DFP × Yamaha Motor × WASSHA × PHALs | Building Businesses in Emerging Markets
Double Feather Partners is bringing together three business leaders with direct operating and investment experience in emerging markets for a panel discussion in Tokyo on Thursday, 3 September 2026.
The session will bring together perspectives from Yamaha Motor, WASSHA and PHALs / Phil Company, with a focus on the practical realities of building businesses in emerging markets.
The Speakers
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Hiroshi Matsumoto, General Manager, New Business Development
WASSHA Inc.
Satoshi Akita, CEO. WASSHA recently entered mobility finance through its acquisition of Kenya based ZARIBEE.
PHALs / Phil Company
Nobuaki Takahashi, Representative Director / Chairman
The discussion will be moderated by our CEO, Kohei Muto.
From Market Potential to Business Reality
Rather than focusing on the size of emerging markets or their long term potential, the conversation will explore what it actually takes to build and operate a business on the ground.
The panel will look at the practical costs of establishing operations, the assumptions that often prove incorrect during the early stages of market entry, and the challenges that emerge when companies move from an initial concept to a functioning business.
We will also discuss how companies can move from a business model built around addressing a social challenge towards a commercially sustainable operation where the focus ultimately becomes the same as any other business: customers, revenue, costs and profitability.
Connecting Japanese Businesses with Emerging Markets
The discussion reflects a broader opportunity for Japanese companies looking to expand into emerging markets.
Successful market entry requires more than identifying an attractive sector. Companies need to understand local customers, operating environments, talent, regulations, financing and the realities of building a sustainable business.
The experiences of the three speakers provide perspectives from different points along that journey, from new business development and operating businesses in emerging markets to investment and corporate growth.
Event Details
Thursday, 3 September 2026
17:00 to 19:00 JST
Tokyo Innovation Base, Marunouchi
Free admission
50 seats available
Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gN5cER3w
Part of GlobalXpander Tokyo
The session is part of GlobalXpander Tokyo, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government programme supporting technology companies seeking to commercialise their solutions in emerging markets.
Double Feather Partners serves on the programme secretariat together with Deloitte, supporting companies as they explore opportunities to expand into emerging markets.
We look forward to bringing together business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs for an open discussion on what it really takes to build businesses across emerging markets.