Solar Power Portal, Green Energy Navi Operator, I And C Cruise Fundraises From Silicon Valley-based Fenox Venture Capital / I&C Cruise press release

I and C Cruise runs solar power system construction service as well as Green Energy Navi, a matching site of solar power system. The company announced raising capital from Fenox Venture Capital to expand the business in overseas.

As the first global expansion, it plans to establish US office in June 2013 to enter the US market where solar power generation continues growing. ...

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I & C Cruise press release 3/28/2013 [jp]

memo

• Green Energy Navi allows users to find solar panel retailers and get a quotation. It seems that the service has been growing after the East Japan earthquake. Since it looks a simple B and C matching service where its key advantage would be strong connections with large number of local solar panel retailers, it may be very challenging to get into foreign markets. It is interesting to see how the company and investor will make it happen in the US.
• http://www.iacc.co.jp/

[Sd] DeNA launches ‘Groovy’ music distribution platform, adding social to the listening experience

DeNA (TYO:2432), the Japanese internet giant behind the Mobage social gaming platform and the Comm messaging app, has unveiled its Groovy music player app for the Android platform. An iOS version will follow soon. 

It was developed using an app framework from Discodear, the music player app developed by Tokyo-based web conglomerate United. It allows users to play their favorites from a selection of more than 1 million songs, in partnership with 39 music labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music, and Victor Entertainment. ...

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Sd 3/29/2013 [en]

memo

• Different from current main stream of music delivery services such as Spotify, the DeNA's service sell a music by a title. Its advantage is to provide music discovery for users with its social functions.

Geniee Fundraises From Opt Aiming To Strengthen Geniee SSP / Geniee press release

Geniee announced allocation of new shares to Opt. Geniee is an ad tech company to provide Internet ad revenue maximization platform, Geniee SSP.

Since is launch in April 2010, the company has been rapidly growing by partnering with DSP, ad exchange, and ad network in 10 countries including Japan. ...

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Geniee press release 3/29/2013 [jp]

memo

• The amount is not disclosed. Geniee raised capital from Gree in 2012 and Yahoo Japan recently. It raises from investors who could bring concrete strategic value. Opt subsidized Singapore-based ad network, CDA a week ago. Geniee opened a Singapore office in 2012, so both could cooperate in South East Asia as well.
• http://geniee.co.jp/

Safe and Secure Ticket Marketplace, TicketStreet Raises 60M Yen / Cnet Japan

TicketStreet conducted allocation of new shares to Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and Mizuho Capital to raise 60 million yen.

TicketStreet is a marketplace for tickets of such as concerts and sports to aim "make live entertainment closer". Its members surpass 100 thousands and the transaction amount is over 70 million yen per month. ...

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Cnet Japan 3/29/2013 [jp]

memo

• TicketStreet was founded in 2011 and raised 15 million yen from Incubate Fund in 2012.The transaction amount is still not so big, but the market itself is large enough to grow more. Mobile would be a key to accelerate its growth since its main target users would be relatively young people, many of whom do not have PC recently.
• http://ticket.st/

Cloud EC Solution, Interfactory Raises 80M Yen / Cnet Japan

Interfactory announces an allocation of new shares to SMBC Venture Capital to raise 80 million yen. ...

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Cnet Japan 3/27/2013 [jp]

memo

• Interfactory develops and sells Ebisu Mart, which is a SaaS based EC site developing tool. The company was founded in 2003, so it is not a fresh startup. EC seems gaining attention recently probably due to penetration of smartphone and tablet. There would be more opportunity than ever this year for companies operating EC as well as providing solutions and services to EC sites. 
• http://www.interfactory.co.jp/

[Sd] Japan’s Softbank Mobile to acquire majority shares of game developer Gungho Online Entertainment

Japanese mobile carrier Softbank Mobile announced today it would tender an offer of social gaming giant Gungho Online Entertainment. Softbank (TSE:9984) was founded by Masayoshi Son, and Gungho was founded by Masayoshi’s young brother Taizo Son who is also a serial entrepreneur and now running a tech startup incubator called Movida Japan. 

Gungho has been getting lots of attention from investors because of its hugely popular titles Puzzle & Dragons and Ragnarok Online, making the company’s stock price five times what it was at the beginning of this year. By partnering with the gaming company, Softbank Mobile expects to expand the sales of online and smartphone game titles using the company’s global business. ...

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Sd 3/25/2013 [en]

memo

• It is assumed that a monthly sales of Puzzle & Dragons in February would be 9 billion yen ($95M). The revenue from only one mobile game is incredibly huge. The market cap of Gungho surpassed Gree and DeNA. 
• http://www.gungho.co.jp/english/

[Sd] Animation effects startup Cybernoids raises $557K for global expansion

Cybernoids, a Tokyo-based startup developing two-dimensional animation technology, announced on Monday it has raised 52.4 million yen (approximately $557,000) from Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Seibu Shinkin Capital, and visual-effects developer Qtec. The funds are to be used to intensifying the company’s business expansion overseas. 

The startup has developed a new image rendering technology called Live 2D, which makes it easier to add motions or expression changes to characters animated in 2D. ...

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Sd 3/26/2013 [en]

memo

• There may be many 3D technology, but Cybernoids focuses on 2D. The graphic technology makes it possible to move a 2D modeled character as you like. It is currently used by over 40 smartphone games. So, it can be said that Cybernoids takes advantage of high growth of Japanese mobile social gaming.
• http://cybernoids.co.jp/