11 Japanese Startups Selected to Showcase at “ICT Spring 2014” in Luxembourg

CHIYODA-KU, Japan - May 27, 2014 - PRLog -- Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office Tokyo (LTIO Tokyo) is pleased to announce the 10 winners of the special booth packages offered to Japanese startups at “ICT Spring 2014” (www.ictspring.com). This tech event will be held in Luxembourg on the 3rd and 4th of July 2014 and give the winning startups the right to pitch to European investors. With one startup returning from last year, a total of 11 remarkable Japanese ICT ventures will showcase in Luxembourg.

< Winners of Free Booth Package (in alphabetical order) >

1)   Beatrobo,Inc. (IT x Hardware)
     http://corp.beatrobo.com, http://www.plugair.com
2)   BizReach, Inc. (smartphone based social learning application, “zuknow”)
      https://www.zuknow.net/
3)   Crowd Cast, Ltd. (smartphone focused finance application “bizNote”)
      http://biznote.co
4)   Euclid Labs Inc. (online location-based communication service)
      http://www.euclidlabs.net
5)   Gunosy Inc. (news curation on smartphone platform)

     http://gunosy.co.jp/
6)   SANWA HI-TECH Co,.Ltd. (development of personal mobility “STAVi”)
      http://www.sanwa-hitech.com/
      “STAVi” website. http://f-cite.com/

< Winner of Reduced-Price Booth Package (in alphabetical order) >

7)   Emotional Brains Inc.
      (one stop crowd funding service to create 3D figures from illustration “Okuyuki”)
      http://okuyuki.jp
8)   MicaRed Inc. ("OverTheAir", an iOS file manager for WebDAV)
      http://overtheair.me/
9)   Moff Inc. (Wearable "smart" toy) http://www.moff.mobi/
10) Yaraku Inc. (online translation tool “World Jumper”)
      http://www.worldjumper.com/

< Last year’s exhibitor >

11) ChatWork Inc. (cloud based business-chat tool) http://www.chatwork.com/

* for more detailed information of each company, please see attached list (PDF):
  http://bit.ly/1kaRzrO

Since “ICT Spring” is the only event in Europe providing preferred treatment to the Japanese tech startups, it is the ideal spot for the European ICT industry to get in touch with Japanese young companies. This year, a Japanese IT journalist from Nikkei Business Publishing will give a presentation on the Japanese startup scene, before the Japanese companies’ speed pitch session. For Japanese companies ambitious to expand to Europe, Luxembourg is a strategic location with an international community, a geographical advantage to be located between two major European markets, Germany and France, and top tier ICT infrastructure. Furthermore, the government promotes an ICT friendly environment along with up to date regulatory framework and rewarding fiscal policies to support young businesses. “ICT Spring” is regarded as a great opportunity for Japanese ventures to get a feeling for the European market.

The government of Luxembourg is committed to promote its ICT industry and Mr. Xavier Better, Prime Minister and Minister for Communications and Media, will make a keynote speech at this year’s edition. The special Japan package has been offered by LTIO Tokyo in collaboration with Farvest Group (event organizer) and the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg. Thanks to the good track record in 2012 (5 companies) and 2013 (8 companies, one of which established an office in Luxembourg to expand in Europe), a number of inquiries and applications were received. 10 companies were selected by LTIO Tokyo, the Ministry and Farvest based on the innovation, quality of products, business plans and their potential in the European market. The companies selected range from early to middle-stage companies, smartphone application and smart toys, to personal mobility for elderly population. Some are already established in the Japanese business community but not yet known abroad. These companies will also visit local ICT companies and a major incubation for exchanging with local ICT startup community.

The Luxembourg Trade and Investment Network is a trade and investment promotion arm of the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg. Its Tokyo office is located inside of the Embassy of Luxembourg and actively promotes economic exchanges between Luxembourg and Japan.

** Press Release (PDF): http://bit.ly/1mww9tT

For more information please contact:

Yuriko Matsuno (Ms.)
Executive Director
Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office – Tokyo
Tel. +81 3 3265 9621
e-mail: tiotokyo@mae.etat.lu
LTIO Tokyo website : http://www.investinluxembourg.jp (in Japanese)
Luxembourg for Business website: http://www.luxembourgforbusiness.lu/en (in English)