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<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:3200/1800;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Vansure_blog_64501603be.png" alt="Vansure blog.png" width="3200" height="1800"></figure>At the heart of every thriving business lies one defining truth: great companies aren’t just built — they’re shaped, nurtured, and evolved over time. For founders, that journey demands more than a compelling idea; it requires vision, discipline, and the ability to adapt through every phase of growth.That belief inspired Vensure Employer Solutions and Moon Creative Lab to launch a three-part series for founders: a guided exploration through the stages of building, scaling, and sustaining a startup. Each event brought together experts, advisors, and innovators to share hard-earned lessons and forward-looking insights to help founders grow and scale.&nbsp;The first event of the series was&nbsp;The Founder’s Guide to HR: Fundamentals for Startups, where a panel of seasoned advisors emphasized that early-stage HR decisions shape far more than operations — they shape culture, accountability, and ultimately, the trajectory of the company. The foundation of every scalable startup is built on people, and the structures that empower them.From hiring and onboarding to compliance and company identity, the panel offered insight into how founders can establish the systems that allow creativity and performance to thrive in tandem. The discussion underscored a truth often overlooked in the rush of early growth: that HR is not a burden, but a strategic advantage.Once the foundation is set, founders face a new challenge: growth. The second event in the series,&nbsp;Scaling Up: Navigating Your Startup's Next Chapter,&nbsp;was&nbsp;designed for ventures with 10-20 employees and explored what it means to take a company from early traction to scalable growth, all without losing focus or culture.Discussing strategic funding, organizational readiness, and financial foresight, the panel offered unfiltered perspectives on both the opportunities and pitfalls that accompany scaling a business. Discussions around equity, timing, and investor expectations revealed that growth is not a sprint, but a carefully orchestrated evolution.As indicated by the panel’s discussion, scaling successfully requires more than momentum — alignment between vision, structure, and leadership are all key to a venture’s successful growth.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:3200/1800;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Frame_2_f3ce1cc2b6.png" alt="Frame 2.png" width="3200" height="1800"></figure>Built To Last: How Startups Achieve Longevity&nbsp;was the final event, centered on what it takes to create something that endures — a business that doesn’t just grow, but creates a lasting legacy.A panel of founders and investors shared their experiences and advice for building resilient business models and scalable infrastructure, and evolving leadership to meet the demands of growth. They explored how to maintain financial discipline, sustain culture, and plan strategically for exits.The discussion made clear that longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of prioritizing adaptability and long-term impact over short-term gains. The most enduring startups are those that evolve and deepen their purpose rather than grow further from it.&nbsp;A powerful throughline emerged across these three events: building a business is not just about scale, but about sustainability. It’s about knowing when to grow, how to adapt, and what to protect as you move forward.As founders continue navigating this ever-changing landscape, one thing remains constant — success begins with a strong foundation that grows through intentional scaling, and endures through a commitment to purpose and people.Moon’s mission is to&nbsp;help build companies that are not only successful, but sustainable and globally impactful.<a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">Stay connected</a> for future events and resources from Moon, designed to empower founders with the tools, community, and insights to turn innovative ideas into lasting companies.

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<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Rectangle_2199_0162ada77f.png" alt="Rectangle 2199.png">On April 25th, Moon Creative Lab Tokyo hosted “Singapore Innovation Night,” a dynamic community event designed to introduce university students to the startup ecosystem. The evening started with stories from established entrepreneurs and industry leaders, and highlighted the challenges and success of projects between Singapore and Japan.Held at the Spring Terrace Omotesando space, the event welcomed 50+ students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and professionals for community building and inspiring talks.&nbsp;Six distinguished speakers took the stage to share their unique experiences navigating the startup world through a cross-boarders perspective. Among them was Rachel Leng, COO and Co-founder of SeiRogai Inc., who discussed her path from private equity to founding a Tokyo-based startup in media and business consulting. Allan Teng, Founder and Senior Advisor of Workato APAC &amp; Japan, spoke about scaling enterprise software across international markets and emphasized the importance of cultural intelligence in business.Also featured were Dr. Wanping Aw, CEO of TokudAw Inc., whose consultancy provides Japanese destination management services to travelers and business, and Satoshi Yoshida, CEO of GORIL Inc., who combines linguistic science with data visualization to enhance global communication. Shunsuke Katoh, COO of Moon Creative Lab, and Yuki Obata of ISSHO, Inc., rounded out the lineup by offering insider views on fostering innovation within a global organization and building entrepreneurial mindsets.Supported by organizations including the Singapore Chamber of Commerce Japan and the Singapore Global Network, Singapore Innovation Night reinforced the collaborative energy between Japan and Singapore, and highlighted the role of creative hubs like Moon Creative Lab in nurturing the next wave of innovators.Be sure to follow us on <a href="https://peatix.com/group/11677385?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=Singaporeblog&amp;utm_id=Singaporeblog">Peatix</a> for more information on upcoming events.

