Nomura Bets on Startup to Help Japan’s Smokers Kick the Habit
- Keio University and SBI are also among investors in CureApp
- Venture develops health apps and is seeking an IPO in 2020
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Nomura Holdings Inc. and Keio University are investing in a startup that’s seeking to revolutionize how smokers quit the habit.
CureApp Inc., which develops mobile applications to treat ailments including tobacco addiction, received 380 million yen ($3.4 million) this month from investors including Nomura and Keio’s venture-capital partnership, the startup’s founder and Chief Executive Officer Kohta Satake said. An SBI Holdings Inc. unit also contributed, and CureApp will use the funds to develop products and expand in the U.S., he said in an interview.