Capital and business partnership commenced with MONOCO, Inc., the operator of a membership e-commerce marketplace for designer products

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More Companies to be funded by the KDDI Open Innovation Fund

  • KDDI CORPORATION
  • MONOCO, Inc.

July 18,2013

KDDI Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Takashi Tanaka) and Global Brain Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasuhiko Yurimoto) will invest [1] in MONOCO, Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takehiro Kakiyama), the operator of MONOCO, a membership e-commerce marketplace for designer products, through the KDDI Open Innovation Fund and commence a business partnership.

KDDI launched the "Smart Relations Concept," the second phase of the 3M Strategy, which aims to forge stronger connections between smartphones and real life and change everyday life into a simpler yet inspiring series of interactions. This business tie-up with MONOCO, Inc. is part of the Smart Relations Concept. Through the introduction of accessories, sundries, and other designer products that enrich day-to-day life via the new au Smart Pass timeline UI, KDDI will offer the delight of encounters with new products every day.

As the first step of the business collaboration, a special page introducing designer products from Japan and abroad, carefully selected by the experienced merchandisers of MONOCO, will be opened on the au Brand Garden service site.
Additionally, flash sales, a MONOCO feature, will be held periodically in the Point & Lucky section of au Smart Pass.
au Brand Garden allows users to directly access the preferred site to purchase a product of interest that showed up in the timeline, thanks to the availability of au Simple Payment Service and au points.
Celebrating the commencement of the provision of this service, KDDI will launch an opening campaign that offers bonus au Brand Garden points.

KDDI will assist in the development of companies that provide new added value to customers through the KDDI Open Innovation Fund, which supports up-and-coming venture companies.

  • [1]:
    Investment is determined by Global Brain Corporation, which runs the fund.

For more details, see the Attachment.
Attachment：Capital and business partnership commenced with MONOCO, Inc., the operator of a membership e-commerce marketplace for designer products

  • The information contained in the news releases is current at the time of publication. Products, service fees,service content and specifications, contact information, and other details are subject to change without notice.