Nutmeg Labs Japan Co., Ltd.
DX platform for tourism operators “Nutmeg”, raised a total of approximately 400 million yen in series A
Promoting the digitization of Tabinaka, a free and enjoyable local experience
NutmegLabs Japan Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Takashi Nakaguchi, Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter “our company”), which provides the tourism DX platform “Nutmeg” for local experience operators in travel and leisure, is the parent company. NutmegLabs, Inc. (CEO: Takashi Nakaguchi, Headquarters: San Francisco) implemented a third-party allocation of shares with ALL STAR SAAS FUND, Coral Capital, etc., and raised a total of approximately 400 million yen. I will let you know. The funds raised will be provided to our company, which is a Japanese corporation, and will be used for product development and strengthening the sales system in Japan. In this way, we will promote the digital transformation (DX) of tourism operators involved in Tabinaka* and contribute to the realization of a world where people can enjoy more free and enjoyable experiences.
* Tabinaka: Refers to services that provide local travel experiences, such as tourist facilities such as aquariums and zoos, activities such as trekking and marine sports, sightseeing tours with guides and meals, and local transportation.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-6cfc204e798a0dc9c65f-6.png&s3=109188-4-90f982a46e9b5d3d0705c9cdcb88de5e-1920×1280.png] background purpose
Tabinaka is the least digitized in the tourism industry, with only 24% of all reservations made online (2019 results*1 before COVID-19). This is a low level compared to the average online reservation rate of 50-60%*1 in the airline ticket and lodging industries, and most of the sales are made up of offline sales such as local counters and telephone sales. *1 From the research report “Global Travel Activities 2014-2020 Tours & Attractions Come of Age” provided by Phocus Wright.In addition, information (brochures, etc.) and necessary documents for transportation, local gathering, reception on the day of participation, and enjoying services Digitization is further delayed, and the operational structure of tourism operators, which are facing serious labor shortages due to personnel reductions due to the corona crisis, is under pressure. As a result, the customer experience of tourists who receive services is also greatly impaired. One of the reasons why DX in the Tabinaka industry has not progressed is that the product plans and operations after accepting reservations are complicated, so high technical skills are required to solve them with the power of IT. As a result, tourism SaaS that boasts an overwhelming global share has not yet been born.
“Nutmeg” will strive to develop better products and provide solutions, aiming to be the most supported SaaS service by tabinaka operators around the world.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-af953aaa3996f813d631-8.jpg&s3=109188-4-1dbc4516ea8c7095944c551c4019205d-3900×1549.jpg] Service overview
With the mission of “making local experiences more enjoyable, richer, and more accessible,” from January 2021, we will be a tourism DX platform that enables comprehensive digitalization from reservations and payments to on-site operations. We are offering Nutmeg.
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-340206e584a351cdd8a5-8.jpg&s3=109188-4-8f64d47621d4655c03105b8ba1302dce-3900×1913.jpg] “Nutmeg” digitizes offline reservations that have traditionally been made over the phone or over the counter at tourist facilities, tours, activities, and other tourist businesses by setting up a reservation site exclusively for business operators. This is an all-in-one industry-specific SaaS that not only improves the efficiency of sales operations, inventory management, and reservation management operations, but also solves local admission management and
participation management with a single service.
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-b6bb58a0ee087b4798e3-8.jpg&s3=109188-4-1c0903d8672725bcdd284126d6276929-3900×1608.jpg] By introducing “Nutmeg”, tourism operators can solve the serious labor shortage and dramatically improve customer satisfaction. Since the service launch in 2021, the number of companies that have introduced “Nutmeg” has exceeded 300, and its introduction in popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto, Okinawa, and Hawaii is accelerating. Use of Proceeds
The funds raised this time will be used for the development of “Nutmeg” and strengthening the sales system. In the future, we will not only improve operational efficiency, but also introduce various digital services that enhance customer experience, and build a comprehensive system that will lead to improvements in direct sales, such as increasing repeat customers. Nutmeg eliminates inefficiencies in the field of tourism and supports the smooth acceptance of over 20 million foreign visitors to Japan, which is the key to revitalizing the Japanese economy, at the tourist business level. We will provide services aiming for a “free tabinaka” where you can enjoy more local experiences. In addition, the cumulative procurement amount including the seed round is about 550 million yen.
