日本で勢いづく6つのウェブサービス・カテゴリと注目されるスタートアップ・ライバルたち
ウェブ系スタートアップにとって競合の存在は決して煙たいだけのものではない。サービスが溢れ、コンセプトがニッチになればなるほど、そのカテゴリに参入してくるプレーヤーが少なくなる。
For a web start-up, the presence of competitors is not just annoying. When there are many services and concepts find their niche, there are fewer players entering that category.
Existence of competitors is not just unwanted environment of start up companies for Web related business. The more services overflow and the more concepts go nicher, the few players come into its category.
もし参入プレーヤーが自分一人だけだったら、それは全くニーズが無いか、大発見のいずれかだ。絶妙なのは主要プレーヤーが3つぐらい、それにコピーキャットが続くという状況だろう。近年だと共同購入クーポンやソーシャルゲームはまさにそれだった。
そして今、いくつかのウェブサービス・カテゴリでまたこのような状況が起こりつつある。あるプレーヤーが新機能をリリースすれば、次の日にライバルがそれをパクる。事業提携、引き抜き、買収。スタートアップにとっては熾烈な戦いだが、この切磋琢磨が結果的に利用ユーザーに還元され、市場が盛り上がるのは結構なことだ。
本稿では注目度の高まる6つのカテゴリについて主要プレーヤーと過去の取材記事を挙げながら整理してみようと思う。
In this article, I will talk about principal players in the six categories getting attention looking at the past articles.
I am going to arrange this article about growing 6 categories while detailing major players and presenting passed articles.
ラウンド1/ECプラットフォーム:STORES.jp vs BASE
これを書きたかっただけと言われてもおかしくないほど、両サービスの成長は激しく、日々サービスの質が高まっていると感じられる。競合が良い影響を与える好例ではないだろうか。
両社には急成長の裏に潜むトラブルについても聞いた。
Maybe you may say I wanted to write about this only, as both services have been growing rapidly, and it feels that the quality of their services is increasing every day. This is a good example of a good result of competition.
I asked both companies about the danger behind a rapid growth.
You may think that I just want to write this, anyway growth of both service is prominent and it seems that thier quality of service is being enhanced day by day. This might be a good example of positive effect on competition.
We also heard both firms about troubles behind rapid growth.
ラウンド2/スマートフォン+ファッション:iQON vs Origami vs MONOCO vs Fril
iQONはメディア、Origamiはコマース、コンシェルジュのMONOCO、C2CのFrilとサービスは微妙に違うが、全て「ファッション」と「スマートフォン」を共通のキーワードにして、投資家などから高い注目を浴びているのが特徴だ。しかもこの分野はさらにプレーヤーが参入を準備しているという情報もあり、さらなる盛り上がりが期待される。
iQON for media, Origami for commerce, concierge is MONOCO and Fril for C2C, their services have subtle difference each other, however, investors are paying distinct and high attention through key-word of “fashion” and “Smart Phone”. In addition, it is said that there might be some other players providing to enter this field, giving expectation for more upsurge.
iQONとMONOCOについてはこのような考察もしている。
ラウンド3/クラウドソーシング:CrowdWorks vs Lancers
プラットフォームのコンセプトが微妙に違う両者だが、共に幅広い仕事を取り扱うことで日本という国の「働き方」のあり方を変えられる可能性を持っている点が、他の単カテゴリ・マッチングサービスやコピーキャットとの違いだと感じている。
Round 3 / Crowdsourcing : CrowdWorks vs Lancers
The concept of platform slightly differs among those two. However, both are different form other matching services for a single category or copycats in light of their cover of wider range of works which could change "the working style" in Japan.
Round 3 / Crowdsourcing: CrowdWorks vs Lancers
Their concepts of the platforms are slightly different. But I feel that both have a potential to change the concept of “the way people work” in Japan, which differentiates them from other category matching services and copycats.
