iTappit- Incubatee of Accelerate Aichi by 500 Global-Landing Pad Program

We started our incubation journey with Accelerate Aichi by 500 Global on Thursday, March 17, 2022. It was a big moment for the itappit team to be the part of 19 startups selected around the world, and to be associated and incubated by a platform that aces in learning, innovation, and growth of business houses.

The 500 Global puts a spotlight on talented entrepreneurs in every corner of the world. A VC with $ 2.3 billion in assets under management, it focuses on markets where technology, innovation, and capital create long-term value and drive economic growth. They have helped more than 2,500 companies and more than 6,000 founders operating in 77 countries. Their portfolio includes 41 companies with a valuation of $ 1 billion or more and 125 companies with a valuation of $ 100 million or more.

How Itappit Become One Of The 19 Startups To Be Selected By Accelerate Aichi By 500 Global -Landing Pad Program

Relentless for the pursuit of a smart and sustainable tomorrow, we have always been pioneering solutions for businesses and how they network. We realized the need for a smart digital business card that could solve the problem of paper cards being dumped and cards that communicate more than phone numbers and email ids. That’s how we started exploring different markets and adapted to different cultures and their business needs.

In Japanese social culture, people are considered with regards to their social connections and how they choose to behave with others. Connections are vital in Japan’s social structure. It is also noteworthy how strong values and beliefs are deeply ingrained in the Japanese culture. All business interactions end with the people exchanging business cards, which usually are given by both hands to show respect to the other person and acknowledging interest to do business with them called ‘Ojigi’. Japanese people have a very powerful and sustainable culture and they have also imbibed the same value in their business. Their concept of ‘mottainai’ encompasses the idea of respecting resources and not wasting them, along with an inherent recognition of the values.

Looking at the way the Japanese exchange business cards itappit wants to keep the same essence and is looking to explore the Japanese market. We work to understand how corporates would like to use itappit for their business. Our team is constantly working and is in touch with the Aiche prefecture government of Japan to formularize this and see through how itappit and Japanese corporations can work together. This is all due to the endless and tireless efforts by the 500 global team, especially the team in Japan who has worked tirelessly to program and get us through all the modules of the program starting from an overview of Japan trends & business etiquette, formulation of GTM strategy, the refining value proposition for Japan, developing an ideal customer profile for Japanese corporates, designing and conducting experiments, customer interviews – why, who, when, how?, the art of negotiation and closing a deal, AMA session (legal, finance, hr), meeting the Aichi prefectural government, pitching to a Japanese audience, fundings in Japan and many more.

Itappit has been able to resonate with Japanese values and has been applauded for achieving its benchmark in the sustainable category. We have 1200+ users and have been able to save 2,40,000 paper business cards per year. There are around 23.6 billion cards exchanged globally in a year and Japan itself consumes 3 billion cards. Itappit stands as an all-in-one solution to prevent paper wastage and move towards comprehensive and contactless ways to connect.

We are thankful for the exposure we have got through the Accelerate Aichi by 500 Global Landing Pad Program. We are honored to be a part of this transformative process and are looking forward to exploring the entrepreneurial the potential of the region.