Masaru Takei’s Post

Title: "Eiichi Shibusawa's Spirit and Crowdfunding: Modern Entrepreneurship in Japan" Post: Eiichi Shibusawa, the father of Japanese capitalism, championed a philosophy that resonates deeply with today's crowdfunding ethos. His concept of "unity of morality and economy" aligns surprisingly well with modern socially-conscious business models. I'm currently embodying this spirit in my own crowdfunding project: "Overcoming Workplace Harassment: Opening an Online Shop Despite Cerebral Palsy and Cervical Myelopathy!" Shibusawa's "gappon shugi" (joint stock principle) can be seen as a precursor to modern crowdfunding. The idea of pooling small contributions from many to achieve significant goals is at the heart of both concepts. Perseverance in the face of adversity and the drive to contribute to society are crucial lessons from Shibusawa. My project isn't just a personal endeavor; it's a social initiative to expand possibilities for people with disabilities. Your support can be the catalyst for new opportunities. Learn more and contribute here: https://lnkd.in/gBu9ygyH #EiichiShibusawa #Crowdfunding #Entrepreneurship #AccessibleBusiness #SocialImpact

🔵 Driving DEI in Venture Capital in Japan: Insights from NEXTBLUE's Kanako Inoue 🔵 In a recent article where our General Partner, Kanako Inoue, was quoted, critical issues around gender diversity in the Japanese startup ecosystem were highlighted, contrasting starkly with progress seen in the US and Europe. 🌏 International Comparison: While female founders in the US and Europe are beginning to see more equitable funding opportunities—securing 27.8%(22.8% excluding Open AI) and 20.5% of venture capital respectively—Japan lags significantly with women securing only 2% of startup funding. This gap points to deep-seated biases and a need for targeted initiatives to support women founders. 📊 Impact of Gender Biases: A substantial 38% of female startup leaders in Japan feel their gender influences external business evaluations unfavorably, compared to only 12% of men. This significant discrepancy reveals the pervasive challenges women face in securing trust and investment. 🚀 Lack of Diversity within the VC: The disparity is exacerbated by the low proportion of women in VC executive roles—only 7% in Japan, compared to 17.4% in the US. While the percentage of women in VC, including capitalists who identify investment opportunities, has increased to 15.6%, they still tend to lag behind men in promotions and pay raises. A survey by an industry group of women working in VC found that women working in independent VC earn 14% less than men. At NEXTBLUE, we are inspired by Kanako Inoue’s insights and are deeply committed to enriching the startup landscape by fostering an inclusive environment. We believe that supporting diverse founders is crucial to driving true innovation and reflecting the dynamic world around us. https://lnkd.in/gdKB83wz

Don't miss insights into the Indian market and startup scene from a local VC! Discover market trends, opportunities for foreign companies to enter India, the reasons behind India's booming startup ecosystem, venture funding landscape, and much more 🚀 Special thanks to Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and Managing Partner of Rukam Capital, for sharing her incredible insights! Watch the interview from the link below👇

Yuichiro Yamazaki, President of Metaps Holdings, discusses the strategic move to privatize the company after 8 years of public trading. Initially a startup that surged in smartphone business growth, Metaps has pivoted to new challenges in its third founding phase, focusing on fundraising diversification and business agility. Dive deeper into how their journey reflects on the dynamic landscape of digital marketing and fintech. #BusinessStrategy #StartupCulture #DigitalMarketing #Fintech #Leadership #Innovation

Japan Association of Corporate Executives Mobilizes Over 1,000 Top Leaders for Social Impact: New Guidelines and Impact Investing Initiatives Ahead The Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization, consists of over 1,000 top executives from Japan's leading corporations, aims to address social issues through "collaborative management," which involves cooperation with impact startups and NPOs. They plan to create guidelines for companies by the end of the year. By promoting "impact investing", they will encourage companies to engage in these initiatives. https://lnkd.in/gT3iSivE

🚀 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐚 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐆𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠! 🚀 Just as Goddess Durga empowers us to face challenges with courage, we at Geekbull are here to empower businesses to grow, innovate, and succeed. Let’s celebrate this festival by driving progress and embracing transformation. #DurgaAshtami2024 #Empowerment #Dussehra #HappyDussehra #Geekbull #BusinessConsulting #GeekbullConsulting

My Days in the 33rd Week! The most exciting course "Startup Experience" has ended, and I learned and experienced so many things. I had many interviews with experts and customers. And at the Demo Day last Thursday, I showcased it to a lot of people. I am writing the reflection / wrapping-up article now, so wait for it. 留学生活33週目の三行日記まとめ記事を投稿しました！ 3か月くらい取り組んだStartup ExperienceのDemoDayも無事に終わり、ちょっとずつ振り返りをしています。この授業のまとめおよび振り返りについても別のnoteでまとめようと思いますので、そちらもぜひお待ちください…！ https://lnkd.in/d-DVe6Qa

Surprising News in the Voice Acting Industry 🎙 Renowned voice actor Yuki Kaji, famous for his role as Eren Yeager in "Attack on Titan," is celebrating his 20th anniversary with a groundbreaking project. He has decided to release a voice synthesis software that replicates his own voice, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign led by Techno Speech's CeVIO AI series. The software will be available for pre-order exclusively for crowdfunding supporters from May 29-31, featuring a special live broadcast on May 31. Kaji initially had significant concerns about the misuse of his voice, revealing that he was deeply worried about the "voice rights" issues that the advancement of AI technology could bring. Initially, he intended only to develop the song voice software, fearing the risks of voice synthesis technology being abused. However, the overwhelming support and encouragement he received through the crowdfunding campaign made him reconsider. Moved by the positive response, Kaji decided to contribute to the bright future of voice AI and go ahead with the product release. Kaji's message emphasizes his belief in the potential of voice AI to expand creative possibilities and provide new forms of entertainment. He stresses the importance of responsible usage and the need to develop guidelines to ensure that this technology is used ethically. This software can be used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, promoting healthy usage through established guidelines. As voice actors, it's crucial to consider the implications of AI technology on our voices and rights. Kaji hopes this project will expand creative possibilities and contribute to new forms of entertainment globally. 💬 My Thoughts: ◾ It's astonishing that a top-class and highly influential voice actor like Yuki Kaji decided to develop this software. ◾ I'm curious whether other popular voice actors (especially in anime industry) will follow this trend. ◾ I believe the first to support and use this software will be Kaji's enthusiastic fans, but I'm interested to see how production companies will adopt it for business purposes. 🎧 How natural is Yuki Kaji's AI Voice? You can check his AI voice from here: https://lnkd.in/g5vAnxxx His AI voice is featured in a video narrating a novel by the renowned Japanese author Osamu Dazai. It sounds natural 📚 💡 Are there any examples of super famous voice actors in your country also making such software? Please share them with us if you like. #Japanesevoiceactor #Japaneseanimation #attackontitan