Please tell us about your company's business.
Our core business is connecting Japan’s valuable "researcher" asset to society. Specifically, we are engaged in the following four business areas:
1. Operation of the media platform "esse-sense" that introduces researchers.
2. Planning and management of large business conferences featuring researchers as the main focus.
3. Development and operation of a database covering 340,000 researchers in Japan, detailing who they are, where they are, and what they are researching.
4. Economic and environmental support for researchers by introducing them as advisors during the launch of new businesses and offering matching services to find business partners or joint research partners.
We are involved with OIST in all of these business activities. In the media business, we received cooperation from OIST PR team at our Proof of Concept (POC) stage and were introduced to OIST researchers as interview subjects. For the conference, we hold a special OIST session every year. OIST researchers are also included in our database, and in the context of supporting researchers, we respond to inquiries from OIST researchers.
What were the reasons behind your choice to join the OIST Innovation Incubator as a tenant?
When I was with RIKEN in my previous job, I visited OIST and was captivated by the sense of speed I felt there. OIST is relatively small, and as a university, it has a startup-like nature, being flexible in its communication tools, such as Slack and Messenger. Few academic institutions can keep up with the speed required by startups, but I was convinced that OIST could, which led me to decide to join the incubator. I decided to join before founding the company and even registered the company at OIST Innovation Incubator.
How are you currently using the OIST Innovation Incubator?
We have rented a hot desk, but since I currently live in Shiga Prefecture, I rarely use the workspace. However, we host an annual general meeting, inviting about 70 shareholders to Okinawa, where we borrow a conference room at OIST. During this event, we conduct a campus tour to let shareholders experience the ideal environment for researchers firsthand and help them concretely imagine how they can contribute to the researchers.
What benefits have you found in being part of the OIST Innovation Incubator?
The greatest benefit is the ability to collaborate with OIST. Our business cannot exist without the cooperation of universities and academic institutions. Through our partnership with OIST, we have been able to expand our connections to other universities like Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo. Moreover, the quality of OIST’s researchers is extremely high, allowing us to provide new discoveries and surprises to our readers through our media platform, which in turn enhances the overall quality of the media.
Which companies would you recommend to join the OIST Innovation Incubator?
When people hear about moving into the incubator, they often assume it’s only for companies needing lab environments, but that’s not the case. For companies that want to collaborate with researchers, the opportunity to utilize one of Japan’s top research facilities offers great value.
While “deep-tech startups” are often thought of as companies based on research results, I believe that startups like ours, which utilize research not only from engineering and natural sciences but also from information science and social sciences, also fall under the deep-tech startup category. Although we don’t primarily operate in Okinawa, we are an Okinawa-born startup with our headquarters there, thanks to the advantage of OIST’s location. Expanding the definition of deep-tech and Okinawa-based startups beyond the typical examples would likely lead to exciting developments and a more robust ecosystem around OIST. ·
What do you expect from the OIST Innovation Incubator in the future?
To maintain media fairness, we run our company under a governance structure that doesn’t rely on strong shareholders. Therefore, unlike typical startups, we don’t raise funds from venture capital but rather secure funds through multiple channels, which takes up a lot of time for management. While we know OIST supports introducing venture capital to startups, we would greatly appreciate support in connecting with other forms of capital, such as banks, philanthropists, or potential corporate clients.
(Interview date: August 27, 2024)
