Sony Lays Groundwork for Internal Startups to Expand Business Overseas: Launches Hatsuhiko™ Test Marketing Platform to Ascertain Foreign Market Needs and Open Dialogue with Customers Outside Japan

Hatsuhiko will provide business ventures incubated in SAP with opportunities to ascertain market needs outside Japan, as well as the chance to develop/improve their products through direct communication with overseas customers. Based on their business needs, participating projects will conduct test marketing in select regions (from among 130 countries/regions worldwide), for a duration of their choosing. The projects will be able to utilize the feedback from customers to inform their plans for future full-scale business expansion overseas.

In conjunction with the launch of Hatsuhiko, the MESH™ project will begin accepting preorders in 32 countries across Europe from February 27 to March 31 (Japan Standard Time), to verify consumer needs.

For the Japanese market, in July 2015 Sony launched First Flight™, a platform offering crowdfunding and e-commerce services to enable startups and customers to share their ideas and inspiration ('co-vision') and then jointly bring those ideas to fruition ('co-creation'). First Flight has been a driver for startups to establish a strong foothold in Japan, as seen in the case of the wena™ project. This project uniquely brings to life the concept of 'wearing electronics naturally,' and after garnering record-setting support in Japan during its crowdfunding campaign, it is now successfully developing its business further.

Just as the name 'Hatsuhiko' (Japanese for 'first flight') implies, the platform is meant to provide the startups from SAP their first opportunity to take flight and travel beyond Japan's shores to the doors of customers overseas. Following the trajectory of First Flight in Japan, Hatsuhiko will support the continued growth of these projects by providing a new platform for 'co-vision' and 'co-creation' with customers around the globe.