Japan is well-known for its technology and innovation all over the world. For decades, the country has been seen as a leading force in the development and production of top-quality tech products. Due to this development, the demand for tech products has increased among the tech-savvy generation that has a large appetite for convenience and innovation through tech solutions.
With all these advancements, Japan has made it possible to get solutions for anything a consumer needs. Talking of technologies, Japan has a list of innovations it has brought in the eCommerce market.
Japan is the 4th largest eCommerce market in the world, after China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. According to the reports of JP Morgan, Japan’s business to consumers, eCommerce market is USD 150 Billion worth, increasing by single digits since 2015. It is expected to grow on the same trajectory in the upcoming years.
Out of nearly 125 Million in population, approximately 120 Million people are connected to the internet and 75 % of these, shop online. There is massive competition between the local eCommerce startups and the international unicorns like Amazon and Yahoo! Auctions.
According to its Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, the value of Japan’s eCommerce market will exceed USD 150 Billion in 2021.
In this article, we have gathered the Top 10 eCommerce startups in Japan. The startups in this list are the ones initiated between FY2015 to FY 2021. They are mostly ranked according to the capital raised. The list is prepared in a reverted format, i.e. the 10th startup will be on top and vice-versa. (The figures and details are mostly sourced from CrunchBase and Pitchbook)
- Smart Shopping
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – 2016
- Total Funding – USD 131.5 Million
- Investor – Venture Labo Investment, AG Capital, NEC Capital Solution, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Shoko Chukin Bank, MUFG, Japan Finance, NOS Ventures, Monozukuri Ventures
Smart Shopping is an on-demand, IOT based purchase system, which let the customers buy grocery without any hassle and with cost-effective shipping.
- Soda
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – July 2018
- Total Funding – USD 27.3 Million
- Investor – Softbank Ventures Asia, THE GUILD, BASE Partners, Yuki Teratani,
SODA Inc. has launched its C2C marketplace Snkrdunk, which has a userbase of more than 2.5 Million in Japan every month. Through this platform, let users buy and sell sneakers safely as it provides a legitimacy checking to authenticate the seller and bust fake sellers.
- Digital Grid
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – Yoshitaka Koshimura
- Founded – October 2017
- Total Funding – USD 19.1 Million
- Investor – World Innovation Lab (WiL), JA Mitsui Leasing, Kajima Corp, OTS, Ohisama Energy, Yachiyo Engineering, Toshiba Partners, Toyota Tsusho, Green Power Development, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Digital Grid is a power supply contract and retail supply contract with a service provider using the platform of digital grid.
- Middle Field
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – Shota Nakayama
- Founded – 2015
- Total Funding – USD 7.7 Million
- Investor – Chiba Dojo, Adways, Design Four Ventures, Shinsei Capital Partners, Femto Partners, VOYAGE Ventures.
MiddlleField, owns and operates an eCommerce platform that offers cars. It also has a team to make the cars the best entertainment for everyone.
- Zaiko
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – Andrew Winter, Joshua Barry, Lauren Rose Kocher, Malek Nasser
- Founded – Jan 2019
- Total Funding – USD 5.7 Million
- Investor – MONEX Ventures, CHET Marketing, Infinity Ventures Japan, North Base Media, Space Shower Networks
Zaiko is an OEM service company which is an industry-leading firm that provides performers, digital media companies, event organizers, and artists with the live stream and ticketing solution. They have developed an innovative product that lets the event organizers sell their live steam and tickets to the fans, under their own brand name.
- Snaq Me
- Location – Chuo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Founders – Hattori Shintaro, Mitamura Kenichi
- Founded – September 2015
- Total Funding – JPY 460 Million (USD 4.1 Million)
- Investor – Future Food Fund, Japanese Finance, Delight Ventures, SBMC Venture Capital, W Ventures Japan, Line Capital, Asahi Media Lab Ventures, DBJ Capital
Snaq.me is a personalized subscription service for Guilt-Free snacks that do not feel guilty when eaten. Using the “Tasting Box” with twelve different kinds of tasting snacks for the first time, and evaluating each of the snacks, they created a “preference profile” regarding the texture and taste preference of each customer, totaling six hundred kinds of snacks are selected and delivered from our original algorithm.
- Zig Zag
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – Jun 2015
- Total Funding – USD 3.8 Million
- Investor – Mobile INternet Capital, Mizuho Ventures, Japan Finance
Zig-Zag backs both the seller and buyers so that they can shop and sell securely, freely, and easily without worrying about limitations.
- Picki
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – May 2017
- Total Funding – USD 1.7 MIllion
- Investor – Saison Ventures, CyberAgent Capital, GO, Cork, VOYAGE Ventures, Coral Capital
Picki is a startup that develops D2C platforms. It offers companies to manage and operate the personal data acquired by the company properly.
- FPC Japan
- Location – Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – 2016
- Total Funding – JPY 137 Million (USD 1.23 Million)
- Investor – Estore, Impact HD
FPC is a company that purchases and sale of sporting goods Management in Japan.
- Gaijyn
- Location – Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Founders – n/a
- Founded – 2020
- Total Funding – JPY 2.1 Million (USD 251 K )
- Investor – n/a
The ultimate source for everything in Japan; from hand-made goods made by masters at their craft to rare and vintage products – it’s all just a click away.
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