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<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image_12_e44739f7c4.png" alt="image (12).png">March 8 was International Women’s Day, a day for the world to celebrate women’s achievements. It’s also an opportunity to raise awareness about discrimination and bias, and accelerate action to create a gender-equal, inclusive, and equitable world free of discrimination and stereotypes.At Moon Creative Labs, we celebrated International Women’s Day during the entire month of March with different activities and discussions. Throughout these events, we focused on empowering women: how we can improve representation in leadership roles, tackle gender stereotypes, and better support women in innovation and entrepreneurship.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:6240/4160;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/IWD_1_bb49c8fc2f.png" alt="IWD 1.png" width="6240" height="4160"></figure>To kick off the month-long commemoration, Moon's Tokyo office hosted a workshop that used plastic building bricks, encouraging participants to ideate business innovations focusing on women's empowerment. The workshop was open to the public and encouraged anyone to attend regardless of gender. The 22 participants got into teams and built a physical prototype out of the toy bricks, named their new business, and shared their proposals with everyone. Business ideas ranged from women's healthcare apps to an exclusive community aiming to foster women's confidence in society. The workshop was a lot of fun, and we hope it encouraged participants to get creative and put their ideas into action to make them a reality!<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:512/341;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/IWD_lego_blog_photo_2_6e1bf9712d.png" alt="IWD lego blog photo 2.png" width="512" height="341"></figure><hr>We also held an internal discussion on what women’s empowerment meant to us, and to acknowledge the strong women in our lives. A panel of Moon leaders and team members led the discussion, sharing how women have made an impact on them and their careers. One speaker shared how he realized the power of empathy through working with female entrepreneurs. He witnessed how empathy — especially when approaching heavy topics and situations — along with passion and experience, made others feel seen. Even through small, seemingly trivial actions and details, showing that you truly understand customers and put their needs first can help strengthen your business and its impact. He also suggested that one key theme in creating a more gender-equal workplace — and society — is paying attention to how we each can help others. Being in a leadership position, he has the opportunity to identify others’ strengths and act as a “supportive sounding board.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>With inflexible requirements and pressure to remain in a “traditional” role... the advancement of women is greatly hindered.&nbsp;</blockquote>Another leader on the discussion panel said she was pleased to see more female founders throughout the span of her career, particularly when it came to women-centered products and services. “Having a man ‘tell’ us how to solve a problem” in areas that affect and impact women, such as women’s health and wellness or childcare, doesn’t really make sense. When asked how women’s empowerment has changed throughout the years, she recalled often being the only female in a male-dominated corporate world. “I just wanted a seat at the table,” she said, acknowledging how thankful and happy she is to see more women in corporate leadership roles. And how can we continue to see more women in those roles? More flexibility, she said. The key to that is normalizing non-”traditional” home and parental roles. It needs to be more widely accepted that all parents, not just mothers, take responsibility for raising a family, which can be supported by reformed policies like parental leave. Another panelist mentioned that he makes sure to share responsibilities with his wife, remaining flexible to accommodate her needs and decisions. “I prioritize my family and take action to empower my wife and daughters. I ask questions and communicate, and support their decisions. Sharing those responsibilities and staying flexible in your roles as parents are core to empowering and supporting women.”Flexibility with work scheduling and requirements can also help bring more equity to career advancement. For example, leadership roles shouldn’t be heavily dependent on aspects like travel requirements — such demands can hinder women from advancing if it’s perceived that a mother can’t travel due to her assumed responsibility of raising children. With inflexible requirements and pressure to remain in a “traditional” role, like a mother staying home to raise children and not taking on a corporate career, the advancement of women is greatly hindered. Though much progress has been made, there are still significant hurdles in the way. One Moon leader said, “A lot has changed, but there’s a lot of political headwind that slows these things down,” which then led to a brief discussion about the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “DEI helps the bottom line,” a panelist added.The discussion was insightful and it was great to hear our leaders’ and team mates’ perspectives on women’s empowerment. Hearing their personal stories and how they take action to empower women illustrates how crucial it is for everyone to play a part in advancing gender equality and equity.&nbsp;Key takeaways from the discussion<ul><li>The power of empathy:&nbsp;Making others feel seen and understood creates powerful connections. When we truly see others, we can better understand how we can be supportive.&nbsp;</li><li>Career advancement requires flexibility:&nbsp;To see more diversity in leadership roles, we need to&nbsp;normalize non-traditional gender roles and create equity through flexibility and policy reform.</li><li>Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is critical:&nbsp;Despite progress, gender equality and the advancement of women throughout their careers is still hindered by traditional expectations and political resistance, highlighting the importance of DEI initiatives.</li></ul><hr>Later in the month, Moon Creative Lab, in collaboration with Japanese Women’s Initiative in the Bay Area (JWIBA), hosted an inspiring panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for women in innovation and entrepreneurship.