A partial list of PRAG's direct investments and/or
international strategic alliances PRAG arranged |
US
Companies |
|
Archetype Interactive Corp- Developer
of Internet-based, client-server based, 3D MUD (Multiple User
Dimension) game (first title was "Meridian 59").
Archetype had proprietary very fast movable 3D engine across
the Internet. PRAG's invested its own money in 20 % of the
stake ownership (Second round financing, January, 1996). Mr.
Miyagawa joined the board. Arranged licensing agreement with
Fujitsu-Niftyserve in 1996. Two months later, Archetype got
acquired by The 3DO. |
|
MyPoints.com www.mypoints.com
As a founding advisor, PRAG arranged second round preferred
stock financing and licensing agreement with Dai Nippon Printing
http://www.dnp.co.jp/eng/corporate/data.html
(the world's largest printing company) in April, 1997. PRAG
helped both parties create a joint venture, MyPoints.com Japan
(Dai Nippon Printing 83 %, MyPoints.com USA 17 %) in 1998.
On August 20, 1999, MyPoints.com went public on the NASDAQ
NMS (stock ticker: MYPT) and got acquired by United Airlines in 2001.
|
Access Authority (formerly TerraCom)
US long distance callback service provider. Instead of focusing
Japanese corporate customers (who are stick to the service
level agreement than low prices), PRAG advised that the Japanese
distributor dedicate to Japanese Brazilian migrant workers
who are tightly knit one another and spend $ 150 a month on
calling Brazil. At that time, Japan's PTTI was offering the
most expensive calling rate in terms of calling to Brazil.
Also advised that they create the call center where all sales
and customer service agents are Brazilian and that they carefully
follow up outstanding payment in order to decrease bad debts
or prevent payment delay as far as possible. In one year since
a launch in 1996, they acquired 20,000 customers and total
annual sales in 1997 reached $ 36 million and kept this revenue
size upto 1999.
The Big Network- Originally, it was an internet-based
gaming aggregator and then refocused business model (after
December, 1999) to revenue-sharing model based on live-chat
technology. This was being used at e-commerce and e-entertainment
community portal sites. PRAG participated in Series A financing
in 1998 and Draper Richards L.P further invested in April,
1999. PRAG also arranged licensing agreement with Takarajima,
Japan's 6th largest publisher in 1999, The Big Network was
acquired by eUniverse, a network of entertainment focused
commerce and community in August, 2000. eUniverse was renamed
to InterMix Media in 2003. InterMix Media went public
on AMEX in November, 2004 (stock ticker:MIX) and then was further acquired by Fox
Interactive in 2005. |
ArtistOne.com: B2B portal site among
the US music industry business participants such as "branded"
artists, tour agencies, sales promotion companies and music
labels. PRAG secured $ 1.5 million Series B financing from
TransCosmos America, a Japan-related venture capital in January,
2001. |
Japanese companies
Recent US Entry/Test Marketing projects for
Japanese companies (2002 forward)
|
A Japanese public BI (Business Intelligence)
software vendor: Conducted test marketing in the states and
arranged a Pilot Program with Tenneco Automotive, a US auto
parts manufacturer. (2004-2005)
A Japanese mobile related software developer. Conducted test
marketing in the states. (Exhibited products and technology
at the trade shows and gave presentations at a few mobile
tech forums; 2002-2005).
Last,
PRAG has been retained by Japanese big companies who are
interested in acquiring US unique technology and business
platform. PRAG
has conducted extensive market research on the potential US
partners for a wide variety of Japanese established
companies. (1995-2006)
|
|
|