'technology' Category
-
Real estate in a post-coronavirus world, part 2
June 7, 2020This article represents the second piece in a two-part series on how the Coronavirus pandemic will transform the real estate business. Undoubtedly, this transformation will prove disruptive to some incumbents in the sector. However, this transformation will also usher in compelling opportunities for innovation. Real estate developers who capitalize on such opportunities will not only […]
-
Real estate in a post-coronavirus world
May 31, 2020As I’ve written in these pages before, for startups working on innovative tech in the real estate sector, a compelling market is emerging here in Japan. Whether it be property management tools, construction tech, blockchain-based real estate solutions, commercial and residential marketplaces, etc., there is demand. Now, the Coronavirus pandemic appears to be accelerating the […]
-
Innovation from crisis
March 23, 2020During turbulent times like these I find it helpful to keep in mind how some of the most successful tech startups are created during economic crises. Here’s a list my partner sent me (original reddit thread and article). I’ve made an extract of those which particularly match our investment scope. Okta SaaS Security software Launched […]
-
Circling back to that formerly trendy C-word
March 14, 2020The first topic of conversation on every business conference call these days seems to be the C-word (covid-19 or coronavirus, of course). Covid-19 has dislodged another C-word that was common talk just a couple short years ago, i.e. Crypto. With the recent steep declines in global stock markets (and as an aside I’m still not […]
-
Leaving money on the table
March 3, 2020Last week I wrote a piece about playing to your strengths. Because I’m not a macro trader, I wasn’t exactly playing to my strengths when I decided to bet against the S&P 500 a few months ago. Although I was directionally right, my timing was a bit off, so I wound up leaving money on […]
-
More musings on urban renovation
January 31, 2020A friend of mine — also an avid reader of The Economist magazine — and I used to joke that articles in that magazine often end in a responsibility-free admonishment along the lines of, “Somebody should do something about this.” Recurring readers of this blog will smile that I’m guilty of this behavior too, I […]
-
The unicorn club – update 2020
January 23, 2020My intern Patrick kindly designed this infographic on the current batch of tech unicorns. The figures represent private, venture-backed tech companies with $1 billion valuations. The volume of realized unicorns (i.e. exits for the VCs via IPO or trade sale) are indicated in the sub-text.
-
Developer job in Tokyo
January 8, 2020A brief job announcement for a full stack developer role based in Tokyo… Role: Join as a part time full stack developer, to an exciting B2B investment data fintech startup company with some of the best professionals in the industry across the globe Work with CTO and development team together to develop web app component, […]
-
Transforming the black box into a glass box
December 10, 2019Here’s a nice infographic my intern created about the evolution of AI data sciences into decision sciences.
-
STOs in Japan
October 9, 2019Once again Japan finds itself in the (somewhat rare) position of world leadership on a topic of innovation. Last week, Japan’s major security firms announced the creation of a consortium focused on STOs (security token offerings). As far as I know this is the world’s only major economy in which such an industry-led initiative exists. […]
-
Revisiting Software is Eating the World [5G]
July 15, 2019I’ve been thinking lately about the approaching 5G mobile network technology, particularly in its potential implications for our investment thesis, or even what it could mean for some of our portfolio companies. To help structure my thinking, I thought it appropriate to re-read Marc Andreessen’s prescient 2011 essay, Why Software Eating the World. Without going […]
-
The innovation drive of Japan’s real estate developers
June 20, 2019It’s hard to walk around Tokyo these days without hearing the buzz of construction equipment. In this city of perpetual renewal, new building construction in Tokyo seems to occur year-round. The phenomenon is repeating itself in many other of Japan’s major cities (Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka, etc.), although it’s certainly most prominent here in the capital. […]