&nbsp;Beyond Bias: Unleashing Women’s Potential brought together five accomplished women—founders, CEOs, and government consultants—who shared their personal journeys and the obstacles they’ve overcome in their careers.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4032/3024;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Speaker_panel_2_7466483f5a.png" alt="Speaker panel 2.png" width="4032" height="3024"></figure>The conversation delved into the multifaceted experiences of women in the innovation sector, encompassing a broad spectrum of challenges and triumphs. The panelists candidly shared their personal journeys, highlighting common themes such as the delicate balancing act of raising a family while pursuing a demanding career, the geographical and emotional upheaval of relocation, the continual pursuit of knowledge and skills through education, the decision to pivot careers, the subtle and overt biases that persist in the workplace, and the frustrating experience of being underestimated due to gender.One panelist recounted her decision to leave a prestigious and well-compensated position at a renowned tech company to embark on the uncertain path of entrepreneurship. Her choice was met with skepticism from her family as they struggled to grasp her willingness to relinquish the stability and security of a corporate role. However, rather than succumbing to the doubts, she harnessed the skepticism as a catalyst for her ambition, channeling her energy into creating and building her own venture.The audience engagement was just as powerful. An attendee shared a particularly striking experience: while pitching her business to a male investor, she faced blatant microaggressions. When she stated how much funding she had raised, the investor questioned whether she meant the amount in yen rather than U.S. dollars—implying a condescending disbelief in her financial success.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4032/3024;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Speaker_panel_1_7791d2b106.png" alt="Speaker panel 1.png" width="4032" height="3024"></figure>Some panelists shared valuable lessons and words of encouragement. One speaker recalled her mother’s advice: “Always be yourself. If you want to do something, do it—no matter what others say.” This sentiment resonated deeply, serving as a reminder that confidence and resilience are just as critical as business acumen when it comes to driving innovation.Panelists also recalled the support they received from others including many men who were mentors and sponsors for them in the workplace. And now, they look to extend that help to other women. “I’m at a point in my career where I think about legacy. What can I do to open the door for other women to walk through and give them the encouragement and support that I at times did not find for myself? What opportunities can I uncover for other women to reach beyond what they thought possible?” one panelist asked.&nbsp;&nbsp;Beyond Bias: Unleashing Women’s Potential wasn’t just a conversation; it was a call to action—a reminder that supporting and championing women in innovation leads to greater creativity, stronger businesses, and a more inclusive future.Key takeaways from the discussion<ul><li>Resilience is essential: Success often comes with setbacks, and overcoming doubt—whether from family, investors, or society—is part of the journey.</li><li>Bias still exists, but it shouldn’t define you:&nbsp;From microaggressions to deeply ingrained societal expectations, the barriers are real, but they are also surmountable.</li><li>Innovation requires authenticity: Staying true to your vision and values is crucial in entrepreneurship and leadership.</li><li>Community matters: Spaces like this event create networks of support, mentorship, and shared learning that help drive change.</li></ul>Though March was an opportunity to commemorate International Women’s Day and Month, we know that achieving gender equality and diminishing discrimination and bias requires continuous effort. We look forward to holding more events and activities like these where we can continue the dialogue on gender equality and equity, and build even stronger opportunities for women in leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.&nbsp;

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<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_047_a767a7faad.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_047.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"><figcaption>Moon’s Chief Creative Officer, Mike Peng, leading a Fireside Chat with Dr. Allan Conway.</figcaption></figure>A part of Moon Creative Lab’s Speaker Series events, AI in Healthcare: Pioneering Precision was an insightful talk on how artificial intelligence is emerging in the healthcare industry.Dr. Allan Conway, Clinical Associate Professor of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, UCSF and MarinHealth, was the first surgeon to use AI technology in a vascular surgical procedure for aneurysm repair. In a Fireside Chat with Moon’s Chief Creative Officer, Mike Peng, he shared his insights on how AI enables medical professionals to perform complex procedures with greater precision, and how AI can improve healthcare and patient outcomes.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_019_9a783f7378.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_019.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"></figure>Opportunities for AI in Healthcare Allan discussed how AI can play a significant part in making healthcare professionals’ jobs much more efficient. By optimizing workflow and reducing the daily tasks that are part of medical professionals’ jobs, such as charting patient data and documentation, healthcare can become more accessible. More efficient operations and automated tasks would allow doctors to see more patients and spend more time interacting with them than on paperwork. Relieving some of the administrative burden that doctors face daily could lead to improved patient communication, wider availability of healthcare, and better access to care for underserved communities.Not only would AI make daily administrative tasks more efficient, but it would also help increase efficiency in the operating room. Allan envisions AI reducing surgery times by 20-30 minutes, which would allow doctors to treat more patients.&nbsp;The Current State of AI Allan and his team at MarinHealth used Cydar Maps, an AI-powered surgical platform that can create a detailed 3D map of a patient’s anatomy. Such visualization helps with pre-surgical planning, image guidance during surgery, and automated evaluation of surgical outcomes. This technology allows medical teams to better visualize during the surgery, operate with more precision, make better decisions in the operating room, and guide care throughout the patient’s entire journey.