Business Rental move-in cost instalment service Smooth raises $4m in Series C first close
Smooth, which lets Japanese tenants pay rental move-in costs in instalments, has raised $4m in a Series C first close backed by state fund JIC.
Michi Tohma
Business 
Business Nudge, issuer of credit cards for Japan’s oshikatsu fan economy, raises $9m
Nudge, which issues credit cards for Japan's oshikatsu fan economy, has raised $9m through a mix of asset, debt and equity financing, including from Morgan Stanley and Resona Bank.
Technology EUV photon, which evaluates light for semiconductor-manufacturing exposure equipment, raises $5m in seed round
Kyushu University spinout EUV photon raises $5m in seed funding to expand EUV irradiation and evaluation services, reducing Japan's reliance on overseas facilities.
Series Vol. 15 | The Trading Associations the Ohmi Shonin Formed
The Ohmi Shonin didn't peddle alone. Vol. 15 looks at the peddling associations — from the Ryohama-gumi to the Hino Daitoban Nakama — that powered their trade networks.
Technology BEAM Technologies, aiming to manufacture semiconductor crystals in space, raises $1.4m in seed round
RIKEN spinout BEAM Technologies raises $1.4m to grow semiconductor crystals in microgravity, signing LEO manufacturing MOUs with Resonac and others.
Technology ElevationSpace, developer of a re-entry-capsule satellite, raises $40m in Series B round
Japanese re-entry-satellite startup ElevationSpace has raised $40m in Series B funding, accelerating its "Aoba" mission and post-ISS space plans.
Technology Three-wheeled EV maker Lean Mobility raises $5m in pre-Series A round
Lean Mobility, a Japan-Taiwan EV startup, has raised ¥800m in a pre-Series A round to fund mass production of its three-wheeled Lean3 microcar in Tainan.
Business Yoyogi Animation Group raises $18m to develop entertainment IP
Yoyogi Animation Group has raised $18m in equity funding to develop next-generation entertainment IP.
Series Vol. 14 | How the Ohmi Shonin Travelled: By Sea
The landlocked Ohmi Shonin chartered ships from Tsuruga to trade with Hokkaido. The author traces their Edo-period sea routes, and a hotpot born along the way.
Policy & Regulation Amended Copyright Law Enacted, Clearing the Way for Japan to Collect Music Royalties Overseas
Japan's amended Copyright Law lets artists collect overseas royalties via a new record performance and communication right, effective by 2029.