Singaporean IoT startup UnaBiz opens office in Tokyo as it expands to Japan

Internet of things (IoT) provider UnaBiz announced the opening of an office in Tokyo as the company looks to expand into newer markets.

Pascal Gerbert-Gaillard, managing director of UnaBiz, Tokyo/ Photo credit: UnaBiz

The new unit of the company will be headed by Pascal Gerbert-Gaillard, who will take up the role of a managing director. Currently, he is a trade advisor to the French government, a board member of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Japan, and the Asia chapter president of École Polytechnique’s alumni association.

UnaBiz, which is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Taiwan, focuses on verticals including smart metering, facilities management, asset management, and asset tracking. It aims to provide affordable solutions that are energy-efficient, scalable, and simple to deploy.

“Japan is constantly developing next-generation technologies to supplement the declining workforce – an issue further exacerbated by Covid-19,” said Gaillard. He added that UnaBiz is working with corporations to develop solutions targeting facilities management, utilities, supply chain and logistics, and healthcare services.

In June 2018, the IoT startup raised over US$10 million in its series A funding round led by Japanese telecom firm KDDI through its Soracom IoT Fund Program. Since then, UnaBiz has rolled out 850,000 smart gas meter readers for Nippon Gas, a liquid petroleum gas entity.

Following the series A round, UnaBiz joined the Invest Tokyo program and worked with management consulting firm Accenture to identify important partners and key sectors to focus on its entry into the Japanese market.