Biodata Bank (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which develops wearable devices to prevent heatstroke, and its subsidiary HEATVANCE (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) will launch in the summer of 2021. In collaboration with two major organizations for the protection of French construction workers, we have started demonstration tests throughout France. On August 6, one of our partners, the French Construction Industry Accident Prevention Organization (OPP-BTP), made an interim report on the demonstration experiment. 's anti-heatstroke watch is an innovative solution to prevent heatstroke, and the fact that many construction companies are participating in the experiment is a sign of their interest and expectations for the product."
Biodata Bank, founded in 2018, is a startup that develops wearable devices to prevent heat stroke, equipped with sensors that estimate core body temperature (temperature inside the body). The device developed by the company utilizes its own technology to monitor the core body temperature while notifying the wearer of when the risk of heat stroke has increased with an LED and a warning sound.
In 2019, it was adopted by the Ministry of the Environment as a "demonstration project related to the formulation of heatstroke prevention guidance" and was tested in seven countries, including Japan and France, with about 4,000 people, mainly construction workers. and started sales in Japan in 2020. In January 2020, it became the first Japanese company to move into Station F in France, the world's largest incubation facility.
Despite the headwinds of the "new coronavirus disaster", the company is actively working on overseas expansion based in France, and in June 2021, OPP-BTP, a major organization for the protection of construction workers, and construction The company has announced a partnership with a professional insurance organization (PRO-BTP), and this summer, it has started demonstration experiments of wearable devices throughout France.
These two organizations are nationwide organizations that French construction companies are members of. I'm joining. The 25 partners include construction giants Bouygues, Eiffage and Eurovia-Vinci. According to OPP-BTP and PRO-BTP, this is the first time the two groups have jointly supported startups.
Biodata Bank's CSO (Chief Global Strategy Officer) David Antoine Marinas said, "Our company is the first startup support case with PRO-BTP and OPP-BTP, and we have high expectations from the French side. I am very honored to be with them. I would like to make the most of this valuable partnership opportunity with these two organizations."
In addition, Takeshi Anzai, the company's CEO (CEO), said, "In 2020, heat waves will occur in India, and in 2021, heat waves will occur in western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the North American continent. The risk of this is spreading all over the world.We would like to take advantage of the track record and network we have built in France to expand our business to other countries around the world, starting from Europe."
The company's products have made great strides toward the start of sales in France, starting with this collaboration with major French organizations and companies, and are expected to expand beyond Europe to other parts of the world in the future.
As part of the company's expansion into Europe, JETRO has been providing support such as mentoring, partner search, and business matching as part of the "Global Acceleration Hub" project since 2019.
