Japan fish app start-up raises $4.5m

This latest investment follows a JPY150 million round involving early-stage investor Value Create and two strategic players - PR consulting company Vector Group International and logistics firm Winroader. Prior to that Hachimenroppi received seed backing from Skyland Ventures and Rheos Capital Works.

Set up in 2007, the company's name translates as "versatile" and it has been described as the "Amazon of fresh fish distribution." The business specializes in using its online logistics platform - via an iPad app - to link fisherman directly with the restaurants they supply, effectively cutting out the wholesale market.

Hachimenroppi says its system benefits from lower costs, fresher fish, and less waste as it reduces the amount of time fish spend in storage and transit. The company is targeting a 0.1% share of Japan's JPY3 trillion fresh fish distribution market by 2016. The company currently has JPY186 million in capital.

According to a release, Hachimenroppi will use the new funding to build its teams in sales and systems development as well as to expand logistics facilities.

The start-up has also teamed up with Recruit Lifestyle, an internet service-focused company owned by Recruit Holdings. The partnership will allow Hacihmenroppi to integrate its solutions with Recruit's tablet-based POS (point of sales) system AirRegi.

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• Topics
• North Asia
• Venture
• Consumer
• Japan
• Venture
• Consumer
• Logistics