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_036_8a0e663cf1.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_036.jpg">Implementation Challenges Like with any new technology, implementing AI in healthcare has not been immediate. Allan attributed the lack of AI-prevalence to financial hurdles. Most AI technology comes with high subscription costs, and many medical institutions might be reluctant to invest heavily into something that might not have the data to back the technology up — yet. But as AI technology is adopted, Allan is hopeful that as the data grows, so will implementation across the industry. To help overcome the financial hurdles AI technology faces, Allan thinks philanthropy and product champions are key. More philanthropic support from strong believers and evangelists of new technology could be key to ushering more AI in healthcare. No, AI Will Not Replace Surgeons With new ideas comes new misconceptions — and Allan addressed those head-on by assuring that AI will not replace surgeons. He emphasized the need to wane expectations about AI capabilities and that, instead of focusing on the fear of AI, the focus should be on enhancing and augmenting the work of medical professionals, not entirely replacing them.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4200/2801;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/mcl_Dr_Conway_Ai_In_Healthcare_110_1e5f3785f2.jpg" alt="mcl_DrConway_AiInHealthcare_110.jpg" width="4200" height="2801"><figcaption>Pictured: Moon CEO Kaichi Yokoyama, Dr. Allan Conway, Moon CCO Mike Peng, and Moon CMO Mary Ann Gallo,</figcaption></figure>Moon’s Focus&nbsp; Moon is always open and welcoming to new ideas, and one particular focus area of ours is AI in Healthcare. How might we leverage cutting-edge technologies to deliver more personalized and better outcomes for patients around the world? How can we use AI to augment the already-incredible abilities of medical professionals and transform healthcare as we know it? If you have ideas, we’d love to hear them! Chat with us, attend an event, and meet incredible innovators and entrepreneurs by joining our Moon Community <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">here</a>.Interested in being a featured speaker at Moon or partnering for your event? Reach out to us <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1u98RYOcPTfefjoRhgX-xewcxaid">here</a>.&nbsp;

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To celebrate the end of the Boost Summer '24 cohort, on Dec. 3, Moon’s Tokyo Studio held a "Boost Pitch &amp; Connect" event where 13 ventures - 2 online and 11 in person - presented their businesses to an audience of 60 guests including VCs, startups, and organizations such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and JETRO. The event was followed by networking time to deepen the exchange.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Boost_348e28871a.png" alt="Boost.png">&nbsp;<h3>Looking back on the pitch</h3><ol><li>ijo – Developing seaweed-based bioplastic products and bio-stimulants to promote vegetable growth at high quality vegetables and low cost.</li><li>Polls – Automate the creation of survey question branches for efficiency and promote consistency in responses. Conduct regular observations of employees makes sure their alignment with company goals.</li><li>KiFor – Facilitate collaboration between charities and organizations engaged in SDGs. Work with educational institutions to connect them with job training to expand their workforce.</li><li>Growth Watcher – Provides use of satellite data to monitor the growing environment of vegetables in order to facilitate the transition to the cultivation of alternative crops against the environmental changes.</li><li>BooksPetal – A platform that makes it easy for students to purchase and sell books on demand. The company designs a unique system in which the amount of money is determined by weight.</li><li>HomeTrimmer – Provides trimming services at pet owners' homes, ensuring the safety of pets &amp; the peace of mind of owners while also creating an improved working environment for trimmers.</li><li>Grouping – Facilitates social interaction by matching groups of three. More casual and dynamic, and monetizes by directing users to partner restaurants. Free for both genders.</li><li>Krip – Aggregates promotions, discounts and deals from credit cards providers and financial services, easily accessible to consumers and partners from their app and APIs.</li><li>DROP System – Provides a platform that centralizes different loyalty programs offered by companies, allowing users to use them without worrying about expiration.</li><li>CACARU – Provides a platform for a university’s physicians to search for specialists and clinics to refer patients to, send referral letters, and make appointments in one place.</li><li>Robot ATTA! – A matching website with a collection of use cases for companies considering robot implementation. Focuses on the central concern: the feasibility of implementation on site.</li><li>Kutoon – Subscription-based rental of children shoes, with home-delivery. Shoes are collected, cleaned and reused after the children outgrow them.</li><li>MEs – Develop a virtual space dedicated to creative teams, to capture, catalogue and visualize data in a 3D environment, breaking the boundaries of standard productivity tools.</li></ol><a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1xfbn-6k6Q3GsIa1jMxWUcwcxaid?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog1218&amp;utm_id=blog1218">&gt;&gt; Register "Boost"</a>

