Meet Kenji Ohyama, Head of SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo
Whether it’s pop culture, food, or fashion, Tokyo is a city that is on the cutting edge. The city’s technology and startup ecosystem are not exempt from this sentiment. According to J-Startup, a government organization created to accelerate innovation, there are currently 10,000 startups operating in Japan. Not only that, but Tokyo has become a startup hub in and of itself, ranking third in the 2021 Mori Global Power Cities Index, a report that ranks the attractiveness of cities for relocation based on startups and levels of R&D.
SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo is a prime example of the bustling innovation happening within the city and within the Asia-Pacific region. Kenji Ohyama, the head of SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo, spoke with us to tell us more about his role, SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo activities, and what technologies excited him as we start the second half of 2022.
*Please note that this interview has been edited for clarity.
SAP.iO: How long have you worked at SAP?
Kenji Ohyama (KO): I started working as the head of SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo in October of 2019, when SAP.iO had its first Demo Day in Tokyo.
SAP.iO: What’s your favorite thing about working for SAP.iO in this Foundry location?
KO: The total number of startups in Japan is much lower than those of North America or Europe, but I would like to encourage SAP Japan customers to collaborate with a cutting edged technology startup to achieve their goal of digital transformation. The good thing is that there are many conventional enterprises in Japan in the automotive and manufacturing industries, and SAP Japan has a strong relationship with most of them.
SAP.iO: What are some of the technologies startups in this Foundry are working on right now? What excites you about them?
KO: In the Foundry Tokyo, we have alumni startups that have solutions with AI/Machine Learning, IoT, Robotics, blockchain, and more. However, most of emerging technologies have been tested and utilized in various fields of industries in Japan. I believe, rather than technology itself, the startup is more and more important who understands the business scheme of enterprise well, what their challenges are and how using their tech benefits customers.
SAP.iO: What are some tech areas you think we should be keeping an eye on when it comes to disruption and innovation?
KO: I personally believe analyzing multiple data provided by sensors, drones, or even satellites have been essential for enterprises or local governments in Japan. Those have many possibilities to be a game changer in multiple industries like construction, logistics, insurance, natural disaster prevention, and others.
About SAP.iO
To learn more about how SAP.iO is helping innovators start up and scale with SAP, please visit https://sap.io/.
