By Anna Hrushka, Pacific Business News
Posted April 20, 2017, 2:20pm HST
TINA YUEN PBN. Chenoa Farnsworth said Blue Startups is trying to target different foreign markets with specific programs.
Blue Startups just announced the seven startups that will participate in its ninth cohort.
Hawaii’s Blue Startups hopes a new partnership with a Japanese accelerator will encourage entrepreneurs in the Asian country to submit applications to join one of its future cohorts.
The Honolulu-based accelerator, which just announced the seven startups that will participate in its ninth cohort, said a partnership with 01Booster will hopefully result in Japanese companies applying for and completed its program.
“Japan is a unique market, it’s pretty focused on Japan as opposed to globally,” said Chenoa Farnsworth, managing partner for Blue Startups. “We’ve received applications from other Asian countries like Korea and Singapore, China and the Philippines, but Japan hasn’t really jumped in the global startup scene in a big way. We’re hoping we can help them reach that.”
Like most accelerators in Japan, Farnsworth said 01Booster is backed by corporations.
“What we’re talking to them about is probably doing some joint programming in the fall, specifically for Japanese entrepreneurs and Japanese intrapreneurs.”
Farnsworth said the accelerator is looking at holding a weeklong program at Blue Startups’ Honolulu headquarters that would instruct Japanese startups on about how to do business in the U.S. and how to market to U.S. customers.
“We’re trying to leverage our expertise and really target different foreign markets with specific programs for them,” Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth said the partnership will be mutually beneficial, with 01Booster also offering its expertise to Blue Startups companies that want to expand into Japan.
Farnsworth said 01Booster will also help promote Blue Startups through its corporate partners.
Anna Hrushka
Reporter
Pacific Business News