About positions that strengthen recruitment
We are actively recruiting for the following positions. If you are interested, please check our recruitment page below.・COO ・VP of Sales ・VP of Customer Success ・Sales Specialist ・Customer Success Manager ・Customer Success Specialist ・Full Stack Engineer ・Front-end Engineer Recruitment page URL: https://bit .ly/3o3QIIr Notice of online recruitment event
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-63ffa9a6ad42092576c6-11.png&s3=109188-4-df77a3d0c6afa0f06dd94279cdd9baed-3900×1063.png] We will hold a recruitment event to welcome human resources who support full-scale business expansion. We are preparing an event where you can feel the travel industry, the possibilities of Nutmeg, and the atmosphere of the company, so if you are interested, please join us. We are looking forward to your entry from the URL below.
https://event.ntmg.jp/ (Reservations are accepted through Nutmeg’s service)
Comments from new investors
About ALL STAR SAAS FUND With the mission of “creating a 100-year-old SaaS company together with entrepreneurs,” we are conducting investment and support activities specializing in SaaS companies from seed to growth phase. We provide various support programs to accelerate the growth of SaaS companies and support entrepreneurs who aim to become first-class SaaS companies. Managing Partner Hiro Maeda, Senior Partner Masayuki Minato
[Image 6: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-6ff3ca69836e173d6eea-12.png&s3=109188-4-14d8d93cf2b8ce7bbeea4ab051266098-1425×693.png] CEO Nakaguchi’s strong vision and “bulldozer” execution ability, deep understanding of the industry, and Spencer CTO’s high development capabilities lead to a powerful product. NutmegLabs brings together the key ingredients that drive the growth of your SaaS business. When I spoke with the client regarding investment consideration, I was deeply moved by the strong sense of absolute trust and expectations they had for NutmegLabs. The travel and tourism industry in Japan is a huge market of about 30 trillion yen. It is an important pillar of Japan’s growth strategy. We are confident that they will become an important company that will advance the tourism industry in Japan and around the world by thoroughly facing customers with their deep knowledge and network of travel industry cultivated at VELTRA and strong teamwork. ALL STAR SAAS FUND also wants to support the team as a team.
About Coral Capital Coral Capital invests in about 100 startups in various fields, from deep tech such as nuclear fusion, robotics, and biotechnology to SaaS, Fintech, and cosmetics EC, regardless of whether they are for B or C. Founding Partner & CEO James Riney
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-74207c462cdc04445deb-5.png&s3=109188-4-5d69e88678af32803a637f10182c6fea-500×500.png] We are pleased to announce our investment in a revolutionary platform called Nutmeg. The platform aims to transform the travel industry, enabling service providers to transact and engage directly with their customers. Just as Shopify made an impact in the e-commerce space, Nutmeg’s approach will create a fairer and more efficient travel ecosystem, benefiting both tourism operators and travelers. Despite limited resources, the Nutmeg team has shown great progress in platform development and user acquisition, and we are confident in their ability to usher in a new era in the travel industry.
Comment from Representative Director Takashi Nakaguchi
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/109188/4/resize/d109188-4-38126fdb95ad60ad20fe-4.png&s3=109188-4-7a742724dd8afe910f77d7b4d4f101b1-436×466.png] I love traveling and leisure and have visited many different countries and cities. What I felt each time was that there were many pain points hidden in Tabinaka. For example, even if you make a reservation online, there is no point in making a reservation in advance if it takes a long line and a lot of time to redeem it on site. Also, during the VELTRA era, we launched a new business (B2B ticket platform) aimed at inbound demand, but we also realized that simple services such as online reservations and payments in Tabinaka are not enough to solve these problems. I noticed. Therefore, NutmegLabs was founded to fundamentally solve the problems hidden in the industry. We aim to create a rich and enjoyable world for both tourism operators and tourists by providing comfortable digital services that focus on “experiencing”, which is the essential value of Tabinaka.
About Nutmeg Labs Japan Co., Ltd.
Company name: NutmegLabs japan Co., Ltd. Location: 1-13-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Nipponbashi Nihonbashi Building 3F Representative: Representative Director: Takashi Nakaguchi April 2019 Company HP: https://ntmg.jp
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