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<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4000/4000;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Luma_final_3f4005f343.png" alt="Luma final.png" width="4000" height="4000"></figure>In October, Moon Creative Lab held its first Founder Focus event, which spotlights some of the ventures incubating at Moon as part of the Moon In-Residence program.<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/in-residence">Moon In-Residence</a> (MIR) is Moon’s incubation program based in Palo Alto, California. The program offers entrepreneurs and founders the support they need for their venture, including project space, advisory from experts in design, engineering, product, and more, tools and software, and other hands-on help they need to gain traction in their market.This first Founder Focus event, held at Moon’s Palo Alto studio, showcased three ventures from the MIR program: Amotions AI, deCH.at, and Imagined. Each venture team presented their business to a crowd, discussing not only their venture but also the work they’ve been doing at Moon. Each presentation concluded with a Q&amp;A session with the audience, where founders were asked thoughtful questions and offered feedback. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1024/768;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/David_851bc192ea.png" alt="David.png" width="1024" height="768"></figure><h3>Getting New Perspectives&nbsp;</h3>Events like this are opportunities for founders to present their business to new audiences, getting fresh eyes and perspectives on their pitch. David Fernandez Vinuales founded deCh.at, a tool that helps businesses scale their customer engagement using AI. David, an experienced founder and presenter, has pitched his ventures to crowds of thousands of people. Whether the audience is of one or one thousand, he believes getting new eyes on pitch presentations helps founders see things they might otherwise be blind to. “You need to get different eyes on your presentation or product because as a founder, you get deep into the grass with your product and there are some things you can’t see yourself, so having other perspectives helps you improve,” David says.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:5244/4542;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dollar_4bf6b0546e.png" alt="dollar.png" width="5244" height="4542"></figure><h3>Connecting Through Storytelling</h3>Storytelling, which is a large part of building a venture, also comes through in pitches. Dollar Zhu and Jack Wang are the founding team of <a href="https://imagined.framer.ai/">Imagined</a>, which helps aspiring professionals navigate their career. Since they’ve been in the MIR program, they have pivoted with their business, which happens often in the venture-building journey, and was a significant part of their storytelling. “As founders, it is always helpful to hone our storytelling skills through these presentations; each occasion to present is an opportunity to reflect and iterate on our vision… For us specifically, since we are at an earlier stage and recently made a pivot from virtual campus tours to helping people navigate their careers, this event encouraged us to build a strong foundation in storytelling,” Dollar says.<blockquote>"Each occasion to present is an opportunity to reflect and iterate on our vision."-Dollar Zhu, cofounder, Imagined</blockquote> Improving storytelling was also something deCh.at’s founder learned through his presentation. “It was nice to get feedback from the audience. It allowed me to see where I could improve, such as telling a better story for people to connect to in addition to the product itself,” David added.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:2100/1500;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/pianpian_4d9d0fecc6.png" alt="pianpian.png" width="2100" height="1500"></figure><h3>Hearing From the Audience</h3>But perhaps the most helpful aspect of a pitch presentation is the Q&amp;A that happens after the pitch. Questions from the audience can be challenging, but that often leads to finding the holes in a pitch, helping founders realize what’s missing or what can be improved. Pianpian Guthrie, founder of <a href="https://www.amotionsinc.com/">Amotions AI,</a> which improves productivity for employees with personalized AI coaching and support, was able to get helpful insight and make new connections. “I got some excellent and thoughtful questions from the audience, and met some people interested in our space. For example, someone who worked as a salesperson and thought the AI coaching product we are building for sales people could be very helpful.”David from deCh.at also finds great value in Q&amp;A sessions, acknowledging the importance of audience engagement. “I want to make sure people are engaged and I want them to ask questions. Questions help improve my product and see where I need improvement or see the problem in a different perspective, or confirm my hypotheses with the product,” he says. &nbsp;<blockquote>"As a founder, you get deep into the grass with your product and there are some things you can’t see yourself."&nbsp;-David Fernandez Vinuales, founder, deCh.at</blockquote>Like the other founders, the Imagined team also got a lot from the conversations they had with event attendees. “After the talk, we engaged with a diverse audience in thought-provoking conversations. One notable example is a data scientist who raised questions about the ways we can collect data on educational opportunities so that we can offer a tailored experience to aspiring professionals. We walked away from that conversation with more insights into the data-collection strategy and an introduction to a labor-data analysis group at Stanford!”&nbsp;This event was just the first of more Founder Focus events to come. If you’d like to be invited to events like this and others at Moon Creative Lab, be sure to <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid ">subscribe to our mailing list</a>.Are you a founder or have an idea for a new business? Learn more about the Moon In-Residence program and apply <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/in-residence">here</a>. &nbsp;

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<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/1009059390?share=copy#t=0"></oembed></figure>On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, a startup pitch and networking event called "Boost PITCH &amp; CONNECT" was held at Moon’s Tokyo Studio. The event was held in a hybrid format (on site and via Zoom webinar) and attracted over 200 participants including in-person and online. At the event, 15 startups from the Spring ‘24 cohort of Moon's Boost startup support program presented their pitches<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_2095_f6835a3253.jpg" alt="DSCF2095.jpg"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_2220_0f50a42164.jpg" alt="DSCF2220.jpg"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_2337_cbd7f5653a.jpg" alt="DSCF2337.jpg"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_2041_657ff6d67b.jpg" alt="DSCF2041.jpg"><h3>15 Startups</h3><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">From Individual Entrepreneurs</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.babiew.com/">Babiew</a></li></ul>Baby products review &amp; ranking website with purchase option. Founder is Lina Kaneki.