RONGO
Live stream shopping application for discovering products.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor | €0.0 | round |
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
JPY18.4m | Seed | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
株式会社RONGO (RONGO, Inc.) operates a next-generation live commerce platform, RONGO LIVE, designed to connect businesses directly with consumers in Japan. The company was founded on February 25, 2020, by CEO Taiki Kageyama. In a seed funding round on December 11, 2020, RONGO raised 18.35 million JPY from AZ Fund 2020 Investment Limited Partnership to accelerate the development and promotion of its platform.
RONGO LIVE provides a mobile application for both iOS and Android that enables businesses to showcase their products through live video streams. This format allows for real-time interaction, where viewers can ask questions via anonymous comments and receive immediate feedback, bridging the gap between online and in-person shopping. The platform is built on the philosophy of "to learn, to polish," aiming to let consumers understand the stories behind products while enabling businesses to refine their offerings based on direct customer feedback. Key features include in-app purchasing and an archive function that allows sales from previously recorded streams, addressing a common limitation in e-commerce.
The business model targets both BtoC and DtoC markets, with a focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises across various sectors like fashion, food, and cosmetics. RONGO offers comprehensive support, from broadcasting assistance to logistics, helping businesses build their own fan communities. To further this, the company has formed strategic partnerships, such as with the announcer group 'Joshi Ana 47,' to leverage professional communication skills for promoting regional products. Revenue is generated through a combination of an initial setup fee and a monthly subscription, plus sales commissions.
Keywords: live commerce, live shopping, mobile commerce, DtoC, BtoC, e-commerce platform, video shopping, social commerce, interactive commerce, direct-to-consumer, SME e-commerce, Japanese market, retail tech, customer engagement, online retail, product storytelling, mobile application, startup, Taiki Kageyama