Nutmeg raises approximately 500 million yen in pre-series B round

Nutmeg raises approximately 500 million yen in pre-series B round ​
NutmegLabs Japan Co., Ltd. Press release: February 27, 2025 Nutmeg raises approximately 500 million yen in pre-series B round Tourism DX platform “Nutmeg” has been adopted by 500 companies and distribution value has grown by over 350%, further expanding services NutmegLabs Japan Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Takashi Nakaguchi, Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), which provides the Tabinaka DX platform “Nutmeg” for tourism businesses in travel and leisure, is pleased to announce that it has raised approximately 500 million yen in pre-Series B funding.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/109188/18/109188-18-8f100006c31407d2164d43b3e9856000-1920×1280.png Funding overview Amount raised: 500 million yen Procurement method: Implemented through equity financing List of business partners • ALL STAR SAAS FUND • Coral Capital • Carbide Ventures • Rice Capital Latest business status “Nutmeg” provided by our company is a SaaS platform that frees tabinaka by promoting tourism DX and improving customer experience in tourism. In order to respond appropriately to inbound demand and resolve labor shortages in the industry, we provide an all-in-one service that can handle everything from sales to field operations. As a SaaS startup specializing in the tourism industry, it is a next-generation platform that supports the future of Japan’s tourism industry.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/109188/18/109188-18-dcbac65012707676bfa0d8919848cf31-1920×1280.png In the period of approximately 1 year and 6 months since the Series A announced in May 2023, we have achieved the following growth. ・Amount of circulation: Increased by more than 350% ・Number of businesses implementing the system: More than 500 companies ・NRR: 140% or more Traditionally, our main customers have been small businesses operating tours and activities, but we have also introduced it to large tourist facilities such as theme parks and resort hotels, as well as businesses responsible for transportation infrastructure such as buses, ferries, and sightseeing boats, and are supported by many tourism businesses that support tourism in Japan. This is because we not only provide a simple reservation and payment system, but also strengthen the earning power of tourism businesses by making combined use of new services announced in 2024, such as CRM, MA, digital maps, etc., and have been praised for its value as a platform that dramatically improves the customer experience in Tabinaka. On the other hand, we have also begun to develop operational services to solve the problems faced by tourism businesses suffering from labor shortages. There have been cases where the use of digital tickets has reduced admission work by more than 50% and ticketing management work by 80%. Use of proceeds The funds raised through this procurement will be used to develop Nutmeg and strengthen its sales structure. In service development, we will provide products that meet the diverse needs of tourism businesses by promoting multi-productization, and we will also use the latest technology including AI to develop
next-generation solutions to solve the labor shortage in the tourism industry. Regarding our sales structure, we will expand sales to new markets such as accommodation facilities, DMOs, and local governments, in addition to tourist facilities and transportation operators. In particular, the “digital map function” released in August 2024 has received high praise from new customer groups, and further market expansion is expected. By eliminating inefficiencies in the tourism field, our company aims to contribute to solving the serious labor shortage in the tourism industry and further promote inbound tourism in Japan. We will support the smooth reception of over 40 million foreign visitors to Japan, who are the key to revitalizing the Japanese economy, at the tourism business level, and provide services with the aim of realizing a “free tabinaka” where tourists from all over the world can enjoy more local experiences. Comments from new investors Carbide Ventures General Partner Kengo Horiuchi The tourism industry is currently in a market expansion phase against the backdrop of rapidly recovering inbound demand. In such an environment, Nutmeg has already achieved market penetration in the Japanese and Hawaiian markets and has established a solid competitive advantage as an all-in-one tourism DX platform. In particular, considering the fact that the online rate in the local experience market remains low, the expansion of the overall market is expected to further accelerate as DX progresses in the future. Among these, the platform provided by Nutmeg enables tourism businesses to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, and has great potential for future growth. Carbide Ventures will leverage our own knowledge of Treasure Data to support Nutmeg’s further growth from the perspective of optimizing data utilization and building a scale strategy. In particular, strengthening data-driven operations and marketing in the tourism industry is important for Nutmeg to increase its competitiveness, and this is an area where our experience can be greatly utilized. We look forward to contributing to the further revitalization of the tourism