<ul><li><a href="https://www.baskit.app/">Baskit</a></li></ul>Help distribution businesses grow with financing &amp; technology. Founder is Yann Schuermans.<ul><li><a href="https://lightroads.co.jp/campusreach.html">Campus Reach</a></li></ul>Internship and career orientation app for university students across Japan. Founder is Ken Taniuchi.<ul><li><a href="https://cofilm.id/">Cofilm</a></li></ul>Health-conscious vegan snacks, gummy vitamins as first product. Founder is Royyan Wafi Pujiyanto.<ul><li><a href="https://drivejapan.co.jp/">Drive Japan Inc.</a></li></ul>Simplifies road trips planning in rural Japan for tourists. Founder is Takujiro Oto.<ul><li>FitVit</li></ul>Health-conscious vegan snacks, gummy vitamins as first product. Founder is Siward Ludin.<ul><li><a href="https://www.loovic.co.jp/">LOOVIC</a></li></ul>Guide/navigate visitors in local environments, voice-based. Founder is Toru Yamanaka.<ul><li><a href="https://www.mallsampah.com/">Mallsampah</a></li></ul>Circular economy tech provider, digitizing the traditional collection system. Founder is Adi Saifullah Putra.<ul><li><a href="https://mechlynx.com/">Mechlynx</a></li></ul>Small bicycle shop management platform with logistics capabilities. Founder is Jordan Scott.<ul><li><a href="https://www.moovby.com/jp/en/">Moovby</a></li></ul>Car-sharing marketplace where drivers can book cars from owners. Founder is Nik Muhammad Amin.<ul><li><a href="https://www.neufast.com/">Neufast</a></li></ul>AI video interview for screeners and mock interviews. Founder is Agnes Wun.<ul><li><a href="https://sellou.com/">Sellou</a></li></ul>Short-form video-based marketplace for local products. Founder is Salman Aljimeely.<ul><li><a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/Lokasoka.com">SnapTap</a></li></ul>Custom gift marketplace via smartphone keyboard extension app. Founder is Tito Guntur Safirda.<ul><li><a href="https://tekeya.io/">Tekeya Global</a></li></ul>Marketplace for food products close to expiration date, at discounted prices. Founder is Maxim Haartsen.<ul><li>V-bay</li></ul>Online auction platform focused on imported used car from Japan. Founder is Noreen Nawaz.<h3>Looking back on Boost PITCH &amp; CONNECT</h3><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1165/1790;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_0675_1_2_f5d0a7abde.jpg" alt="DSCF0675 (1) 2.jpg" width="1165" height="1790"><figcaption>Davide Petrillo, Boost Director, Moon Creative Lab.</figcaption></figure>Davide "We wrapped up the Spring ‘24 cohort of Boost – Moon’s 3-month startup support program – with an exciting event that showcased the progress of our participants. Boost’s mission is to help early-stage startups refine their product ideas towards product-market fit, offering them access to mentorship from Moon and industry experts, a supportive entrepreneurial community, and hands-on guidance from Moon’s product team.&nbsp;Selected startups also have the opportunity to receive investment support. The event was filled with energy and innovation, as 15 of the 28 startups involved in Boost’s Spring '24 program pitched their products and services in front of a panel that included members of Moon’s leadership and investment teams. This hybrid event, attended both in-person and online, featured startups from various regions, with 50% of the startups from Japan and 50% from the APAC area.&nbsp;The pitch event was packed with diverse ideas and different entrepreneurial spirits, as our Boost participants ranged from industries like food &amp; beverage, digital retail, AI-based HRTech, family wealth, and more. Following the pitch presentations,two panel discussions were held with former Boost participants, providing insights into the growth and evolution of startups after completing the program.&nbsp;We concluded the event with a lively networking session, accompanied by food and drinks, where Boost startups had the chance to connect with representatives from Moon, Mitsui, and other industry leaders.&nbsp;A particularly exciting moment for startups in the recruitment sector was when established Moon startups, current Boost participants, and even applicants for the upcoming cohort – all from different countries – held lively discussions about the future of work. It was a powerful exchange, planting the seeds for potential partnerships and mutual support on the path to success.&nbsp;With the Spring '24 cohort concluded, we are now gearing up for the Summer '24 cohort, set to begin on September 10. Applications are also open for the following cohort starting in November. We look forward to continuing our mission of supporting early-stage startups and we can't wait to see what their future holds."<h3>Learnings from Talk Session</h3><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:2400/888;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2160_6769030dfe.jpg" alt="Group-2160.jpg" width="2400" height="888"><figcaption>(Left) Ms. Ikumi Narui, CEO, Inter Holdings, Inc.(Right) Mr. Shohei Horiguchi, Suup founder, Moon Creative Lab Investment Team</figcaption></figure>The pitch was followed by two panels. In the first, serial entrepreneur Ikumi Narui, who sold her company just one year after starting it and now represents Inter Holdings, Inc., which works to transform food logistics and achieve carbon neutrality through patented vacuum technology, and Shohei Horiguchi, former EIR of Moon, founder of Suup, a service that converts vacant space into unmanned coworking space, and currently a member of the Moon’s investment team after the business transfer, They shared their experiences and perspectives on a wide range of topics, from business creation to transfers and other progress. The two particularly empathized with each other when Ms. Narui reflected on the difference between her past experience in the media business and starting her current business, and how the learning that comes from experiencing the process of starting and transferring a business can increase the options for the next step in business creation. The topic also expanded to various worries and struggles related to starting a business, such as the disadvantage that in-house entrepreneurs feel towards individual entrepreneurs and the fact that female entrepreneurs are easily pointed out for the small market size of their businesses. Many stories were shared to encourage the entrepreneurs, such as real-life experiences that showed how the fear they felt was just a misunderstanding, and how small achievements paved the way for the next step.