10 Mission Driven Startups from Japan
Japan can often be seen as a country that produces a lot of waste, from disposable chopsticks to plastic bottles and bags.
In fact, if you google the most environmentally friendly countries, Japan does not even crack the top 10.
However, there are many bright spots in Japan, and with socially progressive being one of our values, I created this list to spotlight those companies that are trying to make a difference.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Noriko Shindo, Co-founder of the Eco-focused start up Ekolokal.
So I reached out to Noriko again to get her insights into the most exciting up-and-comers in the environmentally friendly arena here in Japan, as well as other players in areas such as education, FemTech, and investment.
From that conversation as well as my own research and research done by my teammate Yuika, here is the list of 10 Mission Driven Startups from Japan in no particular order and loosely grouped by category.
Environment
1. Ekolokal
What better place to start? This community will be your guide from the start of your journey through to the level you are most comfortable with. Initially offering a map of eco-friendly locations, filterable by shop type (Store, Restaurant, Market, etc.) or sustainability criteria (Fair Trade, Organic, Zero Waste, etc.), this is only the base part of what Ekolokal is shaping up to be.
In February of 2022, Ekolokal launched the Slow ECOLAB as both an entryway for people to discover the eco-conscious lifestyle and to explore delicious vegan treats.
From hosting meetups and events to helping local farmers sell produce and spotlighting new recipes (including freshly baked sourdough bread), Ekolokal and the Slow ECOLAB are great places to start our list.
2. Mymizu
I have to be honest, before I put this list together I thought Mymizu was a water bottle company. I had seen the name on LinkedIn, and while they do sell reusable bottles, the scope of what they do is so much more.
Mymizu is a community of people who have sourced locations to refill your water bottle to leverage the sustainable use of tap water instead of the resource intensive process of creating and recycling plastic water bottles.
Started in 2018, Mymizu has been steadily growing its registry of water refill locations and its network of volunteers. They have even been featured on BusinessInsider, Bloomberg, NHK, and many more major media outlets.
Download the app and learn how much of an impact one bottle can have.
3. Umitron
Umitron is bringing fish farming into the 21st century by leveraging DeepTech such as IoT solutions, satellite remote sensing, and AI. Umitron is using all of these tools in conjunction to reduce the environmental impact of fishing and aquaculture on the planet while creating a more sustainable source of protein to offset the growing needs of the population.
Some examples of how they are using tech to create sustainability include a remote smart feeder for fish, real time data on fish behavior and feeding habits using machine learning, and a fish measuring tool all powered remotely using edge computing.
Umitron’s mission is to “install Sustainable Aquaculture on Earth” and they use data to prove that the next frontier of sustainable farming is in the water.
Clothing
4. LOVST TOKYO
Have you ever eaten an apple and thought how nice it would be to wear a backpack made completely from upcycled discarded fruits? Enter LOVST TOKYO, a luxury bag and accessories creator that uses exclusively leather made from apples, grapes, and corn.
LOVST TOKYO is all about “postive guilt”, guilt over causing animals harm for fashion, or adding more waste to the environment, even simply feeling guilty for throwing things away.
These are all things that they take into consideration when crafting their zero-waste products. Everything from the fruit leather products to the cushioning material has been vetted to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
This is one of the companies that Noriko recommended for the list.
All things must end, except for your favorite clothes. Kurozome Rewear are out to extend the lifetime of your used duds by dying them a new stunning shade of black. And they do not take this mission lightly. The history of the company is rooted in the pursuit of “the best black in the world” and they have been pursuing this black for over 100 years.
The process takes about one month, and they can dye just about anything from T-Shirts and hats to long coats and bags.
If you are feeling some positive guilt about the amount of waste you generate, this is the perfect way to bring your favorite skirt back from the bin!
This one also came from Noriko.
Fermata is looking to change “Taboos into Triumphs” by offering women an online marketplace to discover and buy new femtech products, creating a space for women to feel confident discussing concerns and issues related to their bodies and innovating new products around unmet needs for women.
The mission of fermata goes beyond the product they offer, as global business manager Lia Carmago highlights, their goal is to influence the “discussions about women’s healthcare in Japan, such as increasing access to contraceptive options or improved care for survivors of sexual assault.”
They even host the FemTech Fes in Roppongi, click here for more details!
7. Moon Treats
This is one of Noriko’s picks. Saho Komatsu, CEO of eminess, the company behind Moon Treats, believes that the time has come for all women to be free from social pressure and live in their own way. She is helping women achieve this through thoughtful personalized treat boxes. Each box of treats is designed for you personally and takes into account the things you are experiencing by starting with a form you fill out online.
Moon treats understand that there are stressors in everyone’s life and want you to take a natural approach to helping with hormones through the things you consume. They offer boxes to help with mood, pregnancy, energy, and beauty, all featuring tasty vegan treats. They also offer hair testing to personalize the boxes further.
Moon Treats keeps an award-winning patissier on staff as well as an advising doctor, so you know the treats are both healthy and delicious.
If you feel this is a good fit for your lifestyle, they offer a Moon Club Membership to receive a box monthly.
Education
8. Awake&
Awake& believes that the first step towards a sustainable future lies in education. They want to provide you with the understanding you need, whether you are just beginning your journey and need recipes or are looking to build a sustainable business. Here are some of the courses they offer: Plant Based Diet, Social Business, Animal Rights, Ethical Economy, and many more.
Also, as a registered student, you are eligible to get a monthly gift fitting the theme of that month. As of writing this, the gift this month is an organic vegetable set from Charujo Nishiaizu Farm.
If you are ready to grow your knowledge around eco-friendly practices, this is a great place to be.
This is another one of Noriko’s picks!
9. Speakher
In December of 2020, we hosted a webinar that looked at the current state of gender in tech in Japan. The panel included Raika Tanaka from MerCari and Yu Kamiya from CyberAgent, Inc. We also interviewed a series of other women working in the tech industry. Speakher was the tool we used to get in contact with all of these amazing people.
An initiative of Yan Fan, the founder of Code Chrysalis, Speakher is a database of women working in the tech industry that have been nominated or volunteered to be available to speak at conferences.
If you are hosting a webinar, you are doing your audience a disservice by not leveraging this list.
10. Waffle.org
Japan faces the perils of a falling GDP due in a large part to the talent shortage, which itself is brought on by an aging workforce. One solution for these issues lies in Womenomics.
Waffle aims to be part of that solution by empowering young women through STEM and IT education. Today only 13% of the workforce in the IT industry is made up of women, so closing that gap is essential. They offer online camps for high school and junior high school girls to learn to code as well as programs for women in college and graduate school.
Yu Kamiya, one of the speakers at our Women in Tech webinar that we got in contact with through SpeakHer, also works here!
Conclusion
These are just 10 of the many companies that are growing here in Japan with missions to create a better world, a more sustainable world. With your help, Japan can be seen as a brightspot for sustainable innovation.
Are you looking to join a mission driven start up in Japan? Message us today!
Please let me know if you have an idea for more companies to include in this list.
Thank you for reading.