Sony's Seed Acceleration Program, which seeks to fast-track promising new business ideas proposed by Sony employees into full-fledged businesses, is an important part of this effort.
Sony today announced "First Flight," the latest initiative from the Seed Acceleration Program. First Flight is a new online platform providing an extensive suite of services from crowdfunding to e-commerce in Japan. First Flight is intended to deliver experiences that move people emotionally through innovation. It will enable each start-up and their customers to share their ideas and inspiration ("co-vision"), and then jointly bring those ideas to fruition ("co-creation") through direct and interactive communication.
First Flight [Available in Japanese only
Outline of First Flight's vision:
Establish a platform for both crowdfunding and e-commerce
Preview new business proposals still in the planning phases
Facilitate ongoing dialogue with customers from initial development through to market introduction, by seamlessly connecting each phase from previewing and crowd funding, to e-commerce
Provide a key touch-point between early adopters keen to utilize new products or services and support new business projects
Through the First Flight platform, Sony will support the launch and growth of new business ventures. The platform will give nascent projects the opportunity to ascertain the actual needs of the market; realize a co-creation model of product development and improvement through direct dialogue with customers; and ensure timely sales operations that are also optimal for their business size.