Makers Boot Camp and FabFoundry, FabFoundry, FabFoundry, FabFoundry, Held an event in Kyoto to exchange information on funding trends for manufacturing startups [Guest Contribution] | BRIDGE (Bridge) Technology & Startup Information

This article is a contribution by Mari Nijin, a community manager of Makers Boot Camp, who presides "MONOZUKURI HUB Eetup", and CHI CHIA HUANG, an intern at Makers Boot Camp.

Makers Boot Camp is a startup accelerator specialized in Kyoto -based hardware.

Makers Boot Camp, which provides hardware development support in Kyoto, will be a monthly event for entrepreneurs, "Monozukuri Hub Meetup," at MTRL KYOTO, a co -working facility for creators in Kyoto, on the 1st.It was held in collaboration with the accelerator FabFoundry.This time, programs such as lectures, panel discussions, and social gathers have been prepared for financing and crowdfunding in the world, and visitors have deepened their understanding of new technologies.

Nobuhiro Seki established Six Apartment, a Japanese subsidiary of "Movable Type," which is a pioneer in blog CMS, and newly established in Six Apart, Inc, which was newly established in June 2013..He has been a representative, but has newly established FabFoundry and started working mainly in New York.FabFoundry aims to create a startup company that develops and sells hardware, and to grow it into a company that can develop internationally.In July, in cooperation with Makers Boot Camp, he launched a 6 -week hardware prototyping support program to support his two IoT startups in New York.

Seki spoke on the theme of investing in hardware startups and risk of crowdfunding.In his lecture, he particularly mentioned "the future of hardware startups."

Hardware entrepreneurs, on the other hand, pointed out that the risk of crowdfunding should be paid to the risk of crowdfunding.Crowdfunding seems to be because it is equivalent to making a product in advance from a backer perspective.

Julio Terra is a person who manages digital marketing programs for companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and Sprint at Rockwell Group's Innovation Studio, a design company based in New York.Later, in New York, he as a Kickstarter design and technology director, and in the last three years he succeeded in a startup campaign, such as Nebia, Pebble, Cubetto, and Prynt.

Terra talked about the theme of "Utilization of crowdfunding platforms."Kickstarter was established in 2009 and is a platform that enables creative projects to raise funds by crowdfunding.It is a very important tool for hardware startups.

Terra has listed three points to startups that can contribute to world technology innovation.

1.Have a global perspective

Kickstarter is a global platform.Both supporters (backers) and creators participate in various countries.Therefore, it should not focus only on the domestic market.Even if it is a Japanese startup, it is necessary to have a global perspective.

2.Know the purpose of the crowdfunding campaign

There is no guarantee that those who launch a campaign in Kickstarter really use funds to execute the campaign, or a product born from the campaign will meet the expectations of supporters.Also, if the creator has been estimating the technical difficulties and necessary total costs that the creator should overcome, the campaign itself may fail even if funding succeeds.Startups should know the purpose of the campaign to avoid the risk of failure.

3.Prototype and community importance

If the startup cannot provide an attractive user experience, the startup is not yet ready.In addition, startups should share the design process with the supporters who pour the most passion of their products.At the same time, it is important to share the prototype design process and the story.Startups need to be considered "Kickstarter is a place to build a community."

Jerry Yang is a General partner of Hardware Club, which supports a community that gathers 180 startups from 27 countries.Hardware Club is a venture company that also supports commercialization and prototyping, along with investment in startups.Yang worked as an engineer in Taiwan and Silicon Valley after acquiring his MBA at HEC PARIS at Taiwanese national universities.

He started giving a lecture on the question, "What is the startup product needed to deliver it?"He continued to talk on the theme of "Scaling to Dominance" from his own rich hardware investment experience.

According to YANG, the most important thing in the smartwatch boom, which was a long time ago, was that both major companies and startups could produce original products.And the most important points here are scalability: how to make a profit and defense: Defensibility (how to protect your business).

Yang gave four ways to protect the startup.

1.Switching cost

There are ways to create a large cost (not limited to monetary costs, but also the necessary and psychological expenses, not limited to financial costs).。Current switching costs can be enclosed to hinder transfer to other services.A famous example is the security camera startup Dropcam acquired by NEST.

2.User Experience

Consumers are the value of the product, such as being able to use products without stress, can easily realize what they want to do, and even enjoy their work using products.Evaluate.

3.Network effect

The network effect refers to the effect and value of the same product or service when the number of users who use the same product or service increases itself.People want to use the same product in the same community.To give an example, you can list Snapchat, which is popular with young people.

4.Branding

Branding is directly involved in improving corporate value.Corporate value here is difficult to express easily with money and numbers.For example, a helmet camera taken by exploring is what GOPRO comes to mind first.This invisible, accumulated images of consumers, psychological corporate value is the brand itself, add added value to corporate images and products, so that consumers are aware of their perception.Enhancement is the role of branding.

YANG's presentation was very specific, and it was time to share valuable know -how that could be applied immediately after the startup.

) The panel discussion was held.

The Crated and FlexTrapower are both startups that participate in FabFoundry's about 6 weeks of hardware prototyping support programs.The moderator of this panel was served by Associate Professor SUSHI SUZUKI of Kyoto Institute of Technology.

Meisha Brooks of The Crated:

Thuy Pham of FlexTrapower:

Following the self -introduction of both startups, Moderator SUZUKI will how we have been financing and how we have made a future plan, and about future plans.I was asked a question.

Meisha Brooks of The Crated:

Thuy Pham of FlexTrapower:

After the panel discussion, speakers and participants performed networking and exchanged opinions on product development and manufacturing in the future.

The next "Monozukuri Hub Meetup" will be held on August 23, and the theme is "Fashion & Technology".THE CRATED and Flextrapower, who were on the panel discussion this time, will announce their results during their stay in Japan.