released the very first episode of Disrupting Japan. And I just wanted to say thank you. I really mean th...

SaaS startup valuations and growth rates have dropped sharply in most of the world, but not in Japan. SaaS startups are growing fast in Japan, and that trend is set to accelerate even more over the next five years. Today Shinji Asada of One Capital explains Japan's still-untapped SaaS potential, his unique SMB and product-focused investment thesis, and the big changes that are happening in Japan's startup ecosystem. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

If you have ever wondered what it really takes to start and grow a startup as a foreigner in Japan. Well, I have a treat for you today. Earlier this year, at the Japan FinTech Festival, I had the privilege of sitting down with four fantastic foreign FinTech founders and talking about what you need to succeed in Japan. There are some great insights here from Jeff Wentworth of Curvegrid, Paul Chapman of Moneytree, Sam Pemberton-Ahmed of SmartPay, and Samantha Ghiotti of Habitto. It's a great conve...

Japan has far fewer unicorns than one might expect - or than venture capitalists desire. That fact, however, hides a fascinating story. Today James Riney, founding partner of Coral Capital explains the danger of unicorn counting. We dive deep into which startup sectors Japan is likely to lead in globally in the coming decade, how to identify unique startup value in Japan. We also talk about how Japan has become more like Silicon Valley in the past ten years and why they are about to become very ...

Japan thinks about robotics and AI differently that the West. In addition to the functional, productive role that robots play, a lot of thought is also given to our interactions and the relationship we build with them. Today we sit down with Shunsuke Aoki, founder of Yukai Engineering and one of the most innovative and creative thinkers on the emotional connection between humans and machines. We talk about the future of robot companionship, how AI will change the definition of culture, and why f...

So what keeps Japanese startups stuck in Japan? It's not a lack of opportunity or ambition. It's not a lack of knowledge or talent. In fact, one of Japan's most experienced venture capitalists thinks that the VCs themselves that are the problem. Today we sit down with Ken Yasunaga, founder and Managing Partner of Global Hands On VC, a fund focused on finding and supporting the Japanese startups with the highest potential to succeed in the global market. Before founding GHOVC, Ken was managing di...

It's a very short episode because I just want to let you know what's coming, and to thank you for all your support over the years.

Some industries need to be dragged kicking and screaming to innovation. When margins are tight and profits are small, CEOs often don't want to spend a dime on the promise of increased efficiencies or long-term savings, and so external leverage is needed. Today we talk with Shinya Shimizu, founder and CEO of Elephantech, who explains how he found that leverage in his mission to make the global technology supply chain more environmentally friendly. We explore how Elephantech and other startups are...

Japanese HR departments are in a bit of a panic right now. The increasing job mobility that startups have unleashed is forcing them to rethink their entire mission. Today we sit down and Takako Ogawa, co-founder and CEO of Panalyt, a startup at the center of this transformation, and we talk about the changing career paths in Japan, when startups need to change CEOs, and the dangers of going global that people don't seem to talk about. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Fusion energy promises almost unlimited, inexpensive, clean energy. That's a pretty big promise. Today we sit down with Satoshi Konishi, co-founder and CEO of Kyoto Fusioneering, and we talk about what it is really going to take to develop commercially viable fusion power and the role that startups have to play in that process. We talk about the emerging public-private research partnerships, who is pulling ahead in the fusion race, and we dig into the long history and near future of fusion energ...

Most sustainability startups struggle to find sustainable business models Towing, however, has found their solution, and their customers are seeing 20% to 70% increases crop yields. Today we sit down with Towing co-founder Teppei Okamura and he explains why even such a drastic yield improvement required an innovative production and distribution model to achieve scale. We also talk about the advantages (and the challenges) of working with university research teams, how environment policy and carb...

Almost everyone agrees that the Japanese education system needs to be modernized, but EdTech startups face an uphill battle in Japan. Of course, academia and governments are not known for being particularly innovative or forward-thinking, and that's why Kohei Kuboyama left a fast-track career at Japan's Ministry of Finance to launch and EdTech startup. Kohei lays out his blueprint for getting new technology and new products adopted in Japan's schools, explains the challenges of leaving governmen...

MedTech is one of the most challenging areas for startups to compete in, "Move fast and break things" just doesn't work in medicine. So you might be surprised to learn that there are quite a few innovative medical startups coming out of Japan right now. Today we talk with Yuichi Tamura, founder of Cardio Intelligence, who has developed Smart Robin, and AI platform that can read EKGs, has been certified as a diagnostic device and is being used in clinics and hospitals all over Japan. We talk abou...

Japan wants to learn how to code. Over the past 15 years software development in Japan has changed from low-level clerical work to a mission-critical skill, and the Japanese government and industry as scrambling to find programmers and develop new talent. Yan Fan came to Japan on a mission to teach everyone how to code. After opening Japan's first coding bootcamp, and she and her co-founder Kani grew Code Chrysalis to profitability and about 50 staff, and continue to grow rapidly. Yan and I talk...

Shadow IT has been responsible for more enterprise SaaS deployments and workflow innovation that any growth strategy we've seen in the last 15 years. . And that 's all about to end. Today we sit down with Yasu Matsumoto, who stepped down as CEO of Raksul after leading them from founding to post-IPO success, to start Josys, a new startup helping enterprises put an end to shadow IT once and for all. Yasu explains why that the end of shadow IT is actually a good thing for everyone, why he decided t...

For decades (centuries, really) lending in Japan has relied on personal guarantors and introductions rather than objective credit scoring. This startup is changing that. Before starting Credit Engine, which provides credit scoring, automated approvals, and other services to mega-banks and other financial institutions, Sei Uchiyama founded an online lending startup to ensure he understand this market from the bottom up. Credit Engine currently automates everything from loan approvals to the colle...

The legal system is complex, hard to understand, expensive to navigate, and ripe for disruption. In the future, we will still need lawyers to help us understand the law, but it look like we are going to need far fewer of them than we have today. Nozo Tsunoda is an attorney who walked away from a promising legal career to start LegalOn, an AI startup focused on making the practice of law more efficient, transparent, and easy to navigate. We talk about why corporate legal departments are the early...

Startups solve real problems. During the boom times, the media focuses on the multi-billion-dollar valuations and the mega-IPOs. But even in those times, founders are innovating in the background and using technology to just make the world a better place. Today we talk with Sun Xiaojun, who started BionicM in 2015 as a way to replace the limb that he lost when he was a child. And since then, he has built the startup into much more. We talk about the challenges he had to overcome to bring innovat...

Some things are supposed to be only whispered about in Japan. But startups are about breaking taboos and pushing boundaries, and making the world a bit better when they do it. Today's we sit down with Animi Sugimoto of Fermata, and we talk about how quickly and radically the FemTech movement is changing Japan's conversations, attitudes, and even public policy around women's health. It turns out things are both much worse and much better than you probably imagine. It's a great conversation, and I...