Next Innovation

About Next Innovation

Next Innovation Inc., now known as Nekuino Co., Ltd., was founded in June 2016 by Kenichi Ishii. Ishii, a pharmacist with an MBA, previously worked at AstraZeneca and Novartis, and ran a medical consulting firm before establishing Nekuino. His experience in pharmaceuticals and medical consulting, particularly a project in organ transplantation, shaped his vision for the company. The initial business model focused on online consultations for sensitive health areas like erectile dysfunction and AGA, where the privacy of telemedicine is a significant advantage.

The company pivoted to focus on women's health, a move inspired by an intern, leading to the launch of its flagship service, "Smaluna," in June 2018. Smaluna is an online platform specializing in gynecology that connects users with doctors for consultations and birth control pill prescriptions. The service includes a medical consultation room staffed by midwives and pharmacists, available 365 days a year, and has surpassed 1.3 million downloads. Smaluna operates on a subscription-based model and also generates revenue through consultation fees. Payment methods include credit cards and bank transfers.

In addition to its direct-to-consumer service, Nekuino offers corporate and municipal solutions. "Smaluna for Biz" is a corporate wellness program where companies can cover the cost of pill prescriptions for their employees. The company has also partnered with municipalities to integrate its services. Expanding its Femtech portfolio, Nekuino launched "toreluna," a service that provides free sanitary napkins in restrooms. Nekuino has successfully raised approximately 3.5 billion JPY in funding as of September 2021.