Akihabara outfit aims to become a hub for hardware startups

Clustered electronics stores, maid cafes and the home of idol group AKB48 Tokyos Akihabara district is famous for many things.

And the list of unique spots may get even longer, as the district now has a large-scale facility for hardware startups to create innovative products.

The shared space, called DMM.make AKIBA, opened in November. Tokyo-based DMM.com, which runs online malls and video streaming services, launched the facility to offer pretty much everything that people need to start manufacturing hardware. The facility not only boasts 500 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment, but also offers technical support, consulting services, office space and a chance to garner funding.

While Internet venture firms can create services through one computer, becoming a hardware manufacturer from zero is tough, said Kenzo Yoshida of DMM.com, who oversees the DMM.make AKIBA facility.

Running hardware startups costs a lot. Youll need space and manufacturing machines, so you cant do it with one computer, Yoshida said in a recent interview. We think we can help in that sense.

DMM.make AKIBA has two main floors. While one is dedicated to office space, the other, called Studio, is like a jack of all trades for hardware startups.

Studio looks like a small factory, boasting more than 100 manufacturing machines and tools for hardware-makers to create a variety of things, including metal molds, prototype gadgets and robots.

Some of the more expensive machines would normally be difficult for a startup to access.

For instance, it has a five-axis CNC (computerized numerical control) machining center, which is capable of automated precise machining of complex designs using materials like steel, based on data entered into a computer.

Studio also has other cutting tools, including a laser cutter and drill press to fill different needs for cutting processes.

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Akihabara outfit aims to become a hub for hardware startups