There's no playbook for greenfield expansion into the US for Asian SaaS companies

Sandy Kimura is the Corporate Development Lead for Money Forward, a Japanese company focused on expanding its market into the US. With a background in multiple countries, including Japan, the US, and Hong Kong, Sandy brings a unique perspective to his role. He has experience working for companies like Sony and Rakuten before joining Money Forward. Sandy's mission is to find great startups to invest in and become a long-term partner, helping Money Forward expand globally.

Watch the episode here: Sandy Kimura interview

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Sandy Kimura, the Corporate Development Lead for Money Forward, joins the Silicon Jungle Chronicles podcast to discuss his experience in expanding Japanese companies into the US market. Sandy shares his observations about startups in Asia and Japan compared to those in the US, highlighting the challenges of expanding globally. He also discusses the differences in go-to-market strategies, software stacks, and customer onboarding between Japan and the US. Sandy shares his insights on the future of technology, including the role of AI and the importance of distribution in scaling a business.

Key Takeaways:

• Japanese startups often focus on the domestic market, which can limit their ability to expand globally.

• The use of AI in Japanese companies can be a challenge, as many rely on global software but have documentation and content written in Japanese.

• Japanese companies value in-person meetings and prefer a more hands-on approach to onboarding, which can impact scalability.

• The success of a Japanese startup in the US market often requires a combination of product-led growth (PLG) and sales-led growth (SLG) strategies.

• Understanding the needs of customers in the US market and building a product-market fit is crucial for successful expansion.

Resources:

Money Forward home page