Day one of Startup Asia Tokyo continued rumbling along into the afternoon. While investors and entrepreneurs roamed Bootstrap Alley, the conference hall remained packed with attendees wanting to hear insights and opinions for the all-star panel of guest speakers.
Asia startup showcase – Metaps
Metaps has quickly become a valuable resource for app developers. The company’s core service – data-driven advice on how to increase in-app downloads – has reached 100 million users. Founder and CEO Katsuaki Sato has spoken at length about this service in the past so he focused this talk more on how he sees his company evolving in the future.
He noted that it is a mistake to assume that the smartphone age means that the IT industry must be centred in the United States. For him, he wants his company to be truly global, with 800 million users within two years. He wants to get into underserved countries like India, Brazil, and Africa.
His advice for other entrepreneurs making the global leap? You need to know the local market even better than the locals.
Katsuaki Sato of Metaps during his talk
Keynote by Infinity Venture Partners’s Akio Tanaka – It’s still sexy to invest in China
Tanaka stressed that the perceptions of China are influenced by a Western-centric ranking system. He noted that for app downloads by country, the US is number one but China is second. Further, China ranks only fourth in terms of app revenue. But these numbers are limited to Google Play Store and the App Store. If the local Android app stores were included, China would likely be number one or two.
He also challenged the idea that entrepreneurship in China is limited. He cited the Chinese language website 36kr, which, like Tech in Asia’s Techlist, tracks startups and investors. According to 36kr there are roughly 7,000 startups and 1,000 investors, both numbers which are higher than in Japan.
Tanaka ended by saying that China had moved beyond the days when it would copy Western products. Instead, Western companies should start to consider copying China’s approach. Ctrip, one of China’s largest travel firms, has some functions lacking in American travel heavyweights such as bus reservations and visa applications.
He also singled out China’s Uber-esque car startups, saying that local services – such as Yongche – allow users to order their black car in advance and select a preferred driver – two things that are not possible with the current Uber app.
Fireside chat with Takashi Inoue about how he, a frustrated real estate agent, started Japan’s largest property portal
Inoue talked about how he wanted to reform his own industry. He described legacy players as being uninterested in the true happiness of their customers. Most people looking for new homes or apartments believe that their chances of getting the apartment of their dreams is decided by concrete standards.
The reality is very different and fair standards are ignored. “Why do they treat their customers so poorly?” Inoue said he wondered at the time. His property portal helps customers find their apartments more fairly. Looking forward, Inoue wants to use his service to make his clients as happy as possible.
“What matters most to people? Education, home, working place, healthcare,” he said. Inoue went on to say that he wants to improve the search engine so people can find the right house with the right schools, right healthcare and right commute.
Discussion – Why are Japanese investors investing in Southeast Asia?
Keynote by App Annie on Japan and worldwide app trends
Keynote by CyberAgent Ventures Tetsuya “Terry” Hayashiguch – Key lessons learned when investing across Asia
Discussion – How can Japanese telcos help (or kill) startups in Asia
Keynote by Rebright Partners Takeshi Ebihara – Why Indonesia is the next big thing
Discussion – The startup investment climate in Southeast Asia
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