<blockquote>Horiguchi: If I were to give advice to myself at the time of starting a business, I would just say how important it is to act quickly, verify, and repeat the necessary pivots. And in starting a business, it is important to just aim high and find excellent colleagues. Those two things interact with each other, so I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that's the only thing that matters.</blockquote><blockquote>Narui: I was fortunate to experience business creation, product development, organizational development, and M&amp;A with the help of various people early on. This experience allowed me to focus more on scalability in the next steps. The experience, results, and connections I gained from my first startup give me unlimited options for my second one.</blockquote><blockquote>Horiguchi: I am currently in the investment business, and the five years of experience I gained from starting my own business has been very helpful in understanding the stories of entrepreneurs when making startup investments. If I were asked whether I am an entrepreneur or an investor, I would say the former. Someday I would like to try my hand at starting a business for the second time.</blockquote><blockquote>Narui: It is said that there are not many female entrepreneurs, but this can be seen as a tailwind because they attract more attention than their male counterparts. Even if the market is small, it is important to produce results and use those results to attract the next opportunity. I think it is important to create your own environment.</blockquote><figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:3810/1265;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2160_daadae34b1.jpg" alt="Group 2160.jpg" width="3810" height="1265"><figcaption>From left to right, moderator Yuki Saito, Founder CEO, FUKURY.LLC; Kotaro Takahashi, COO, Sustainable Lab Inc.; Hiroyuki Ano, Co-Founder and CEO, DELIGHT Inc.; Kiminori Yamaguchi, CEO, Atsumell Inc.</figcaption></figure>The second panel was about building an organization for a startup that determines business results and the speed of growth.&nbsp;Four speakers shared their experiences in finding co-founders and founding members and what they learned from their experiences.&nbsp;Mr. Anno of DELIGHT Inc. gave advice on the co-founder matching tool provided by Y Combinator, as well as support from the government and accelerators. Anno said, “Japan has money, Tokyo is large and has an inexhaustible support program, and there are many large companies. That kind of environment is hard to find. I think it is a good idea to take full advantage of this environment.” He also talked about his experience in searching for co-founders, saying that he was satisfied with the results of his search after interviewing people he met through the matching tool, having them take an entrepreneurial aptitude test, and choosing someone different from himself.&nbsp;Mr. Yamaguchi of Atsumell Inc. also had an experience where a founding member moved to another company when the company pivoted, and he said, "It's easy to find a co-founder if you focus on empathy for the product. However, pivots are common in startups and it is difficult to maintain a common motivation. It is necessary to share a vision at a high level."<blockquote>Follow up with people you met at the pitch</blockquote><blockquote>Use matching tools</blockquote><blockquote>Take an entrepreneurial aptitude test</blockquote><blockquote>Meet people who share a common vision</blockquote><blockquote>Invite people with different personalities to be co-founders</blockquote><blockquote>Continually promote your vision on social networking sites</blockquote><blockquote>Take full advantage of government, Tokyo, and accelerator support for entrepreneurship</blockquote>For more detail, Please check <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/boost?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=LP_en&amp;utm_id=boost2-report">Boost page</a>.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/BOOST_GRAPHICS_FLAT_5_7a480cad8f.png" alt="BOOST_GRAPHICS_FLAT 5.png">

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<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/962799539?share=copy"></oembed></figure>A panel discussion event "Nordic Talks" was held on Tuesday, June 11 at Moon Tokyo Studio. 60+ people from the startup community gathered to discuss how to increase startup success with a large audience of 150+ people watching online via Zoom.&nbsp;Pitch event organizers, VCs, and entrepreneurs shared their experiences and prospects from a variety of perspectives. The entire event was recorded, and you can watch the archive on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfuR0u4pmDY">YouTube</a>.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1600/820;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_7329_1_1_e7c9c68387.jpg" alt="DSCF7329 1 (1).jpg" width="1600" height="820"><figcaption>From left to right: Niklas Karvonen, Antti Sonninen, Tobias Mathiasen, Amina Sugimoto, Shintaro Ishida.</figcaption></figure>Speakers included Niklas Karvonen (Community Director, Nordic Innovation House Tokyo), Antti Sonninen (Co-founder and CEO, Takeoff Tokyo), Tobias Mathiasen (Founding Partner, SKB.vc), Amina Sugimoto (Public Health Phd, CEO of fermata KK), and Shintaro Ishida (COO of Uninomics KK). In addition, many participants, including guests from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), discussed and exchanged opinions on Tokyo's startup environment. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1600/818;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_0607_1_b3931b7f7f.jpg" alt="DSCF0607 1.jpg" width="1600" height="818"><figcaption>At the center in this photo: Yuki Obata (Moon Creative Lab), founder of ISSHO, a Work Tech SaaS tool that visualizes each person's valuable contributions, asked about the expectations and ideals for the startup environment 10 years from now.</figcaption></figure>“We believe that the Nordic startup infrastructure and the Japanese ambition are a match made in heaven." said Reetta Purontakanen, Press Counselor, Finnish Embassy in Tokyo. The discussion heated up, focusing on how the startup environment in Japan has improved so far, and the differences between the global and Tokyo startup environment in terms of the relationship between investors and entrepreneurs. The importance of direct support for seed and early-stage startups when considering global expansion was also a focus of attention.<hr>Moon Creative Lab also hosts many other events. Please check our <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/ja/stories/page/1">Moon Stories Blog</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/moon-creative-lab/">Official LinkedIn Account</a> for latest news!

