What Monozukuri Tour Revealed About Kyoto Startup Ecosystem
Kyoto is not just about ancient temples and yummy Matcha sweets. Monozukuri Tour shed a light into the ecosystem of a city that combines a strong tradition of craftsmanship and innovation.
What is Monozukuri Tour?
Monozukuri Tour — organized by Makers Boot Camp — provides an enriching experience for entrepreneurs. A tailored-made business field trip allows hardware startups to visit prototype experts, get in touch with global investors, learn about potential partners and receive a valuable feedback on their business model. One of the key hosts is Kyoto Shisaku Net, best in class prototype experts for small lot prototyping and R&D Partners for a cutting-edge hardware industry.
Last February kept us busy with array of events and exciting news. In case you’ve missed, MBC Shisaku Fund invested into IoT project Smart Shopping, Kyoto Makers Garage hosted Design Week Kyoto activities and finally, Hardware Cup 2018 winners were crowned at HackOsaka. On the following day, Monozukuri Hardware Cup Consortium invited hardware startups participating in the pitch event to join Monozukuri Tour and meet key innovative companies in Kyoto.
Who Attended Monozukuri Tour?
Tokyo-based Hachitama, winner of Hardware Cup 2018, develops a smart litter box for cats called Toletta. By monitoring changes in a litter box usage, frequency and weight loss, a three-layer device can detect early signs of chronic kidney disease, most common sickness that may affect cats.
For Ibot creator, robots are helpful assistants in dull and energy-consuming tasks. A smart robot system can move furniture at big events like seminars and workshops, gently lifting up chairs and carrying to the designated place.
Ha-ppy
According to the Kumamoto-based startup Ha-ppy, most periodontal diseases might be caused by an ‘invisible’ bacterial plaque. A smart toothbrush with a built-in optical system helps to monitor oral hygiene and keep plaque away.
Mimamora develops the world’s smallest LORA + GPS device for tracking missing people and pets. With a communication range over 5 km and weight 30g, an IoT bracelet helps dementia patients to live independently for longer, while their caretakers can monitor them remotely.
First Stop: Hilltop
The first stop on the tour was Hilltop, innovation factory specializing in the prototyping of aluminum products. Rapid prototyping based on printing 3D models of engineering parts from designs on a computer screen is undoubtedly one of the most advanced processes in the manufacturers’ toolbox. Though a relatively new technology, it has proven to be a time and cost-saving tool when developing a new product. According to the Hilltop’s employee Tsukamoto Muga, it offers many advantages for startups that set it apart from traditional mass prototyping. The impressive part is that prototypes can be adjusted for individual requirements and created quickly without mass-production commitment.
Hilltop works with state-of-art technology while making full use of the imagination. Even those who does not have technical drawing or any model skills can create design files from ideas and vague concepts.
Muga Tsukamoto introduced visitors to Foo’s Lab that serves as a creative space for makers to bounce ideas around and be inspired by others through a myriad of workshops. Open for anyone, the project aims to accelerate Industry 4.0 growth, in which computers and automation will come together in a new way.
During the meeting, Hilltop Vice President Yamamoto Shosaku also highlighted advantages of working with Japanese manufacturers. The most important is a high credibility of Japan’s manufacturing, which is valued for its quality, safety and reliability.
Yamamoto Shosaku: Once you agree with the deadline, Japanese companies will keep their promise no matter what it takes them.
Second Stop: CrossEffect
After Hilltop, tour participants moved to crossEffect, known for the developing and prototyping industrial plastic products. By incorporating new technologies, company provides speedy manufacturing and support for startups from the beginning to end. One of its specialty is a molding method vacuum casting, also called resin casting. crossEffect Industrial Designer Benjamin Davoult says that its greatest feature is the ability to duplicate plastic products at the low cost and turnaround. The secret lies in a pouring plastic into a mold contained within a near vacuum tank.
Using silicone mold, crossEffect develops ultra-precision organ models for the medical industry. For example, a heart model precisely reproducing the internal structure can be used for surgical training and evaluation of medical devices.
Third Stop: Kyoto Makers Garage
After moving to makerspace Kyoto Makers Garage, startups had a one-to-one session with technical team experts who answered their doubts and provided helpful advices. Later, they had the opportunity to pitch their projects to investors and participate in the networking session. At that time, attendees were joined by Kasahodai, Tokyo-based student startup developing renting platform for umbrellas. In a country, where 130 million umbrellas are purchased annually, police is struggling to cope with lost unclaimed items. Young entrepreneurs are going to conduct marketing research in one of the top Japanese universities to see if their solution would be efficient.
Kasahodai, Tokyo-based student startup developing renting platform for umbrellas
Interested to visit Kyoto and join our Monozukuri tour? Let us know about your plans. Write us here!
Originally published at medium.com on March 16, 2018.
