Our friends at Business Next published an article about Ryotaro Nakayama‘s (CEO of Makuake) appearance at an event while he recently visited Taiwan. Tokyo-based Makuake, a subsidiary of CyberAgent, is one of the top crowdfunding platforms in Japan. Unlike other sites, Makuake specializes in physical products from IoT devices to consumer electronics, fashion to food created by companies of all sizes from startups to large, well-established brands, like JVC. While crowdfunding took off slower in Japan in comparison to the United States, for example, it has bloomed over the course of the past five years to more than 100 platforms online today.
Japan is a large, mature market for consumer electronics. By 2020, forecasts estimate computer hardware sales of US$43 billion, AV and gaming sales of $11.7 billion, and mobile handset sales of $19.5 billion. By 2025, Japan will be the third largest market for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and connections behind the United States and China. Japan will account for 7% of all IoT connections, 7% of cellular, and 6% of global revenue. Japan’s IoT market is expected to reach US$7 billion by 2019.
While the article’s intent is to focus on the opportunities for Taiwanese hardware companies for market entry into Japan, these opportunities equally apply to global hardware companies seeking to enter Japan’s market for smart, connect devices. Nakayama highlights the benefits offered by Makuake for such companies including support from logistics partners for shipping to local Japanese customers and also partnerships with retail outlets, such as Isetan, to assist in distributing their products via physical retail outlets.
“In the past, most department stores have sold nearly identical goods, but we’re hoping Makuake crowdfunded products can infuse a dose of new excitement for shoppers.” – Ryotaro Nakayama, Business Next, September 6, 2016
Read more here.
Gain insight into Japan’s market for IoT, connected devices on Asia Innovation Tour
For hardware companies looking for distribution channels in Japan, HWTrek’s Asia Innovation Tour (Nov 2-8) and Meetup in Osaka is an excellent opportunity to meet buyers, distribution and retail partners, that will be attending the meetup, as well.
HWTrek will embark on its 4th Asia Innovation Tour in November. In Japan, we will start off the tour in Kyoto, the home of sophisticated craftsmanship that has been cultivated through its long history. With a rich industry ecosystem – from traditional to cutting-edge technology industries – the selected tour participants will be exposed to a variety of expertise and solutions that can prove valuable for advancing product innovation.
Following Kyoto, we’ll take the participants to Osaka. With about 65% of all industrial production represented by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Osaka is regarded as a hotspot for SME activity. The handpicked participants will travel to Osaka to gain exclusive insights into these home-grown companies that have risen to become world-leading technology providers.
But, first, the tour begins in Shenzhen, China‘s Silicon Valley. The Asia Innovation Tour is revisiting Shenzhen – the vibrant metropolis of collaboration, creativity, and innovation – for another member-exclusive Meetup event. Get immersed in the fast-growing and evolving hub for hardware resource development, and tap into opportunities for growth.
