News
(Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shun Mizuoka; hereinafter "UPBOND") has raised a total of 50 million yen through a third-party allocation of new shares from Hong Kong-based investment companies SOUL Capital and Insight Capital.
UPBOND is a company whose mission is to provide B2C businesses such as brands, manufacturers, and retailers with the ability to integrate offline (e.g., stores) and online (e-commerce), as well as multiple channels online, with its own platform.
DX, D2C, OMO, and Omni-channel and other catchy words are all over the place, but they are all the same in terms of how we can leverage the power of digital to increase customer satisfaction and get them to buy more products.
On that basis, the following four are the true digital reforms that are now required of B2C businesses.
1, Integration of customer IDs - Establishment of an environment that allows customers to log in with a single customer ID from multiple channels, including online, offline, and social media. This not only improves user convenience, but by integrating offline and online, it also enables numerical analysis such as ROI that combines online/offline and different channels, which has been difficult to visualize until now. Even if a store alone is unprofitable, by calculating ROI, including online inducements, the intrinsic value of a store that can provide a real experience can be quantified.
2, Linking Multiple Tools - There are many wonderful tools out there, but it is extremely difficult to link them all together and use them in a consistent manner. This is why it is extremely difficult to use them in a consistent manner. Therefore, marketing organizations need to maintain flexibility in tool selection and smoothly integrate new tools with existing tools at low cost.
3. Real-time data access - Multiple data scattered throughout the company must be analyzed in real time, and management and the field must be able to discuss the data based on the facts. Fact-based discussions are required. In the digital age, faster management decisions are required, and real-time data access is considered essential.
4. AI to support communication with customers - In order for customers to become fans of your brand, you need to communicate closely with them with a high degree of accuracy. AI is a powerful tool to support customer communication. Designing detailed communication for each customer is considered unfeasible without the power of AI.
UPBOND is a company that provides B2C businesses with strategies and solutions to achieve the above reforms in a single, reasonably priced package.
■ Background of funding
Due to the growing need for UPBOND solutions under Corona, we have raised a total of 50 million yen in order to achieve an immediate development structure and strengthen customer support.
Our thoughts on the company name and logo
The company name was chosen based on the corporate mission of "strengthening (UP) the bond (BOND) with our customers.
The company logo is based on the motif of the traditional Japanese "mizuhiki" (watermark), which expresses the strength of bonds that, once tied, can never be broken, and the determination to become a global company originating from Japan.
■Representative Director Shun Mizuoka Biography
Started business in Japan and China in 2011. 2017 Co-founded UNDONE JAPAN, a customized watch manufacturer, and became President and Representative Director in 2019. In 2019, he invested in COINBOOK Inc. which aims at entertainment x blockchain. Appointed as Executive Officer CTO. Also serves as a technical advisor for several companies.
In November 2019, spun off existing business and founded UPBOND Inc. Appointed as President and Representative Director.
■Investor Soul Capital Billy So comments
I have made a decision to invest based on the achievement of a major Japanese client and the founder's vision. The real challenge for UPBOND is to be able to meet a company that takes digital transformation seriously and is still willing to invest under this pandemic. Because they have the right solution.
the achievement of a major Japanese client and the founder's vision. the real challenge for UPBOND is to be able to meet a company that takes digital transformation seriously and is still willing to invest under this pandemic. Because they have the right solution.
