Smart City Entrepreneurs and Japanese Industry Leaders Gather at The Chase Center in San Francisco to Discuss the Future of Cities

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Jul 21, 2022, 07:00 ET

Scrum Studio Announces Nine New Initiatives Created in the Second Year of its SmartCityX Global Open Innovation Program

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scrum Studio announced the conclusion of the second year of its global open innovation program, SmartCityX, at its SmartCityX Conference that was held today at The Chase Center in San Francisco. The conference showcased program achievements resulting from its SmartCityX Y2 program, launched to create meaningful ventures between global startups and Japanese corporations.

More than 150+ founders, VCs, and companies gathered alongside executives from major Japanese corporations who are visiting the Bay Area to learn about Silicon Valley innovation and share their learnings from newly created programs being implemented in the US, Japan, and across the world. This year, thirteen leading Japanese corporations representing a wide variety of industries took part in the program, along with 96 start-ups and established companies selected from countries around the world.

"Cities are evolving and re-emerging stronger than ever from the pandemic," said Michael Proman, Managing Director at Scrum Ventures and SmartCityX. "The collaborations between our Japanese partners and participating stage-agnostic startups transcend multiple smart city categories and represent some of the most thoughtful and innovative solutions being deployed around the world. We're thrilled to help further their efforts."

At the conference, Scrum Studio also outlined plans for the third phase of the program, which is scheduled to begin this Fall. It will take on a similar format as years past while seeking to explore companies and technologies in additional categories such as the metaverse, the circular economy, the nexus of digital and real worlds, and tourism.

Co-Creation Programs On Display

Nine business co-creation programs were shown at the conference, including:

Japan Post is working with Innoviz Technologies (Nasdaq: INVZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state LiDAR sensors, to create digital maps by installing Innoviz'shigh-precision LiDAR sensors on Japan Post delivery vehicles for solving regional issues and creating new businesses.
Japan Post is working with Sol Chip to build a smart postbox concept. Sol Chip's IoT solar battery, which is self-powered by sunlight, will be installed in postboxes, enabling the installation of sensors to better understand the weather and environmental data.
East Japan Railway is working with Oyla, a provider of 3D LiDAR and camera sensor fusion solutions, to improve safety at railroad station platforms. Utilizing Oyla's sensor technology, the companies can detect people and objects in 3D and in the dark to alert the railway attendants of unauthorized entry.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and Hakuhodo Inc. are working together to launch an experiential NFT marketplace that converts goods and services unique to each region of Japan into NFTs for visitors of Japan. The initiative aims to create "digital residents" giving visitors new ways of experiencing Japan's regional attractions while revitalizing local communities.
Idemitsu Kosan is working with Smart Scan to create a new service to digitize business services for preventive medicine. After announcing a capital and business alliance in February 2022, the companies are launching "Smart Brain Doc," a mobile clinic from a trailer that facilitates everything from making appointments to conducting interviews to medical checkup services and receiving results online.
Idemitsu Kosan is collaborating with startups to develop road maintenance solutions for local governments. Launched through Idemitsu Kosan's "Business Design School" in cooperation with Kashima City, Idemitsu is planning a demonstration experiment at the end of 2022.
JCB Corporation is working with Replace Inc. to introduce cashless payment terminals in Replace's movable food stalls. The companies are also aiming to improve the efficiency of business operations related to food stall operations to attract more customers.
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance is launching a real-time damage control forecasting site "CMAP" that utilizes AI and IoT from VACAN Corp. to understand crowds at its evacuation shelters. Consumers can then locate the centers using BeBridge's AR Navi function. INFORICH energy company is also delivering mobile batteries to the centers.
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Japan Post, and Mie Prefecture are working together on an IoT system to prevent traffic accidents using IoT devices to identify the location of vehicles and pedestrians, then alerting both parties when they enter an area where dangerous driving behavior has frequently occurred.

During the SmartCityX Conference, entrepreneurs and executives from regions throughout the world also presented technologies and business solutions including:

Oyla Inc. - USA
Sol Chip, Ltd. - Israel
Innoviz Technologies Ltd. - Israel
Vacan, Inc. - Japan
BeBridge, inc. - Japan
SmartScan,Inc. - Japan
INFORICH INC. - Japan
Replace Inc.- Japan

For more information on Scrum Studio and SmartCityX, please visit: https://en.smartcity-x.com/

About Scrum Studio, Inc.

Scrum Studio, Inc. is an open innovation platform formed to bridge the gap between iconic Japanese corporations with startups from around the world. The platform focuses on three pillars to create new business opportunities: acceleration, incubation, and connection. Its vertical studio programs include SPORTS TECH TOKYO, SmartCityX, and Food Tech Studio - Bites! Learn more at https://scrum.vc/studio/

About Scrum Ventures

Scrum Ventures is an early-stage venture firm based in San Francisco with a growing Tokyo office. With entrepreneurial expertise and a strong network in Japan, we actively support portfolio global growth and success. Learn more at Scrum Ventures.

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SOURCE Scrum Ventures