industry based on Nutmeg’s vision. Rice Capital Representative Partner Taro Fukuyama We are confident in the future of Nutmeg, which provides an all-in-one SaaS platform for tourism operators in the midst of a very large and rapidly growing market, the tourism industry. I’m really looking forward to the future of starting from Japan and expanding globally with a focus on America. I look forward to leveraging all of my experience in SaaS and global expansion to contribute to Nutmeg’s success. Comments from existing investors ALL STAR SAAS FUND Senior Partner Masayuki Minato Since we invested in Series A in 2023, Nutmeg has made remarkable progress as Tabinaka’s tourism DX platform. As an all-in-one tourism SaaS, in addition to a number of functions that help tourism operators improve their business efficiency, we also offer digital map functions that improve the local experience of visitors.We are expanding rapidly in Japan, Hawaii, and the mainland United States globally, and are rapidly growing. We are also accelerating the hiring of professionals with extensive experience in IT and tourism business, evolving into the strongest team in tourism DX. We are confident that Nutmeg will establish itself as a leading company in the tourism market, which is expected to continue to grow rapidly. Coral Capital Founding Partner CEO James Riney By December 2024, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan will reach 36.86 million, setting a new record. The government aims to double this number by 2030. This goal is not unrealistic. In 2023, France received 100 million foreign tourists, Italy 60 million and Turkey 49 million. With Asia’s economic growth, travel within the region will become increasingly active. In fact, more than 70% of tourists visiting Japan come from Asia. Nutmeg captures this trend and offers a SaaS solution that allows tourism operators to centrally manage their website, reservations, payments, and more. We are excited to invest in Nutmeg to capitalize on this huge opportunity for growth. Comments from Representative Director Takashi Nakaguchi We are very happy that our new service to promote the digitalization of Tabinaka has been supported not only by local experience operators such as activities and sightseeing experiences, but also by people from various sectors and industries in the tourism industry. In order to expand our services in the future, we need to simultaneously expand existing services and new services, and we have received support from new and existing investors to significantly strengthen recruitment. We intend to work together as one to support DX, which fundamentally supports Japan, which is booming with inbound demand. Information on recruitment events, etc. 1) Startup Aquarium We will be participating in “Startup Aquarium”, Japan’s largest startup career fair. We also have a place where you can talk directly and casually with Nutmeg employees, so please join us. ▼Details Date and time: Saturday, March 15, 2025 Location: Toranomon Hills Forum About interviews: After purchasing a participation ticket, you can set up a casual interview in advance. Startup Aquarium details:
https://coralcap.co/startup-aquarium/ 2) Recruitment event sponsored by our company We are planning an event hosted by our company on April 11, 2025. ▼Details ・Date and time: Friday, April 11, 2025 ・Location: Coral Beach ・Contents: Overview of Nutmeg’s challenge of Tabinaka DX, solving problems in the tourism industry using AI (dialogue with investors planned), discussion with key members, social gathering ・How to apply: Our website
(https://event.ntmg.jp/products/cbe24a9c-13c1-5ca8-b263-d52d68177fa6
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/109188/18/109188-18-6879bda06393395dbaeecd5f0728b6ed-1920×1080.png What is the tourism DX platform “Nutmeg”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/109188/18/109188-18-4abcde3b45276c693f8650d8c39b0deb-1920×1280.png “Nutmeg” is an all-in-one tourism DXSaaS platform for tourism businesses. You can easily set up an online reservation site exclusively for tourism businesses, digitizing traditional counter sales and telephone reservations. This will streamline sales operations, inventory management, and reservation management operations, and will make on-site admission management and
participation management smoother. Furthermore, by leveraging digital map functionality, you can enrich the on-site experience for visitors and increase satisfaction. These features allow tourism operators to overcome severe labor shortages and increase sales. Since the service began in 2021, the number of companies that have introduced Nutmeg has exceeded 500, and its introduction is accelerating in popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto, Okinawa, and Hawaii. Our company aims to realize a “free tabinaka” where tourists from all over the world can enjoy more local experiences, and by eliminating inefficiencies in the tourism field, we will support the smooth reception of more than 40 million foreign visitors to Japan, who are the key to revitalizing the Japanese economy. About NutmegLabs Japan Co., Ltd. Company name: NutmegLabs Japan Co., Ltd. Location: 1-6-5 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Representative: Representative Director: Takashi Nakaguchi Business content: Development and provision of DX platform for tourism businesses Founded: April 2018 Company HP: https://ntmg.jp