About

Open Innovation

Discovering Technological Foundations to Build New Business Pillars

The Open Innovation Platform, made possible by the Internet, has not only encompassed business opportunities in software but to fields such as hardware, biotechnology, and other rapidly evolving fields. As forefronts in the wave of technological advancements- Digital Garage, Kakaku.com, and KDDI have collaborated to found “DG Lab”. Synergistic collaboration with portfolio companies all over the world, allows for DG Lab to create high-level products and services; with a focus on 5 core technologies: Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Security, Cross Reality (xR) and BioHealth. DG Lab hopes to create a “Bauhaus* of Technology” in which leading engineers and designers driven by Design x Data x Technology, could actively discuss, debate and create a global platform.

*Bauhaus. Art school in Weimar, Germany founded in 1919 which combined Art and Architecture its curriculum. Throughout the years of operation, gave birth to a new art movement with profound influence from fine arts, architecture, photography and design.

Kaoru Hayashi

林　郁

President and Group CEO, Digital Garage, Inc.
Chairman & Director, Kakaku.com, Inc.

DG Lab, an R&D organization jointly operated by Digital Garage, Kakaku.com, and KDDI, aims to nurture new business pillars from technological seeds with the goal of creating innovative businesses. It has achieved results in basic research in the areas of Blockchains, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cross Reality (xR), Security, and BioHealth. In the future, we will make full-scale efforts to develop specific products and services. Rather than simply pursuing short-term earnings, we will work with our business partners to create a series of core businesses that are useful to society from a global perspective.

Masahito Okuma

大熊　将人

Board of Directors, Senior Executive Officer
in charge of DG Lab
Digital Garage, Inc.

Concept Movie

Fields

Developing New Technology Platforms for a Wide Range of Social Infrastructures

The development of a platform for Blockchain technology is in progress. In collaboration with Blockstream, a prominent Blockchain technology company, the all-purpose framework for creating unique cryptocurrency through Blockchain “DG Lab DVEP”TM was developed. This framework can be used in various distributed ledger systems such as points exchange system and local digital currency. A similar framework for auto-executing smart contracts and smart assets is also under development.

Inventing Next-gen Services that Coexist with Humans and Enrich the World

We are engaged in research and development of novel services that create new value in our lives and businesses by exploring and solving apparent and latent real problems in individuals/societies with artificial intelligence technologies.
We are tackling challenging projects such as a platform that acquires insights of common senses and user behaviors from huge volume of structured and unstructured data, an agent services that propose daily lifestyle improvement in areas such as medical, healthcare, fashion, and gourmet.

Creating a New Experience Unifying the Physical and Digital World

Foreseeing the era that merges online and offline worlds, we provide new experiences that seamlessly unify the physical world and the digital world. We promote digital transformation in various segments, such as developing VR / AR / MR technologies for 5G / 6G environments, optimizing shopper and employee experiences in retail stores utilizing sensors, and recommending a suitable travel information based on individual preferences.
We also conduct demonstration experiments and service implementation with companies and local governments to realize smart cities.

Developing Solutions for Secure Data Utilization between Multiple Organizations

We focus on technologies that enable secure data utilization between multiple companies by protecting companies’ privacy from each other.
Secure computation technology, such as MPC (Multi-Party Computation) technology allows companies to securely combine and analyze their own sensitive information such as personal information and trade secrets with other companies. In addition, we are developing PUF (Physically Unclonable Function) technology to validate the correctness of data.
We aim for social implementation of these technologies that have synergies with other fields such as data analysis and artificial intelligence.

Providing Seamless Healthcare Services Utilizing Personal Health Data

By providing a platform and services that utilize personal health data, we aim to realize personalized healthcare services that seamlessly connect health promotion, prevention and treatment. We are working with corporations and startups that have novel technologies and services that could change the future of healthcare.

Highly qualified team of researchers and engineers each specifically assigned to one of DG Lab’s 5 core themes. With research branches in Tokyo, San Francisco, New York, Boston gather knowledge and know how globally to output findings and solutions.

FUND

The Fund that Targets Promising Startups in the 5 Focus Areas

By understanding the diverse startup scene and technological trends through the collaboration of DG Lab, the focus of this fund is to decide and invest in promising startups in the respective areas.

*This website is not intended to offer any investment operation services and specific operation products. Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group are not calling for any participation of DG Lab Fund through this website.

Media

The Media that Emphasizes Cutting Edge Technology

By producing cutting edge technology and businesses related content for users who are full of intellectual curiosity, this is how DG Lab’s brand will permeate. With an emphasis on DG Lab’s five focus areas, media, and the environment, news on global open innovation and industry leaders’ vision of the future will be shared.