Aug 31, 2015 | By Tess
Japanese startup Kabuku, headquartered in Tokyo, which manages Japan's largest online 3D printing service Rinkak, announced that it received 400M JPY – about 3.3 million USD – from Global Brain financing. The company's total new shares through third-party allocation are worth 750M JPY.
In June of 2014, as well, Kabuku raised 200 million yen (about 2 million USD) in series A funding led by CyberAgent Ventures. Nissay Capital and Fuji Startup Ventures also contributed to the investment round.
In a statement released by the company, "The purpose of this increase in capital by Kabuku is to strengthen its organization structure, accelerate platform development in digital fabrication ecosystem for global market expansion." In other words, Kabuku, in increasing its investment revenue, seeks to further develop and expand its existing projects as well as to start new ventures.
Rinkak, launched by Kabuku in January of 2013, is an online 3D printing platform which allows businesses or individual makers to create and design through its network and easily sell 3D printed products through its marketplace. In June of 2013, just months after its launch, the company received financing from an angel investor of about 20 million yen (according to the current exchange rate about 190,000 USD).
What was initially just an online 3D printing product line and trading platform, has evolved over the past two years as Kabuku seeks to gradually diversify its own business mandate. Rinkak hosts a variety of 3D printing projects ranging from traditional Japanese lacquer pieces, to Japanese katana sword crafts, to 3D printing design contests.
Notably, the company co-developed 3D printed customized vehicle parts with Toyota Motor Corporation as part of the latter's Open Road Project. The Open Road Project is part of an effort to promote the use of Toyota's i-Road vehicle (an ultra compact electric vehicle) in Tokyo. Through additive manufacturing the vehicles were custom designed in various colors and made to stand out.
Kabuku has also partnered with the Loft Co., Ltd. in co-designing the Loft Lab 3D Figurine Studio.
In addition, Kabuku has just recently launched Rinkak 3D Printing MMS, described by Yasu, the Kabuku PR manager, as "a single, intuitive production management service that combines the key features from printing planning, sales relationships, production control, accounting to logistics for 3D printing business – all in one place.".
Kabuku, in addition to receiving a large investment from Global Brain also has a diversity of investors, many of which may include companies they have worked with. Currently, the company's total new shares through third-party allocation are 750M JPY. The present round of investments is not yet over, and through their diversity and breadth of projects, Kabuku remains a promising and innovative company within the 3D printing industry to invest in.
Posted in 3D Printing Company
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