Warning: Undefined array key "HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE" in /home/xs629733/d-pops-group.co.jp/public_html/cms/wp-content/themes/d-pops-en/functions.php on line 192
Investing in Adora Inc., a Company Developing and Operating the AI-Powered Parental Control App “Kodomamo”| 株式会社ディ・ポップスグループ

COLUMN

Investing in Adora Inc., a Company Developing and Operating the AI-Powered Parental Control App “Kodomamo”

  • Press Release
2024.07.16

The corporate mission of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. (Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuhiko Goto; referred to as “our group” from here on), is to multiply the number of growth companies (so-called “unicorn companies”) that will revolutionize society. In accordance with this, our group has made an investment in Adora Inc. (Setagaya, Tokyo; CEO: Naoto Tomita), the company responsible for developing and operating “Kodomamo”, an AI-based parental control app.

 
Background

The Japanese government declared 2022 to be the "Year of Startup Creation" during its New Year’s press conference. Since 2017, our group has actively promoted the business strategies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate venture capital (CVC), growing into a large-scale organization with 20 group companies and 25 investment companies (at the time of publishing). While the government has been promoting efforts to foster startups, our group has focused on creating the stage, environment, and platform to serve as fertile ground for those startups and venture companies to grow.

"Kodomamo" is an AI-powered parental control app (available for iOS and Android) that addresses the top seven concerns parents have regarding their children's smartphone use. Our group operates around 50 mobile phone shops primarily in Japan’s Kanto region through our group’s founding company, D-POPS Corp., and provides staffing services to the telecommunications industry through our HR business segment. As a result of these operations, we have been paying close attention to the ongoing social controversy and discussion surrounding children's smartphone usage.

By supporting Adora Inc., we aim to contribute to the further development of the telecommunications industry. We will also continue to support Adora Inc.’s growth by strengthening our business collaboration following this investment.

Screenshot of the Kodomamo app website, showcasing its 70,000+ installations (at the time of publication) and its award-winning features: AI-powered detection and alerts for dangerous chat conversations, location notifications, sext blocking, prevention of smartphone use while walking, control over excessive usage of other apps, and protection against unauthorized uninstallation of the app.

 
Comment from Naoto Tomita, President and CEO of Adora Inc.

During discussions with President Goto, Mr. Sugihara, and other executives and advisors of D-POPS GROUP, we not only received valuable advice based on industry insights from the telecommunications and IT sectors but also felt great alignment with their vision. I truly wanted to work with them. This partnership will allow us to strengthen our collaboration with career shops and other entities, helping spread the Kodomamo app across Japan and the world, and ensuring the safety of children on the internet globally.

 
Comment from Kazuhiro Goto, President and CEO of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.

We are delighted to have invested in Adora Inc., and to welcome a strong new partner into our “Venture Ecosystem”. We strongly support Adora’s vision of using AI-powered parental control apps to address societal issues such as the risks of children becoming victims in crimes or other harmful situations through smartphone use.

Our group has faced the societal issues related to children’s smartphone use while expanding our business in the telecommunications and IT sectors. Through our venture ecosystem, we aim to harness synergies across various industries and continue to promote solutions to social problems using AI.

Our vision of creating a Venture Ecosystem is to provide a stage and environment where startups can thrive, supporting their growth and contributing to society. Moving forward, we aim to grow alongside Adora and work toward increasing the company’s value.

Comment from Sugihara Genta, Advisor to D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.

With the spread of smartphones and social media, we have seen an increase in reports of incidents where children have been victimized. Having worked in the technology industry for many years, I am saddened to see the internet being used as a tool for slander, fraud, and bullying. I strongly resonate with Adora Inc.’s efforts to use AI technology to help families with children worldwide use smartphones safely, which is why I support their development of the Kodomamo app.

At D-POPS GROUP, we are committed to creating a venture ecosystem where synergies naturally arise through investments themed around "Real World × People × Technology". From the moment I met Adora, I saw them as an ideal investment opportunity. Together with our group companies, we will tackle societal issues head-on.

