Japan-based marketing firm Dentsu and its advertising business, Information Services International-Dentsu (ISID), have established a US-based joint venture focusing on software engineering and minimum viable product development.
Dentsu Innovation Studio (DIS) will help its clients’ business development and innovation through emerging technologies, leveraging the industry know-how and network of Dentsu’s existing open innovation schemes: research and development (R&D) group Dentsu Innovation Initiative and corporate venturing arm Dentsu Ventures, the latter of which was formed in 2015.
DIS will replace the San Francisco branch of ISID America, a regional business consulting and development subsidiary of ISID that has been promoting R&D efforts on behalf of Japan-based companies in Silicon Valley.
Yu Hirayama (pictured), a general partner for Dentsu Ventures, will oversee DIS as president and chief executive while Kazuya Komon, vice-president of R&D at ISID America, will be its chief operating officer.
The new company has specialised groups in areas including business development, design, software engineering and data analysis that will explore business trends, identify local partners, build software tools and carry out proofs of concepts.
– Photo of Yu Hirayama courtesy of Dentsu Ventures