ラウンド4/ペイメント:Coiney vs 楽天スマートペイやPaypal here
ここは相手がスタートアップではない、という点で他のカテゴリよりも熾烈だ。ただ、Coineyの取材時に感じたのは、巨大資本と真っ正面から勝負をするような戦略は取っていない、ということだった。詳しくはインタビュー記事をご一読頂きたい。
[他にも盛り上がりを見せているカテゴリやライバル関係があればぜひコメントなどで教えて欲しい。]
This category shows fiercer competition than other categories, given that players are not startups.
I perceived through an interview by Coiney that they don't opt strategies to directly face with gigantic corporates. For the further information, I'd like you to have a look upon the interview article.
[If you know other hot categories or rivalies, please let me know though comments.]
In this category competition is more fierce as players are no startups. But, what I felt when I covered Coiney is that it’s strategy is not to compete head on with the giants. Read the interview article for details.
[If if you know other categories or rivalries that are hot, please let me know by leaving comments or by some other ways.]
ラウンド5/クラウドファンディング:CAMPFIRE vs READYFOR? vs COUNTDOWN
何かと話題の多いCAMPFIREは先日最高額となる600万円以上を集めることに成功したが、海外サービスと比較するとまだまだパンチが足りない。スタートが一番早いREADYFOR?は他のプラットフォームに比較して寄付やNPOといった社会活動に寄ったテイストが差別化に繋がっている。話題づくりやマスへの拡大がキーか。
CAMPFIRE vs READYFOR? vs COUNTDOWN
CAMPFIRE, which gathers attention with a variety of topics, managed to raise funds by more than 6 million yen, the highest until now. But, it's not impactful enough to be compatible with oversea players. READYFOR? started up in the earliest timing and has differentiated from other platforms with a tendency for social contribution such as donations and NPOs. It might be critical how much it can generate news and expose itself to media.
Much talked about CAMPFIRE successfully raised a record Yen 6 million recently. But compared with foreign counterparts it lacks the punch. Compared with other platforms READYFOR?, which was launched earlier than others, has a taste for social activities such as donation and NPO, resulted in enabling it to differentiate itself from others. What it needs might be to create buzz and gain mass traction.
ラウンド6/ニューステクノロジー:SmartNews vs Gunosy vs Vingow
ここは相当面白い。なぜなら他のカテゴリに比較して圧倒的なテクノロジー勝負だからだ。SmartNewsは全員がほぼ同じ情報を見ている点で他の二つと違い、パーソナライズドのコンセプトは似ているGunosyとVingowだが、Vingowはリアルタイムに情報が更新される点でまとめ配信のGunosyとやはり違いがある。それぞれ組み合わせて使う人も多いだろう。
This field is so interesting, because it's competition is highly depending on technology much more than other categories.
SmartNews shows all users almost same information, differentiating from other two players. The concept of personalization is common among Gunosy and Vingow. But Vingow offers users with real time update of information which is different from Gunosy, that updates information by batches. Many users would utilize both depending on occasion.
This is an extremely interesting category. Because, unlike other categories, technologies play an overwhelmingly important role in the competition. SmartNews differs from the others in that all of its users see almost the same information. Gunosy and Vingow are similar in their concept of personalization, but Vingow differs from Gunosy, which aggregates information, in that Vingow updates information real time. Probably many people use them by combing them differently.
さて、本当はC2Cプラットフォームも入れたかったのだがここはチケット販売のようなニッチがさらに複雑に集まっているので、機会があれば別途まとめてみたいと思う。
また、カメラアプリやカジュアルゲームなどは数が沢山あるものの、マネタイズやビジネスモデルが追いついていないものは相対的に盛り上がりに欠ける印象がある。つまり商売になってるかどうか、数字があるかどうかというのは人を熱くさせる要素だと強く感じる。
Besides, there are lot of camera applications or casual games, but they lack monetization and concept of business model, making them less newsy. Above all, I would say that it excites people that the platforms have established businesses with firm figures.
In addition, although there are a lot of app for camera or casual games, they have relatively grim impression in their products which have outdated moneytizing or business models. Namely whether it is profitable or not, and whether it is sold many or not seems determing factor to attract people.