Company information

Company Name: Adora Inc.
Company President and CEO: Naoto Tomita
Address: Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
Established: July 2023
Kodomamo App Website: https://www.kodomamo.com/

 

☆Interview with Naoto Tomita, president and CEO of Adora Inc., the company that is protecting children through AI
https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/adora-interview/

Related Articles

Addition of Investment Portfolio Company, The Salons Japan
The corporate mission of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. (Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuhiko Goto; referred to as “our group” from here on), is to multiply the number of growth companies (so-called “unicorn companies”) that will revolutionize society. In accordance with this, our group has concluded a capital and business alliance with The Salons Japan Inc. (Setagaya, Tokyo; CEO: Hidetoshi Shimizu; referred to as “The Salons Japan” from here on), which leases private salon studios for professional beauticians.   Background of the Capital and Business Alliance The Japanese government declared 2022 to be the "Year of Startup Creation" during its New Year’s press conference. Since 2017, our group has actively promoted the business strategies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate venture capital (CVC), growing into a large-scale organization with 19 group companies and 24 investment companies (at the time of publishing). While the government has been promoting efforts to foster startups, our group has focused on creating the stage, environment, and platforms to serve as fertile ground for those startups and venture companies to grow. Our group has entered into this business relationship with The Salons Japan—a company with the corporate motto of “true independence for beauticians”—in order to bolster the professional independence of beauty workers in Japan. Their company has been developing and operating “THE SALONS”, a leasing service for private salon studios with seven rental suites in the Tokyo area (at the time of publishing). By leveraging the real estate development expertise gained through the store expansion of our group’s founding company, D-POPS Corp., and by providing IT and human resources from within our Venture Ecosystem, we will support The Salons Japan's further growth through a robust business partnership built upon this capital and business alliance.     Comment from Hidetoshi Shimizu, President and CEO of The Salons Japan Inc. Since our founding in 2018, we have supported the independence of beauticians through “THE SALONS”, our leasing service for private salon studios. We are very pleased to welcome D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd., as a new shareholder of our company. They are investing in various startup companies based on their vision of “creating a Venture Ecosystem that is indispensable to society”. We look forward to working together with them to revolutionize the beauty industry and contribute to society by building up the beauty industry ecosystem, according to our mission of improving the social status of beauticians.   Comment from Kazuhiro Goto, President and CEO of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. We are very pleased to announce that we have entered into a capital alliance with The Salons Japan, adding a powerful new member to the Venture Ecosystem that we are promoting. The Salons Japan supports the independence of Japanese beauticians, and we are eager to back their grand mission of revolutionizing the beauty industry. We will provide full support by offering the real estate development know-how for acquiring the most prime locations cultivated by our founding business, D-POPS Corp., and by appointing our group’s advisor, Mr. Sugihara, to their board of directors. Our vision of establishing a Venture Ecosystem aims to support the growth of startups and contribute to society by providing a stage and environment that will serve as the fertile ground on which venture companies can flourish. We will continue to grow together with The Salons Japan, as they are led by President Shimizu, and strive to enhance their corporate value, as well.   Appointment of New Board Member As a result of this capital alliance, Mr. Genta Sugihara, an advisor to our group, will become a new member of The Salons Japan's Board of Directors as of July 16, 2024. Mr. Sugihara has a wide background and range of experience, including serving as a director at Google Japan and an executive officer at Kakaku.com, and we believe that he will be able to support The Salons Japan from a perspective outside of the beauty industry. Professional Background After working at CSK (now SCSK) and Daini Denden (now KDDI), Mr. Sugihara’s journey took him through various tech companies in Japan and abroad from 2000 onward, including AOL Japan, EMOBILE, and Napster, during their early and innovation phases. In 2007, he joined Google Japan, where he served as Head of APAC Business Development and spearheaded various business partnerships across Asia, contributing to the expansion of the search market share and the publishers' network. In 2016, he joined Kakaku.com, Inc., as an Executive Officer of the Corporate Strategy Division, where he was responsible for M&A and startup investment worldwide. After serving as the Japan Country Manager of AppsFlyer, an Israeli tech venture, he was appointed as an advisor to D-POPS GROUP in January 2024.   Comment from Sugihara Genta, Advisor to D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. and Newly-Appointed Board Member of The Salons Japan In the post-COVID era, there has been a renewed demand in the world for real-life contact. At D-POPS GROUP, our investment policy is to create a Venture Ecosystem based on the intersection of “Real World x People x Technology”. The Salons Japan, which operates a rental marketplace for private beauty studios to support beauticians who want to become independent, was therefore an ideal capital alliance and business partner. I met Kenji Kuboshima, the co-founder and board director of The Salons Japan, shortly after I joined Google as the person in charge of a key business partner. At that time, I was impressed by Mr. Kuboshima’s sincerity and business sense, and we have maintained a longstanding friendship since then. As a result of this meaningful connection, I am grateful and excited to have the opportunity to work together again, and I carry high expectations for the future of this collaboration.   