2023-06-27 23:00:00
The closed event “Startup Showcase 2023” sponsored by Scrum Studio was held in Tokyo. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi What kind of technology will be needed for the “cities” and “lifestyles” of the future? Every day, start-up companies are busy developing new technologies and establishing businesses to meet the diverse needs of society. Meanwhile, Scrum Studio held a matching event “Startup Showcase 2023” on June 21 that gathered overseas venture companies. In addition to companies that Scrum Ventures, which is a VC company, have actually invested in, 18 companies that came looking for partners in Japan gathered there. Here are five of the hottest startups and their technologies. A pneumatic powered suit that is also active in the military A powered suit that was installed in 1-2 minutes following the start of the interview. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi American company Roam Robotics exhibited wearable robots that extend physical functions, so-called “powered suits.” The powered suit on display this time is designed to assist leg strength, and its greatest feature is its lightness. The reason for its lightness is that it uses pneumatic pressure and that the heavy motor and batteries are stored in a rucksack so it can be carried on the back. It assisted me in standing up (bending and stretching) from a squatting position and when I stepped on it. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi When I actually put it on, I felt the sound of the air coming out was a little loud, but it’s light and easy to put on. The lag from wearing to the start of operation was only tens of seconds. The company is developing a military device for regarding $25,000 to $50,000, but plans to develop it as a medical and welfare device for regarding $6,000 to $8,000 by adjusting the performance (various subsidies is being adjusted so that it can be applied). In Japan, in addition to military and medical systems, we are aiming to expand partnership companies to see if it can be used in warehouses and other transportation sites. AI stroller that can also drive itself The AI stroller “Ella” won the Innovation Award at CES 2023. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi Canadian startup “Glüxkind” is developing a stroller “Ella” that looks like a self-driving car. Like an e-bike, Ella assists with the power to propel you forward on uphill slopes, and on the other hand, it brakes safely to prevent you from falling downhill. It is said that the main body is equipped with various sensors, but there is also a camera attached to the handle at hand, and an autopilot mode that automatically moves forward while maintaining a certain distance between the person holding the stroller and the stroller. There is a camera in the center of the handle. The left and right LEDs indicate the status of the stroller, such as turning red when stopped. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi In addition, by operating an app connected to the stroller, it is equipped with a function to monitor the health of the infant riding in it and to induce a good night’s sleep by playing white noise. The model that was exhibited this time was the top model, and it was quite expensive at 3800 dollars. Kevin Huang, co-founder and CEO of Glüxkind, told Business Insider Japan, “We plan to announce another version with similar features like Model 3 to Tesla’s Model S in the future.” It also announced products in a relatively inexpensive price range. Bloomer Tech, which develops bras with built-in sensors, aims to close the gender gap in heart disease research data. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi When talking regarding the well-being of the future, it is essential to use technology to solve women’s unique health issues. At the Startup Showcase 2023 venue, Bloomer Tech, an American company working on femtech, exhibited. Bloomer Tech, an MIT spin-off, is developing a bra with built-in heart-monitoring sensors to detect cardiovascular disease. Image of acquired data. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi Founder and CEO Alicia Chong Rodriguez spoke at the venue regarding the current challenges, saying, “Most of the research data (on heart disease, etc.) is for men, and the data for women is overwhelmingly lacking.” was She is currently working with hospitals and research institutes in the United States to develop devices that will enable the acquisition of research-worthy data. Although she does not have a specific plan yet, she is considering developing it as “underwear for understanding women’s health conditions” for consumers as research and device development progress. “Touch display technology” developed by a former cabinet maker It is possible to create a “touch display” on the surface of various materials in a space-saving manner without damaging the landscape. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi American startup Touchwood Labs was developing a technology to turn materials such as wood, stone, and cloth into touch displays. It may look a little plain, but founder and CEO Matthew Dworman is also a unique startup, being a former furniture craftsman. The mechanism is simple, and an ultra-thin touch sensor and microlens are placed directly under the material to be used as a display. Then, by projecting an image with an LED from below, the image is projected onto the surface of any material. Since it can recognize up to 25 points of contact, it can be operated by both hands or multiple people. Mr. Dworman says that it can be used in places where you don’t want to spoil the scenery, such as restaurants and tourist spots, and it can be used for dementia prevention games for the elderly. Micro lens used for prototype. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi Currently, this mechanism has not yet entered the mass production stage, and the production cost of the prototype exhibited this time is said to be regarding 1,000 dollars. By looking for partners in various countries including Japan and establishing a mass production system, we would like to keep the price down to regarding 50 dollars (with the same size as the prototype). Homepage of 222, a friend matching service specializing in IRL. Source: 222 Lastly, I would like to introduce an American startup called 222 (too-too-too) that stood out among the relatively large number of hardware exhibits. Investor Scrum Ventures describes 222 as “a real-life friend-making AI matching service.” In Japan, it’s probably similar to a “matching app”, but 222’s official page says, “This is not a dating app.” No)”. A chat bot that asks questions when joining. Photo: Yutaro Kobayashi Specifically, 222 is an application specialized for IRL (In Real Life) and does not have functions such as so-called profile pages and direct messages. At the time of joining, answer questions in chat format and tell AI regarding your hobbies and preferences. Then, it proposes “events” with humans that are compatible with the data analyzed by AI (such as dining in public spaces such as restaurants and bars where four to eight people can participate).
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