144 Ventures

MESSAGE: 

Collaboration between SMEs and start-ups will open up the future

Why we launched 144 Ventures in 2018

At that time, our primary business was selling agricultural machinery in Japan, and the company was exploring new business opportunities beyond this market. I joined Tech Planter in Malaysia, organized by Leave a Nest, and experienced the challenges of Southeast Asia first-hand. Through Tech Planter and my visits to this part of the world, I encountered materials, food, equipment and other ‘culture differences' that were unfamiliar to many Japanese. This experience made me realize how interesting it could be to explore these differences through 144 Ventures and how it could become a potential opportunity for Kobashi.

Differences in Collaboration between Japanese and Southeast Asian Startups

Regarding collaboration with startups, we're currently initiating a partnership with Crown Digital (CEO: Keith Tan). It has taken three years since our initial discussion for this collaboration to reach its starting point as of today.
We've noticed two main differences between Japanese and Southeast Asian startups: 1, the influence of religion is more pronounced in food and agriculture sectors in Southeast Asia compared to Japan. 2, entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia possess a particularly strong passion for realizing their visions. This is something I was not able to see within Japan and excites me to work with Southeast Asian founders.

What has changed and what has not changed throughout these 5 years?

Two aspects have remained unchanged:
1. My hypothesis is that collaborations between startups and SMEs like Kobashi are more crucial than those between startups and large global corporations. Time has validated this belief.
2. My conviction that Southeast Asia is a fertile ground for Japanese technologies to flourish. I'm committed to continuing this endeavor.
What has changed is my understanding of what a startup needs. Initially, we envisioned narrower forms of collaboration, such as collaborations on distribution channels.
But now we've discovered unexpected areas of how we can collaborate beyond. Through discussions with our startups  the history, trust, and assets that Kobashi has built over the past 100 years are highly valued. These intangible assets that Kobashi possess – trust and credibility – are in high demand amongst startups. This realization underscores the importance of collaboration in joint development leveraging our brand recognition.
Startups, despite their enthusiasm, often struggle to gain social credibility due to their limitations of scale and resources. They face various hurdles, from securing loans to accessing distribution networks. The key to successful collaboration relies on our ability to help startups overcome these challenges as well.

About the Future

Our goal to improve and sustain our planet remains steadfast, and we're dedicated to advancing this purpose.
However, we've expanded our concept beyond just farmland to include the entire planet.
In a capitalist society, it can be quite challenging for social innovation ideas to come to fruition. We believe that nurturing and supporting these startups is a vital part of our overarching objective to enhance the planet.
By fostering startup growth and helping them overcome implementation obstacles, we're not just working the land but also fostering innovation and driving positive social change worldwide.