What is “THE SALONS”? The company motto of The Salons Japan is “True independence for beauticians”, and accordingly, they develop and operate THE SALONS, a chain of private salon studios where beauticians can become professionally independent at low-risk, for only a monthly fee. They enable beauticians to keep reaching for the next level of success, and support their goals or prospects of having their own stores in the future. In Japan’s beauty industry, the current shift towards hairstylists and beauticians becoming freelancers is gaining momentum. However, opening a physical storefront still requires overcoming numerous obstacles. THE SALONS provides these professionals with opportunities to learn about store management and operation, and we hope it will be a foundational pathway and viable option for anyone who seeks independent business ownership. In order to support the independence of as many beauticians as possible, we plan to continue opening additional rental spaces into the future.   Company Profile Company Name: The Salons Japan Inc. Company President and CEO: Hidetoshi Shimizu Address: 2F Kid Ailack Building, 2-43-11 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Established: November 30, 2018 Website: https://www.thesalons.co/   ☆The official press release for this investment in The Salons Japan is linked here (Japanese only): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000004.000143719.html
  • IR
  • Press Release
2024.06.27
Investing in fluctlight inc., a Company Expanding Services in the Generative AI Field
The corporate mission of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. (Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuhiro Goto; referred to as “our group” from here on), is to multiply the number of growth companies (so-called “unicorn companies”) that will revolutionize society. In accordance with this, our group has made an investment in fluctlight inc. (San Francisco, CA; CEO: Yuji Nakagawa), a company expanding its services in the field of Generative AI. Background Japanese Prime Minister Kishida declared 2022 to be the "Year of Startup Creation" during his New Year’s press conference. Since 2017, our group has actively promoted the business strategies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate venture capital (CVC), growing into a large group with 19 subsidiaries and 24 investment companies (at the time of publishing). While the government accelerates its efforts to create startups, our group has focused on creating the stage, environment, and platforms to serve as fertile ground for those startups and venture companies to grow. The AI system market in Japan is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20-25%, reaching 1.1 trillion yen by FY2027. The ad technology market is also forecasted to continue growing at a CAGR of 16.1% from 2024 to 2030. Meanwhile, the monetization of Generative AI services, which combines these two fields, remains challenging but also presents significant opportunities. Our group is actively investing in the Generative AI sector to realize a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem that encompasses various industries. With this investment, we aim to strengthen our business collaboration and support the further growth of fluctlight. Comment from Kazuhiro Goto, President of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to invest in fluctlight. As Generative AI is expected to be utilized in various scenarios in the future, I decided to invest because I want to support President Nakagawa, who is taking on the challenge of creating a Generative AI-focused advertising network platform. When I first met Mr. Nakagawa, the founding CEO, I was very impressed by his aggressive and strong action-oriented approach, a quality that I believe is characteristic of a successful entrepreneur. I have great expectations for his future achievements. Our group’s vision of realizing a "Venture Ecosystem" aims to provide the stages and environments that will serve as fertile ground for startups to grow and contribute to society. By strongly supporting fluctlight under Mr. Nakagawa’s leadership, we hope to grow together and work to enhance the company's value. Comment from Yuji Nakagawa, President of fluctlight inc. I have experienced several transformative periods in history: from the days when I used 10-yen coins to make calls on public telephones, to the time when the internet became widespread, and then to the era when we could use mobile phones and smartphones to access social media. Later, I learned about the contenders of these transformative periods who paved the way for those radical shifts in technology. Now, as we seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of Generative AI, I feel incredibly fortunate to receive support from Mr. Goto, the founding CEO, and Mr. Sugihara, who have built up brilliant track records by challenging themselves in the fields of telecommunications and the internet—fields that have now become commonplace. Comment from Sugihara Genta, Advisor to D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. I see a shared philosophy between fluctlight, which aims to create services using Generative AI to enable richer lives for people, and D-POPS GROUP, which is committed to building a "Venture Ecosystem" to provide pleasure and shine to people’s lives. I have known Yuji, fluctlight’s founder CEO, for 10 years since we first met at Google. During that time, I got to know him better and personally witnessed his insightfulness and his overwhelming vitality. I am truly grateful to have a working relationship with him once again, and I feel a great sense of expectation and deep connection. Overview of fluctlight inc. Development of services in the Generative AI field, including: • Generative AI marketplace • Generative AI-based advertising network   Company Name: fluctlight inc. Company President: Yuji Nakagawa Japan Address: Shiroyama Trust Tower 27F | 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato Ward, Tokyo Headquarters: 548 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 Established: 28 April 2023 Website: https://fluctlight.ai/   ☆The official press release for this investment in fluctlight inc. is linked here (Japanese only): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000003.000143719.html   ☆Interview with Yuji Nakagawa, president of fluctlight inc., the company that is aiming to expand its business in the field of Generative AI (Japanese only): https://d-pops-group.co.jp/column/fluctlight-interview/
  • Press Release
2024.06.21
Back to COLUMN