General

• Why is Japan a starting point for hardware startups?

  • According to The Global Competitiveness Report 2019 (published by WEF), Japan ranks 6th among the most competitive economies in the world. With great innovation and technological capabilities, Japan is known as one of the most technology-savvy nations in the world. Together with its large, deep and stable financial sector, Japan’s position as the 4th largest global market brings attractive opportunities for startups, especially in the fields of healthcare combined with IoT (Internet of Things), thanks to Japan’s pioneer digital and physical infrastructures aligned with the growing challenges of an ageing population. Japanese companies are the world’s leaders in automation and manufacturing. Global players like Toyota, Sony and Panasonic excel in prototyping and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) techniques, such as the world-wide famous kaizen - a business philosophy of continuous improvement that helps increase efficiency and improve overall business output. Japan is not only a leading manufacturer and exporter of robots, it is also a leading robot early adopter. The Japanese market ranks 1st globally in number of industrial robots in operation, and 50% of global robot shipments are manufactured in Japan. Japan also ranks globally in terms of innovation capabilities, after the US and Germany. Startups can get the best service from Japanese manufacturers for an affordable cost.

• What is monozukuri and why Monozukuri Ventures?

  • Monozukuri is the art of making things which emphasizes the importance of efficiency. This Japanese term heavily influences our identity and embodies our mission to empower hardware startups and create a better future.

• Do you support individuals or established companies?

  • We can support both individuals and companies incorporated in the US or Japan.

• Do we need to visit your offices to work with you?

  • Not at all. If you want to receive our technical and manufacturing support, we'd strongly recommend at least one team member to visit us for the project kick-off and/or physical tests. For the rest of the time, we can work with you via conference calls for remote meetings and exchange status updates by email.

• Do we need to have any Japanese language skills?

  • No, as our team can assist with the communication in English. Our global team members can also speak Portuguese.

Technical and manufacturing support

• Which technical services do you provide?

  • Besides being a venture capital, we also provide support customized to each startup’s prototyping, technical and manufacturing needs. Once you send us details about your project, we can discuss it individually and work on a schedule optimized to match your availability and unique goals.

• Which stage should I be at to work with Monozukuri Ventures?

  • Considering the fact that you are reading this page, the answer is likely “now”. From our experience, many startups underestimate their roadmap and overestimate their current stage in the roadmap. Feel free to contact us to get an opinion from an expert.

• What is Design For Manufacturing (DFM)?

  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM), also known as ‘the valley of death’ for hardware startups, is a key milestone for your project iteration. It is an integrated process for designing a product in order to optimize manufacturing functions and assure the best cost, high quality, reliable standards, regulatory compliance and safety. DFM saves time and money for your next steps, so we work with our experts to guide promising startups to cross this stage of challenges.

• Is it possible to outsource our prototype development from scratch?

  • There is no restriction for our manufacturer’s scope, as long as you agree with the amount of work and time involved to develop and iterate your concept. If you don’t have a prototype yet, our Kyoto-based makerspace Kyoto Makers Garage offers useful resources for 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC routing and other basic startup prototyping needs. Once you complete a working prototype with a proof-of-concept, we can work on a customized master plan based on your goals. We have access to an extensive supply network in Japan and run a system to create an advanced product for your own needs.

• How to get a Monozukuri Ventures Technical consulting and manufacturing support?

  • To get technical consulting and manufacturing support, after signing an NDA you can share with us:
    Up-to-date business deck
    Project summary with your next prototype goals
    Product specifications files (CAD Files + BOM)
    Prototype demo photos and/or videos (if you have any)

• What is the exact scope of technical consulting and manufacturing support provided by Monozukuri Ventures?

  • We can help you with:
    1. Validating your overall project
    - visualizing your current status
    - crafting an optimized strategy towards mass production
    
    2. Supporting at prototyping phase
    - helping to prepare for prototyping (documents, organization and procedure)
    - helping to find and select a supplier
    - helping to control prototyping procedures
    
    3. Supporting at mass production phase
    - helping to prepare for manufacturing (documents, organization and procedure)
    - helping to find and select a supplier
    - helping to set up a mass production environment
    - helping to monitor a mass production procedure
    
    4. Other
    - cost reduction of the current product
    - improving supply chain efficiency
    - providing technical advice

• Why should we share our Bill of Materials to get a quote?

  • We request Bill of Materials (BOM) in order to have a precise quotation from a supplier. To provide us with a feasible answer, suppliers need to know the parts’ names, specifications and the drawing of the product. This information is also important for us, because understanding a product’s current development stage is a key part of a successful project. In summary, we ask for BOM in order to:
    have a reliable quotation
    understand the product / prototype
    select appropriate candidate suppliers
    understand the stage of product development

• Why is it hard to estimate costs for technical consulting and manufacturing?

  • The cost depends on the details of your project: stage, complexity, time frame, materials, risks, etc. Please contact us to get a personalized quote.

• How often is your team available to support startups?

  • In order to minimize your consulting fee, our consultants usually spend 8 hours per week working on your project (varies depending on the phase of the project). Of course, they can devote more time on your project, if needed.

• How will you support us to acquire certifications for the finished product?

  • We will, together with a selected supplier, fully support you to acquire certifications required at the market/country you are planning to enter.

Investment

• Which startups do you invest in?

  • We invest in pre-seed/seed stage hardware startups incorporated in the US and Japan. We’re focused on funding entrepreneurs in the fastest growing industries: robotics, AI, clean energy, wearables, space tech, IoT, healthcare, smart homes, and more.

• How much is the investment range?

  • Our typical check size is from USD 100K to 300K with follow-on investment up to USD 1M in total. We typically invest through convertible notes, SAFE, KISS and other convertible equity.

• What resources do you provide to startups, in addition to money?

  • We provide basic support for manufacturing including technical consulting, business development, introducing and selecting a supplier, professional advice for fundraising and management, and more.

Community

• What is Monozukuri Hub Meetup?

  • Monozukuri Hub Meetup is a series of events in Kyoto (supported by Kyoto City) and Tokyo, run by Monozukuri Ventures. During meetups, we engage with startup founders, entrepreneurs, investors and key industry leaders for a casual opportunity to openly discuss challenges and create meaningful connections that can strengthen our ecosystem. Send us a message if you want to pitch at one of our events!

• Can you introduce our startup to other angel investors or VCs?

  • We regularly organize meetups and matchmaking sessions with investors. Also, we can help startups to set up a meeting with investors if a prototype is finished up to a certain level and there is a clear proof-of-concept. If you’d like to share your project details or inquire about meeting investors, contact us now.