Rising startups in Japan this week: Sansan, Axelspace, and more

Which are the startups coming out of Japan that are about to make a big impact? In this regular post, we give you an overview of the companies that have raised money in the past week.

1. Sansan

The platform provides corporate clients with scanning and contact management solutions, focusing on accurate digitization of business cards. The company claims that it does this better than anyone else. More info.

Amount raised: US$26 million series E round
Investors: Led by Japan Post Capital, T. Rowe Price, SBI Investment, and DCM Ventures

2. Axelspace

Axelspace is a microsatellite startup that’s constructing a monitoring platform to cover the entire globe on a daily basis at low cost. More info (Japanese).

Amount raised: US$22.9 million series B round
Investors: 31 Ventures, Global Brain, INCJ, Todai IPC, SBI Investment, and Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company

3. Jubilee Works

The company is the developer behind TimeTree, a calendar app for groups. It has exceeded 12 million registered users after launching in March 2015. More info (Japanese).

Amount raised: US$8.16 million
Investors: Kakao Ventures, SMBC venture capital, Mizuho Capital, and individual investors

4. Fundboard

Fundboard is a stock management tool for people who invest in unlisted companies, such as tech startups. More info (Japanese).

Amount raised: US$2.39 million
Investors: Nihon Keizai Shimbun and other investors

5. Shippio

Shippio tackles the automation and cloud computing of international logistics. Specifically, it targets freight forwarders, export-import operators, trading companies, and distribution department of enterprises as its customers. More info (Japanese).

Amount raised: US$1.68 million pre-series A
Investors: 500 Startups Japan, GLOBIS Capital Partners, DBJ Capital, YJ Capital, East Ventures, and individual investors

6. Shokunin-san

Shokunin-san is a jobs board for craftsmen. It aims to solve the labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry. It has a search tool to find sellers and manufacturers of tools and materials. More info (Japanese).

Amount raised: US$1.29 million
Investors: Daiwa Enterprise Investment, Samurai Incubation, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and Minato Capital

See: Previous rising startups from Japan lists