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Collaboration Partners Selected for TOYOTA NEXT, the Open Innovation Program Supported by Digital Garage
Five companies to jointly develop the service with Toyota
Five companies have been selected as partners for TOYOTA NEXT, an open innovation program started in December 2016 by Toyota Motor Corporation (TSE first section, 7203, HQ: Toyota, Aichi Prefecture; President and Representative Director: Akio Toyoda, Toyota) with administrative support from Digital Garage (TSE first section: 4819, HQ: Tokyo, Representative Director, President Executive Officer and Group CEO: Kaoru Hayashi, DG) through its subsidiary. The five companies will collaborate with Toyota in the development of next-generation services for the program.
TOYOTA NEXT is a program aimed at bringing together venture businesses and research institutes possessing innovative technologies and services, and combining them with Toyota’s assets to build the mobility society of the future. Through this program, Toyota plans to develop a variety of “people-centered services” linking Toyota and people, even when they are not riding cars. DG supports TOYOTA NEXT through its Open Network Lab*1, a business incubation organization managed by DG Incubation, Inc. (HQ: Tokyo, Representative Director, President: Kaoru Hayashi, DGI), a wholly-owned subsidiary which operates in the areas of investment and development of businesses. The screening of potential partners was conducted by Toyota, DG, and Inamoto & Co., a business enterprise engaged in supporting global brands. More than 500 business proposals were received from private individuals and organizations, and subjected to document screening and interviews.
The companies selected are Caulis Inc., giftee Inc., Sharenori Inc., Nightley Inc., and Ateam Inc.
The screening focused on the following five major factors
(1) Ideas that solve issues faced by people and society
(2) Possession of sufficient technological, developmental, and service capabilities
(3) Enthusiasm to implement ideas
(4) Utilization of assets of both companies (Toyota and the selected company)
(5) Feasibility for both companies (Toyota and the selected company)
Details on service development and press releases on the five companies will be published on the TOYOTA NEXT website (https://toyotanext.jp/en) when they are finalized.
[TOYOTA NEXT partners]
1. Caulis Inc.
Representative: Atsuyoshi Shimazu
Address: FINOLAB, 4F, Otemachi Bldg, 1-6-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established: December 2015
Capital reserve: 45,500,000 yen
Corporate website: https://caulis.jp/en/
Direction of cooperation: Application of the risk detection service possessed by Caulis to mobility services, in particular to the connected cars and security enhancement.
2. giftee Inc.
Representative: Mutsumi Ota
Address: 5F Saisei-Ikedayama, 5-10-25 Higashi Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Established: August 2010
Capital: 195,005,000 yen
Corporate website: https://giftee.co.jp/
Direction of cooperation: Development of services for owners utilizing Giftee’s platform for delivering e-gifts.
3. Sharenori Inc.
Representative: Masato Tahira
Address: 11F Wacol Shinjuku Daiichi Bldg. 7-7-26, Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo
Established: January 2015
Capital: 51,000,000 yen
Corporate website: https://sharenori.com/
Direction of cooperation: Research and development of new mobility services utilizing the car-sharing service offered by Sharenori, in order to provide greater freedom and ease in car use, and to increase opportunities for car use.
4. Nightley Inc.
Representative: Yutaka Ishikawa
Address: 4F Nanpeidai Nozaka Bldg, 15-11 Nanpeidaicho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established: January 2011
Capital: 140,255,000 yen
Corporate website: http://nightley.jp/
Direction of cooperation: Development of services to provide data for area marketing using Nightley’s mobility data and data analysis technology.
5. Ateam Inc.
Representative: Takao Hayashi
Address: 32F Dai Nagoya Building, 28-12 Meieki 3-chome, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
Established: February 2000
Capital: 535,000,000 yen
Corporate website: http://www.a-tm.co.jp/en/
Direction of cooperation: Development of services to enhance convenience and peace of mind for customers in the used vehicle business, utilizing Ateam’s web marketing technology and automotive-related services.
*1 About Digital Garage, Inc. and DG Incubation, Inc.
Ever since its founding in 1995, Digital Garage has pursued business mainly in three areas: investment and development support for Internet services, marketing, and global online settlement. Always anticipating the trends of the times, it grew along with the Internet and was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in May 2016. At present, it is taking approaches to business in artificial intelligence, Blockchain, virtual reality (VR), and other next-generation businesses.
Making extensive use of the DG Group’s network of investors and entrepreneurs inside and outside Japan, DG Incubation invests in and assists the growth of a wide range of companies. It has a long record of achievement in support for development of business in Japan, such as Twitter and LinkedIn. In April 2010, it opened its Open Network Lab for the purpose of “incubating startup firms that will be globally active.” It fosters and supports start-ups through activities in three areas: incubation consisting of its seed accelerator program etc. based on the screening of submissions in an open application process, events such as meetings with startups active in Silicon Valley or other places around the world and lectures by specialists invited to speak, and the community that is formed through these activities.
[Contact for interviews etc.]
Public relations, Digital Garage, Inc.
Attn: Tanaka & Tsuboi
Tel: 03-6371-1849/03-6367-1296
E-mail: dgmt-pr@garage.co.jp
[Contact for information on this program]
URL: https://toyotanext.jp/en/
E-mail: info@toyotanext.jp