Demos From 14 Japanese Startups

enchant.js by Ubiquitous EntertainmentBest of show went to enchant.js, an HTML5/Javascript-based game engine for smartphones and web browsers. enchant.js is open source and free to use. This is an example of how an RPG developed with the engine could look like, here is a jump and run game developed with enchant.js. enchant.js was created by 19 year old Ryo Tanaka.

Location base magazine by Hakuhodo DY Media PartnersLocation base magazine is a geo-aware iPhone app that leads users to spots in Japan that were shown in popular TV shows. Last year, maker Hakuhodo DY Media Partners developed an app that helped fans of popular period drama Ryomaden to travel to locations the series was filmed at. The app was even available in English and included a number of additional multi-media features for fans.

Feel on! by L is BFeel on! is a Twitter client that uses a so-called social emotion engine to analyze the content of your tweets and turn your timeline into a comic strip of sorts. Users can switch between comic and “normal” display mode with the push of a button. Feel On!, which is available on the web and in the form of an iPhone app, is currently available in Japanese only, nevertheless an international version is already on the works.

Reengo by KayacReengo is an iPhone VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) app that lets you call your Facebook friends without having to dial numbers – choosing a person from the Facebook friend list and pushing a button is enough. The app works with 3G and Wi-Fi and was downloaded in the Japanese App Store 80,000 times in 15 days. Reengo for Android is currently in beta, with maker Kayac saying an iPad version is on the way, too.

View the original article here

Latest quarterly numbers show venture capitalists still investing less in early-stage startups

Still, there are sharp divisions on whether that trend is good for the valley. Some note that angel dollars can tide over a company in a low-cost field like the Internet however don't go far in more expensive industries just as biotech.

"VCs are acting like business schools, which no longer take kids right out college nevertheless wait two to four years until they've proven themselves," said McNealy, who advises a number of startups. "They're at heart saying, 'We're not going to take a chance, we'll let the angels do that and vet them first.' "

McNealy's not the only one getting his licks in. Guy Kawasaki, the veteran tech investor and author of "Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions," says entrepreneurs need venture capitalists less than ever. With the down economy, people and office space are cheap, he notes, during open-source software, cloud computing and the rise of social media like Twitter have lowered costs for infrastructure and marketing.

Still, he noted that when you combine the results from seed-phase companies with those for "early-stage" firms, which are startups with more employees and some revenue, the numbers look better; the two sectors represented 44 percent of all venture deals in the quarter.

Jensen's company relied first on grants from the National Institutes of Health, at that time angel funding, previously landing venture money in 2007. "The 'two guys in a garage' thing is a bit of a myth, especially in life sciences," he said. "VCs are as a rule waiting to see some path to commercialize the research."

View the original article here