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Mamoru Masumoto

CEO

TrueBizon, Ltd

How did you come up with the name TrueBizon

"True Vision" is the root of the company’s name, but I thought the simple name was boring and not unique enough. I decided to add more meaning to the two words because we switch on our customers’ businesses with our true vision. That’s how I decided on the name True BIZ ON!

What does your startup do?

We are developing "sora:share", a platform to design drone flight paths together with drone operators and to automate coordination with local residents. This system is a kind of sharing economy, matching drone operators with land owners, but it is a concept that is rare in the world. Currently, this system is being used in drone delivery sites all over Japan, and has been featured in many famous domestic TV media such as TV Tokyo's "Gaia no Yoake" and TBS's "Gachiri Monday. On the other hand, we are also engaged in the drone solution consulting business. We provide all-in-one drone related businesses such as drone sales agency, drone school management, drone surveying, and drone programming. If you are an overseas drone company aiming to enter the Japanese market, please contact us.

What problem are you trying to solve?

Land ownership under Japanese civil law extends to the airspace, which means that drone users need to obtain an agreement to fly over other people's land. To solve this problem, we have created a marketplace for landowners to use the airspace. Using this system, we have plans to deploy 4,500 airways for drone deliveries nationwide by 2026. We have also obtained a business model patent for this system, and hold an overwhelming share of the market in this field in Japan.

There is also the issue that a lot of companies hate to take the risks that come with using UAVs. But that is the dilemma. If they don't use drones like their competitors, they will lose their future markets and new business opportunities. That’s where we come in. We can customize solutions and provide everything our customers need including the hardware and software as well as the necessary training and education.

Why did you choose Fukuoka?

It's so simple. I love Fukuoka. Of course, I also have some more practical factors that impacted my decision.

  1. Fukuoka is geographically close to the "big Asian markets" and it's an advantage for us as we are considering global expansion.
  2. We have a cost advantage in terms of office and labor costs.
  3. Fukuoka has a great startup ecosystem.

What do you think about Fukuoka's startup community?

I think one of the biggest strengths of this site is that you can get support for equity financing, which is the lifeline for startups. Of course, the scale is smaller than in Tokyo, but there are also introductions to VCs and accelerator programs that mainly invest in local startups, so I think it is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs in the Kyushu area to have this kind of ecosystem nearby.

How has Fukuoka City helped your startup?

Fukuoka city prepares several menus for different types of startups. For example, I initially used the Startup Café to collect the necessary information to found my company. After that, I applied to several startup events hosted by Fukuoka City. These opportunities were very useful, and helped me appeal to many potential customers. Finally, I joined some international events with Fukuoka City, for example, Slush in Finland, the IDEAS Show in Taipei, and the Visit & Study Program in San Francisco. These experiences made a huge impact and helped me to fully realize my startup. As the CEO, these visits gave me a lot of chances to improve the ideas that shaped my business.

Do you have advice for people considering doing a startup in Fukuoka?

To all overseas entrepreneurs, please consider starting your business in Fukuoka. Fukuoka has a mild climate, low risk of earthquakes, low cost of living, and many restaurants with good food. In particular, I would like drone-related entrepreneurs to have access to our company. We can also show you the field where you can fly your drone. Let's work together to develop a business that will be accepted by the Japanese market.