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Yuki Kobayashi, CEO of MESON, is pioneering a new era of spatial computing. With the advent of the Apple Vision Pro, he is developing "business entertainment experiences" as a new form of corporate presentation while simultaneously advancing a digital interior platform for general consumers as a new business venture. Rather than being technology-driven, he focuses on solving specific challenges and realizing his vision, aiming for global expansion leveraging Japan's strength in character IP. Looking ahead to full-scale market expansion beyond 2025, he is establishing a unique positioning in the XR space.
Could you tell us about your background and career history?
I'm Kobayashi from MESON. Originally, I was an engineer who studied network advertising in university and then software engineering in graduate school. During my student years, I gained experience through various startup internships as an engineer.
A turning point was Recruit's cross-America internship program. This experience sparked my interest in the startup industry and made me consider launching my own company.
Later, while still in graduate school, I experienced launching a business with a significant budget in Recruit's MTL (New Business Development Division). Although we withdrew after about a year and a half, it was a valuable experience.
So your business journey began with your experience at Recruit Co., Ltd. ?
Yes. I gained technical knowledge through various internships. However, my internship experience at Cookpad was particularly influential in shaping my direction.
At that time, Cookpad had extremely skilled engineers, and seeing them made me realize I couldn't compete as a pure engineer. They were passionate about engineering beyond just their work. However, I noticed there weren't many people who could bridge the gap between engineers and non-engineers.
Since I was good at communication and explanation, I thought I could leverage these strengths. That's why when I launched MESON, I started as COO rather than CTO.
Could you explain MESON's business overview?
I started the company right after graduating from graduate school. It began when a friend invited me to launch a startup in the AR space.
Initially, I wasn't particularly interested, but my perspective changed after seeing ARKit's announcement at Apple's WWDC in 2017. This software, which allowed easy creation of AR experiences on iPad and iPhone, demonstrated how a city could appear on a table when viewed through a tablet, with people walking and spaceships flying.
Until then, web and smartphone apps were confined to screens, making intuitive operation difficult. But with 3D expression technology, we could provide services in the real world beyond screen boundaries. Sensing this possibility, I decided to start my business in this field.
Currently, we focus on creating spatial experiences in collaboration with other companies, developing various applications.
How has your business evolved from the marketplace to your current focus?
While we were developing our own services, our main business now is corporate collaboration. For example, we've created content for experiencing Niantic's Peridot character on the Apple Vision Pro and developed presentation tools for Tokyo Gas's floating offshore wind power generation.
In the Tokyo Gas case, while it's impossible to bring actual floating offshore wind power generators to an exhibition hall, 3D representation allows people to experience their scale. We created a system where you can first view it in miniature from above, then expand it to real scale.
Currently, we're developing our business under the concept of "Business Entertainment." This aims to deliver corporate products and brand messages as entertaining experiences for deeper customer engagement.
In an age of information overload with increasingly complex products, traditional presentation methods have their limitations. Using the Apple Vision Pro enables highly immersive and impactful presentations. It's a more memorable experience than regular 2D slides, and has fewer space and time constraints compared to large displays or projectors. This is our service's strength.
Has the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro changed the market?
Yes, significantly. There are two main reasons we choose the Apple Vision Pro among other devices. First is its high level of immersion. It can create such a convincing illusion of presence that objects seem to actually exist in the space, easily achieving a sense of being in a completely different environment.
Second is its ease of use. While other devices require learning to operate controllers, the Vision Pro allows intuitive operation through eye tracking. This low barrier to entry is crucial.
Additionally, the Apple Vision Pro's launch has attracted interest from companies like Tokyo Gas and ITOCHU Corporation, with whom we previously had no connection with. Before the Apple Vision Pro, AR and spatial computing were distant technologies for many companies, but Apple's entry has significantly expanded the market.
What do you see as the challenges in spreading spatial computing?
To simply put it, I see two challenges: devices and use cases. Regarding devices, the Apple Vision Pro's price and weight remains a hurdle. However, these issues should resolve with the release of more affordable versions in the next year or two.
As for use cases, we face similar challenges as AI and blockchain. While the technology is excellent, we developers need to demonstrate concrete benefits for users and businesses. While we can't create hardware, we play a role in developing specific use cases on devices provided by platform companies.
While we're expanding in the B2B sector through "Business Entertainment," in B2C, we're developing a digital interior platform as a new business. This service allows users to customize spaces with digital interiors. When wearing the device, users can place applications like interior decorations in real spaces. We plan to offer this across multiple platforms including the Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest 3, and Android XR.
What's needed for Japanese XR companies to compete globally?
I believe Japan's strength lies in IP and digital character domains. Content that could only be expressed in 2D on smartphones can now be expressed in 3D, which aligns very well with Japanese content.
For example, in our digital interior platform, while targeting global users, we're also focusing on utilizing Japanese characters. We want to function as a channel for globally expanding Japanese character content.
Being in Japan makes it easier to collaborate with Japanese creators and content holders. Leveraging this advantage for global expansion - that's a strategy that makes use of our geographical advantage as a Japanese company.
What advice would you give to those considering entrepreneurship?
In the current situation, I don't feel there's much difference in risk between starting a business and working for a large company. Even seemingly stable companies can suddenly be acquired or fail. What's more important is choosing a role that suits you.
Looking back at 2024, what I felt I lacked most as a manager was "commitment" and "decisiveness." As an employee, your superiors make the final decisions. But as a manager, you must make final decisions yourself on even the smallest of matters. Being able to take that responsibility is an important quality for a manager.
Particularly important is the "decision to discard." You're forced to make decisions daily about discarding potential opportunities. Whether you can find enjoyment in this is crucial for entrepreneurs.
Could you share your future vision?
We aim to establish a position where we can "win without fighting." The XR field will see many companies entering in the future. As players increase, homogenization occurs, often leading to price competition. However, if we can establish our unique position, we can create an area where we can win without directly competing with others.
We believe 2025 to 2027 will be particularly crucial. With Google's entry and Apple's release of more affordable versions, device adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly. It's important to secure a position to ride this wave now. Waiting until 2028 will be too late. Whether we can achieve appropriate positioning at this timing will determine our future growth.
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