Hakuhodo launches new entity to drive internal startup innovation

Hakuhodo DY Holdings, one of Japan's largest advertising conglomerates, has launched a new entity, Ventures of Creativity (VoC Inc.), as part of its ongoing efforts to foster internal innovation and business incubation. VoC will oversee the investment and acceleration of employee-led startups within the company’s in-house venture programme, Ventures of Creativity, which was first introduced in 2023.

The programme invites employees to submit business proposals that can potentially lead to new marketing solutions, with VoC serving as the vehicle for funding successful ideas. Employees whose proposals are selected through an internal business competition will receive startup investment and access to acceleration resources.

Hiroo Takeda, who currently serves as group manager in Hakuhodo DY holdings' strategic investment division and also global business strategy division, has been appointed representative director of VoC Inc. Takeda brings more than a decade of experience from his time with Kyu Collective in New York, as well as previous roles at TBWA Hakuhodo and Hakuhodo Indonesia. 

Hiroo Takeda

In its statement to the press, the agency emphasised the importance of turning employee aspirations into tangible business ventures, suggesting that VoC will play a key role in shaping the future direction of the company. 

This move highlights the agency group’s focus on cultivating entrepreneurial talent from within its global network, which spans Japan and other international markets. However, the success of this internal venture capital model remains to be seen, given the challenges of scaling employee-led startups within a large corporate ecosystem.

The agency's push for innovation is not confined to VoC. In August 2024, it launched Hakuhodo Data Labs India, a new subsidiary aimed at developing martech solutions. The subsidiary, led by CEO Shweta Sharma, has already rolled out its first product, e-Genie, an AI-powered media optimisation platform designed to enhance ecommerce performance. According to Hakuhodo, e-Genie has delivered an 18% increase in return on ad spend for global clients.

In a separate development, Hakuhodo’s joint venture, H+, made headlines earlier this year by securing Netflix’s media account for Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The win came after a competitive pitch involving major industry players such as GroupM’s Wavemaker and Omnicom Media Group.