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Moon Creative Lab thrives on building an inclusive and diverse community – it’s what keeps us creative, innovative, and human-centered. And though we celebrate inclusivity all year long, the month of June, which is International Pride Month, was a great opportunity to spotlight our LGBTQIA+ community.Throughout June, our team led learning sessions, discussions, and other fun activities like trivia to celebrate Pride as a company. We also organized a community-based art show where artists could showcase their queer-themed art to the public.Following an open call to digital artists around the world, an art show and pop-up exhibition was held at our Tokyo studio in Omotesando. The event, which was open to all, displayed the beautiful, queer-themed art on windows and walls throughout the office. Visitors were able to admire art that celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community, socialize over drinks, and listen to their peers discuss building a diverse community during an open mic session. “The community and the people that came through were super chill, and we were just chatting. It was a nice event not only for queer people but for their friends, too. And the open mic portion, where anyone could talk about whatever they’re doing or anything they want to share – it was really fun,” says Hoan Phan, who was also chosen as the featured artist during the exhibit.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/PXL_20230619_012117552_1_d94a5829da.jpg" alt="PXL_20230619_012117552 (1).jpg"><figcaption>Featured art piece from artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hoanhoanhoan/">Hoan Phan</a>.</figcaption></figure>Hoan says the inspiration for his art piece came from a traditional Vietnamese dish called bánh bèo, which is also a slang term used to describe queer men. “I thought this could be an interesting concept. This slang in Vietnamese, when used as an adjective, could be a bit negative… I wanted to change this kind of mindset because we are a new generation. It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.” Aside from using the illustration of bánh bèo, Hoan wanted to instill a sense of confidence to emphasize the reclamation of the slang term. Characters are illustrated in various poses, much like those in the dance style of voguing. One character in particular strikes a strong resemblance to gender-defying, cultural icon Grace Jones. “You can see some Grace Jones there. I love her,” Hoan gushes. “I was thinking of voguing or ballroom culture, which would be a good fit for this because the people in this scene have a lot of confidence, show good energy, and have a lot of freedom expressing themselves. So I thought putting these two pieces together could be fun.”<blockquote>"It’s not just like, being feminine means being weird.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_event_photo_ca365a97fe.jpg" alt="Pride event photo.jpg"><figcaption>Hoan Phan at Moon's Pride art show.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Hoan’s work of art is brimming with fantastic detail, allowing the viewer to take notice of something different with each view. But those details aren’t just there to embellish, fill, or adorn – Hoan is much more thoughtful, instilling significance and symbolism into every small aspect, something that he hopes is conveyed to the observer. “My work, generally, is really colorful. Through this piece, I would like people to feel a very positive energy through the poses of the characters. When you look at more details, you see small things, so I would like for them to spend a little bit more time, traveling around, moving their eyes through the piece, looking into the details. Even though it’s small details, it’s simple, but I think it’s fun because each detail stands for some meaning. For example, the nail polish – it’s like a ‘yeah, I’m pretty!’ kind of thing. Or when you see the chili, it’s like being a ‘spicy’ person!”<blockquote>"I would like people to feel a very positive energy."</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Pride_art_show_700ef34dbc.jpeg" alt="Pride art show.jpeg"></figure>Yu Onodera, Senior FP&amp;A Analyst at Moon, sees events that celebrate our diversity, like the Pride art show, as a way of celebrating Moon’s culture and sharing that with the world. “Moon is a place that embodies diversity, and I am sure most of us are proud of the freedom to be ourselves at Moon. So I hope the Pride event was a great opportunity for attendees to see, feel, and experience our culture.”Machi Rezende, Design Lead at Moon, helped create the Pride art show so that he could increase visibility, awareness, and education throughout the company, and embrace our LGBTQIA+ community to show that Moon is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place. “I wanted to create a safe space where not only queer individuals, but also allies could co-exist and learn about each other's stories. Instead of a boring presentation, we wanted to create a space of joy where people could feel free to express who they really are. And allies could engage in that dialogue. There is so much invisibility and ignorance around the existence of queer individuals. Opening spaces and media for discussion brings those people out of the shadows they’ve felt they had to hide in. Queer people exist, they are all over, and their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”&nbsp;<blockquote>"Queer people exist... their existence has to be acknowledged, protected, and celebrated.”</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Moon_Pride_0e25edb349.jpeg" alt="Moon Pride.jpeg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Machi_Yu_4207208345.jpeg" alt="Machi Yu.jpeg"><figcaption>Machi Rezende and Yu Onodera from Moon.</figcaption></figure>We know that culturally diverse teams transcend homogeneous ones when it comes to innovation and creativity. At Moon, being human-centered is a value that lies at our core. And there is no better way to show and practice that value than to welcome, love, and include all humans, no matter their background, their orientation, or how they choose to identify. Stay connected to get invites and updates on upcoming events by <a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1OHQANbcgR9q4ky5Q4M6wMQcxaid">subscribing to our newsletter</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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