Entrepreneurship in Japan fits the definition of the word ‘entrepreneur’. Japanese culture is one that can be described as ‘wabi-Sabi’, which literally means "frugal, simple, and expressed in a refined way’. Entrepreneurship is a newly emerging culture in Japan. The gap between the traditional business and the new generation of start-up companies is widening. A small number of entrepreneurs in Japan have gained attention and investment by large enterprises through focusing on innovation, expansion and improvement in the quality of business operations. Japan, not unlike China, has a very unique startup ecosystem, due to its somewhat homogenous society and unique ways of doing business, something not easily understood upon market entry.
Today on The Negotiation, we have Akio Tanaka, Co-Founder and Partner at Headline VC. Headline VC is a technology-focused venture capital firm that sees the world’s future through the lens of exponential technologies. The aim of Headline is to identify, fund, and partner with companies who are building these new products and services—and to make them more accessible to mainstream consumers. Akio has over 20 years of technology experience. He served as the Senior Director & CTO at Macromedia Japan; in 2005, he spent less than a year as the Vice-president and technology advisor to the CEO at Macromedia Inc.; since June 2008 he has been the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Infinity Venture Partners. Akio Tanaka is one of the most influential investors in Japan and has been known to be passionately committed to the local ecosystem.
Akio Tanaka talks about his own professional backyard and walks us through his investment methodology with some examples of the companies he likes to invest in and why. He also talks about his own startup background and the acquisition by Adobe, along with some insights on the Japanese entrepreneurial ecosystem, and some conversational dabbling into personal-interest verticals like ski equipment-on-demand services and self-storage in Japan, among other exciting topics. Enjoy!
Please enjoy!
Topics Discussed and Key Points:
Loud Quitting and Quiet Luxury, Ralph Lauren and Chanel Earnings, Miniso and Florasis Expansion, and China's Fashion Trends with Jing Daily's Julienna Law
Mastering Marketing On Xiaohongxu (Little Red Book), with Olivia Plotnick, Founder of Wai China
The Pulse of US-China Relations, The Potential Impact of the Upcoming US Election, and Strategies for MNCs to Mitigate Geopolitical Risk, with Joe Mazur of Trivium China
Rwandan Coffee in China; Bringing Global Brands onto Tmall; Indonesian E-commerce Boom and more, with Dean Diabate
Australia China Business Council CEO Tom Parker on Warming Bilateral Ties
Grace Wu | Becoming a Little Red Book Influencer and Fostering Australia-China Connections
Head of Global Marketplace ROW @ Coupang - Gerald Hoe | Navigating South Korea's E-commerce Boom
The APAC Playbook | Red Phoenix's Guide to Growing Western Sports Properties in APAC
Justin Downes - President @ Axis Leisure Management | The Booming Ski Industry In China
Mark Dreyer, Founder of China Sports Insider | Messi Drama in HK, F1 Is Back in Shanghai, Women's Tennis, the Skiing Boom, and All Things China Sports
Crystal Tai - Senior Managing Editor @ Jing Daily | Canadian Brands Enjoying Success in China (and Why) & The Top Chinese Fashion Trends For 2024
Filip Zieliński | China's EV, Education, & Start-up Landscapes
Charles Lavoie - Head Of Creative Labs @ WPIC | Douyin & The New China Playbook For Brands
Jacob Cooke, CEO @ WPIC Marketing + Technologies | The 2024 Outlook for PDD, Douyin, Alibaba, & The Chinese Consumer
Andrew Methven | The Importance of Understanding Mandarin's History As a Language
Claire Urry | Expanding Trade & Investment Between UK And China
Denni Hu | Singles' Day, China's Fashion Trends, & The Rise of Chinese Designers
Heidi Dugan | The Australian Prime Minister's Visit To China, Warming Australia-China Relations, CIIE, & Singles Day
Jing Zhang, Global Editor in Chief @ Jing Daily | China's Luxury Consumption Landscape In 2023
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