Disrupting Japan

Mar 03 2025 242 ep. 36 mins 666

Disrupting Japan Podcast artwork

Startups work differently in Japan, and there is a lot happening here right now. Disrupting Japan introduces you to the most innovative founders and VCs, and shows you what it’s like to be an innovator in a society that prizes conformity.

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How AI employees are solving Japan’s labor shortage

Mar 03 2025 26 mins

While American AI startups are dominating the headlines, one Japanese company has begun rolling out "AI employees" to famously cautious Japanese enterprise customers. Today we talk with Shota Nakagawa the CEO of Caster and discuss their model of human-AI collaboration, why Japan is positioned to lead real-world AI deployment, and the big steps needed for Japan to catch up with th

Welcome to Disrupting Japan (Podcast Trailer)

Feb 17 2025 1 mins

Welcome to Disrupting Japan. Straight talk from Japan’s most innovative founders and VCs. I’m Tim Romero, and thanks for joining me. There is so much happening in Japan right now. Startups and innovation are beginning to reshape Japan with the same dynamism we saw during the post-war boom or the Meji-era re-opening. And I’ve been in the middle of this for a long time. I’m n

The catalyst (finally!) pulling industrial Japan into the digital age

Feb 03 2025 32 mins

Japanese business loves paper. From fax machines, to business cards, to massive project binders. Paper processes are slow to die in Japan, especially in industrial facilities. Today we talk with Jumpei Yoshida of Kaminashi who explains why that's finally changing and how foreign workers are driving the transformation. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

How CVCs and startups are decarbonizing energy

Jan 20 2025 20 mins

Most outside of the energy industry are (pleasantly) surprised to learn how aggressively startups and CVCs are pushing decarbonization forward. Decarbonization is a fascinating and incredibly important issue, so please join me on this short but special episode. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

How AI startups can compete with the AI giants

Jan 06 2025 51 mins

Japan is lagging behind in AI, but that might not be the case for long. Today we sit down with Jad Tarifi, current founder of Integral AI and previously, founder of Google’s first Generative AI team, and we talk about some of Japan's potential advantages in AI, the most likely path to AGI, and how small AI startups can compete against the over-funded AI giants. It's a great con

Why Japan is looking to France for startup inspiration

Dec 09 2024 34 mins

While the rest of the world is copying Silicon Valley, Tokyo is looking at Paris. Today we sit down with Mark Bivens and Matt Romaine, the co-founders of Shizen Capital to talk about Japan's new startup policies, the changing role of M&A, the main force behind the changing attitudes about startups in Japan. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

A game plan for working artists to beat AI in the marketplace

Nov 11 2024 33 mins

Today, we are going to talk about AI, but not in the way you expect. Today, I’m going to give creatives a solid three-point plan to beat AI in the marketplace. I’m going to explain how musicians, podcasters, authors and other artists can survive and even thrive amidst the unstoppable flood of AI generated slop we will all be forced to wade though for the foreseeable future, An

Inside the government program to invest $1B into Japanese startups

The Japanese government is taking a very hands-on approach to funding startups. Yuka Hata, Senior Managing Director of the Japan Investment Corporation (JIC) explains the kinds of startups and funds they invest in, and why. We also talk about the two biggest challenges new Japanese VCs face, and what it’s really like for women in VC in Japan It's a great conversation, and I th

Everything you ever wanted to know about Fintech in Japan

Sep 16 2024 36 mins

We live in a global financial system, but the fintech innovation is surprisingly local. Makoto Shibata, the head of FinoLab, has been leading financial innovation Japan for over 20 years, long before the term fintech existed. We talk about the evolution of Japan's fintech landscape, and which fintech sectors are facing consolidation and which are facing growth. And we also explor

Hey Hey, It’s my birthday!

Sep 01 2024 4 mins

Disrupting Japan is 10 years old today! This is a simple thank you rather than a full episode. Thanks for listening! Transcript Welcome to Disrupting Japan, Straight Talk from Japan's most innovative founders and VCs. I'm Tim Romero and thanks for joining me. This is a very short and very special episode. It's not an episode really, more of a personal message. You see, ten y