【Series】JIC VGI investee startup's DE&I Vol.1 QibiTech Inc.

JIC Group has been actively promoting DE&I with the belief that DE&I helps us utilize diverse points of view, trigger innovation, and strengthen competitiveness. To promote DE&I in the Japanese fund sector and startup ecosystem, JIC officially announced its position on DE&I in July 2023, and since then has been implementing a variety of initiatives, including the introduction in December 2024 of a DE&I Promotion Policy describing why JIC Group promotes DE&I and its DE&I Goals. This series features JIC VGI portfolio companies that demonstrate the practical application of DE&I principles through: advanced initiatives that empower diverse talents regardless of gender, nationality, or disability; support employees seeking to balance work and childcare; or promote unique careers or ways of working. Interviews also include comments from JIC VGI venture capitalists.

Realizing equal employment opportunities through a workplace with diversity and team management

QibiTech is in the business of robot remote control services and robot development in pursuit of a diversified way of working. The company’s growth has been backed by a team management system, employees from many countries, and a female CEO who is keenly aware of the value of diversity.

Please describe QibiTech’s business.

Marika Hayashi CEO Our businesses are contract robot development for automation and productivity improvement at manufacturing and logistics sites and HATS (Highly Autonomous Teleoperation Service), a package-type robot introduction support service using remote control systems. The company name comes from “qibi,” a Japanese term meaning “subtleties of the heart.” We hope that robot technology will not only make society more convenient, but also contribute to minimizing unhappiness and helping people enrich their hearts.

How did you find out about JIC VGI?

Hayashi We became aware of JIC VGI when we were in a pivotal phase – improving product quality, expanding sales, and entering into the contract development business. I understand that JIC VGI decided to invest in us because they grasped the value of our robot technology, and appreciated its potential to address the social issue of labor shortage in a variety of businesses.

Yuki Kuwabara, venture capitalist, JIC VGI QibiTech is an “expert squad” that has successfully developed robots for prominent companies and research institutions. HATS, the solution developed by experts who fully understand robots, reached the cutting edge for robots for social implementation, and were still trying to realize practical automation and productivity improvements in the field in collaboration with people working remotely, which led to our investment decision.

Was HATS developed to support a diversified way of working and equal employment opportunities?

Hayashi HATS is a robot remote control system. Since it is difficult to fully operate robots automatically in environments with obstacles, this technology enables people to rely on robots in a semi-automated way. Promoting remote operation of robots will create more opportunities for employment as robot operators, enabling people from emerging countries to work for production sites in developed countries without having to relocate. I would like to contribute to equal employment opportunities that transcend barriers such as location and physical ability.

You have been making an effort to achieve workplace diversity, and currently some 40 percent of your employees are foreign nationals. Do you have any specific initiatives?

Hayashi As part of our initiatives, we revised our performance evaluation system for foreign employees. Our clients are mainly Japanese companies that need to negotiate with native Japanese speakers, and non-Japanese employees found it difficult to broaden their career horizons. To address this issue, we adopted a performance evaluation system that weighs internal communication and client communication equally. In addition, we have been trying to make our workplace comfortable for senior employees by introducing remote work; the retirement age is relatively high at 70, and our oldest employee is in their mid-70s.

As an example of flexibility in the workplace, 85 percent of employees, including yourself, often work from home. How have employees responded to this initiative?

Hayashi Many employees, both men and women, enjoy a work style centered on remote work. I’m also aware that flexibility in terms of both work style and work environment can have a positive impact on hiring because it encourages employees to look beyond their age and nationality. In fact, remote work makes it possible for employees raising children and older employees to balance work and life or continue to work. Foreign employees can also feel comfortable because text-based management lowers the language barrier.

How has diversity in the workplace had a positive impact?

Hayashi Since changing the performance evaluation system to accommodate foreign employees, we are becoming more aware about fairness for any attribute. I believe that employee diversity helps build a culture that can encourage everyone to participate in improving the system. I will continue to manage the company in a way that places priority on inclusion.

Have you faced any challenges as a female entrepreneur?

Hayashi After founding the company, I felt that there were not many female entrepreneur role models. But entrepreneurship is completely different from pretending to be someone. I decided that being a female entrepreneur could be an advantage because people would remember me. My biggest challenge was when I had a child a few years after I founded the company and I had to work very limited hours. I chose to have a child. But I had to seriously consider whether I could actually do that. I have been able to continue managing the company because other management members have taken care of on-site tasks while I mainly work from home.

Kuwabara I can’t imagine hearing a male entrepreneur say that they considered giving up having a child. These challenges facing women who want to start a business should be tackled. What kind of support did you need?

Hayashi I am very lucky to have colleagues who accepted my decision and have offered support; a lot of female entrepreneurs may be not be in a position to become a parent. I hope that my experience will not be rarity in the startup community, and that we will be able to talk about life plans, including having children.