Transreport and Rainmaking Expand have announced their collaboration to bring Transreport’s accessibility technology platform to the Japanese market to support disabled and older passengers navigate transportation.
After successful Proofs of Concept with leading Japanese railway companies, Transreport is now looking to invest in new innovations and expand its operations to Japan and the Asia Pacific region.
Osaka, Japan, Friday, 13 January, 2023 – Rainmaking Expand and Transreport, are excited to announce their collaboration to enable and accelerate the entry of Transreport into the Japanese market.
Transreport is a one-of-a-kind transportation accessibility service that can manage requests for assistance, reservations and communication with station staff in a timely and efficient manner so that disabled and older passengers can travel smoothly on trains in the UK. After launching the service and the supporting app in 2020, it is now used by all railway operators across the UK, and utilised by more than 200,000 passengers.
Transreport has completed successful Proofs of Concept (PoCs) in 2021-2022 with leading Japanese railway companies in Osaka, Japan during the Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka program operated by Rainmaking Expand. Through these PoCs, Transreport validated the demand in the Japanese market, successfully proving the need and opportunity for their accessibility technology to solve both disability and ageing population challenges when utilising railway transportation within Japan.
Transreport aims to create a society in which the disabled and older population are able to travel smoothly and comfortably. They aim to expand their accessibility support platform first through Japan via collaborations with all transportation networks including railways, and then further to the Asia Pacific region.
Currently, Japan estimates to have over 5 million disabled people (4.3% of the total population), and over 36 million elderly people (29.1% of the total population), all of whom can benefit from the extra support that a dedicated and streamlined system offers.
After successfully deploying their technology with all major railway companies in the UK, Transreport aspired to continuously improve their product and enable more of the world’s population to travel. Inspired by the powerful and efficient infrastructure of the Japanese railways, as well as the increasing need for disability support in Japan, Transreport approached the Japanese market to expand their business as well as improve their product. With the successful conclusion and positive results of the PoCs within Japan, Transreport has decided to continue working with Rainmaking in order to rapidly expand in the Japanese market by solving some of the key challenges in transportation faced by disabled and older people.
Brian Lim, Head of Programs at Rainmaking said, “Our Rainmaking Expand program is our flagship market expansion program dedicated to driving value for the mature, later-stage companies we work with and the wider community to fulfil the growth aspirations of founders globally. We recognise that in order for companies and startups to achieve entrepreneurship at scale, we must create the commercial opportunities to scale rapidly and bullet-proof companies’ go-to-market strategies. Transreport is one of the stellar companies emerging from the Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka program, and we are excited to be entrusted with their next phase of market entry into Japan. With this project, we will leverage our entrepreneurial DNA, heritage and track record to enable Transreport’s success in the Japanese market by working closely with Japanese corporates to open new doors and resolve challenges that the disabled and older passengers face when travelling in Japan.”
Jay Shen, Managing Director of Transreport said, “Japan has arguably one of the best railway systems in the world, yet train companies in Japan, like many around the world, are facing increasing challenges in providing assistance services. The PoCs with Japanese railway companies has proven that our technology will help operators to enhance operational efficiency, reduce cost, uplift revenue, and most importantly increase customer satisfaction. Rainmaking has played a pivotal role in the successful PoCs, their approach and knowledge of the Japanese market, business culture, and professionalism really impressed us.”
Transreport, as the leading provider for accessibility technologies for transportation services in the UK, and its innovative and intuitive platform, is bringing their powerful suite of tools to Japanese customers. Transreport is now looking to take their platform to the next level by investing in new innovations and expanding its operations to Japan, followed by the rest of the Asia Pacific region. They are open to meeting with transportation companies and key players in related industries to discuss collaboration opportunities including strategic partnerships.
About Rainmaking Innovation Rainmaking was founded in 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark as one of the earliest Venture Studios globally. Our global footprint spans over 35 cities in APAC, MENA, Europe and North America, with Singapore, the Asia Pacific headquarters established in 2015. The company has built, fostered and invested in over 1,000 technology startups to date, and its Startupbootcamp and Rainmaking Expand accelerator programs have helped startups scale and enter new markets while focusing on commercial outcomes.
The Rainmaking Expand program enables access to customised support, in-market experts, access to networks and expert assistance on best practices for market entry regardless of their maturity or industrial sector.
Transreport was founded in 2016 with a simple vision to democratise transport. Through smart technologies, passengers’ issues, concerns, and requirements are instantly presented to train operators, quite simply, for a better journey. Transreport provides the latest technologies to allow transport operators to better understand the needs of their passengers. The company is working to influence change, believing that every opinion matters and that passengers should have a voice.
