Japan

SoftBank-backed LegalOn lands $50M to streamline legal workflows with AI

Fundraising /

Contract review remains a slow, manual process that strains legal teams, forcing lawyers to sift through dense language, flag risks, and translate legal terms. Tokyo-based LegalOn Technologies seems to have walked through an open door to that specific market: its AI contract review software for legal teams is today used by 7,000 organizations across Japan, […]

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Irish fintech NomuPay lands $40M at a $290M valuation from SoftBank

Startups /

As global trade evolves, there’s an increasing demand for diverse cross-border payment options. That’s why an Irish-based fintech startup called NomuPay has raised $40 million in a Series C round from SB Payment Service (SBPS), a subsidiary of Japanese telco giant SoftBank Corp, at a valuation of $290 million. NomuPay makes it easier for merchants

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Japan’s service robot market projected to triple in five years

Robotics /

Faced with an aging population and labor shortages, Japanese businesses are increasingly relying on service robots to supplement their workforce, according to Bloomberg. Research firm Fuji Keizai projects the country’s service robot market to nearly triple by 2030, to ¥400 billion ($2.7 billion). Potentially driving that growth: The Recruit Works Institute projects that the country

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OpenAI doubles down on Asia, partners with Kakao after its big deal with SoftBank

Enterprise /

On the heels of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek making a huge splash in OpenAI’s American backyard, OpenAI is diving into expanding in Asia, with major commercial deals that will also help it train its AI on more Asian-language content and user behavior — a gateway to doing more business in these markets in the future

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Japan says Chinese hackers targeted its government and tech companies for years

Security /

The Japanese government published an alert on Wednesday accusing a Chinese hacking group of targeting and breaching dozens of government organizations, companies, and individuals in the country since 2019.  Japan’s National Police Agency and the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity attributed the years-long hacking spree to a group called MirrorFace.  “The

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Dinii, a cloud-based restaurant management platform, raises $45M Series B

Startups /

Japan has always been a strong market for bringing technology into the experience of consuming food, and now one of the startups leading on this idea is attracting investors from across the ocean. Dinii, which lets diners order food from restaurants and shops through a mobile platform, has raised $48 million (7.46 billion JPY). Bessemer

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Japan’s SmartHR raises $140M Series E as strong demand for HR tech boosts its ARR to $100M

Startups /

SmartHR, a cloud-based human resources and labor management software startup, said on Monday that it has raised $140 million in a funding round led by KKR and Teachers’ Ventures Growth, an investment arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with participation from existing investors. The Series E round, which comes three years after the company raised

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