KDDI showcased a new approach to supporting startups at the Chubu CVC Liaison Association. The company said it plans to expand business creation through collaboration with companies including SpaceX's Starlink and Lawson, with long-term co-creation as its core focus, while placing greater emphasis on supporting overseas expansion.
KDDI emphasized its focus on long-term business co-creation, building on its open innovation activities launched in 2011. The company explained that it has carried forward into its current business strategy the founding philosophy that “startups are the driving force that moves the world,” rooted in the background of DDI at the time of its founding.
The company introduced initiatives aimed at creating new points of contact in people's lives beyond telecommunications and generating new customer value, citing the domestic rollout of Starlink through its partnership with SpaceX and its capital and business alliance with Lawson as examples.
KDDI ∞ Labo was described as characterized by the building of long-term relationships in which business co-creation is pursued alongside investee companies rather than ending with investment alone, and as having grown into one of Japan's largest business co-creation communities.
The speech also covered the announcement of the new KDDI Beyond Borders Accelerator program, which supports overseas expansion by startups originating in Japan. The program aims to help startups acquire their first customers by creating business opportunities in North America.
KDDI's strategic partnership with Google was also discussed. The company explained that it plans to accelerate the global expansion of technology originating in Japan through joint investment in AI startups and support for their growth.