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Overseas market trend research

At Covalent, we are good at identifying future business opportunities and positioning for our customers through research on overseas trends.
We have a track record of helping our clients formulate overseas business plans by utilizing our know-how to identify business opportunities based on information networks that can catch the latest overseas trends, market structure, change factors, and the goals of major players.
In particular, if you would like to understand the details such as the output image of overseas player trend surveys and advanced technology trend surveys, which are our strengths, please request detailed materials from the following.

ISSUES

Issue

  • You want to consider expanding your existing business overseas, but you cannot find business opportunities because you do not understand market trends, needs, and competition.

  • We are considering expanding our B2B business overseas, but we cannot access key personnel.

  • If there is an opportunity, I would like to explore business opportunities with overseas companies in the same industry, but I do not know how to proceed

Concerns when analyzing overseas player trends

  • I want to know what kind of business opportunities overseas cutting-edge players are finding and what kind of initiatives they are taking, but I am not sure

  • If there is an opportunity, I would like to explore business opportunities with overseas startups, but I do not know how to proceed

  • I want to analyze the advanced players in the industry and analyze how the industry will move in the future, but I don't know how to proceed

  • I want to know the success factors of promising companies and their business model/technical superiority, but I don't know what to look for

Concerns when considering business expansion to overseas markets

Concerns when grasping changes in the market

  • I would like to work out the specifics of the medium-term plan, but I don't know what kind of market changes and what options are available in the first place.

  • I want to know the content of overseas advanced reforms in the existing industry, but I do not know the details

  • Looking for new business opportunities in the existing industry, I want to sort out the opportunities for industrial transformation seen from the outside, but I can't do it well

  • I want to consider new business opportunities in existing industries, but I can't sort out what kind of opportunities are likely.

SERVICE MENU

service menu

Overseas market research

We will explore business opportunities in overseas markets for your existing business.
We identify trends through public information surveys and interviews with local experts as appropriate, and through our analysis, present focus areas, development steps, and partnering strategies with local players.

Innovation trend survey

We identify cutting-edge initiatives and cutting-edge technologies in the industry, especially overseas, through public information surveys regarding the client's industry and themes of interest, and summarize opportunities for change in the short, medium, and long term on any time axis. Through our analysis, we will present the possibility of change and the degree of attractiveness for customers.

Overseas player trend survey

We identify the characteristics of each player and their position in the market through public information surveys and interviews as appropriate, and analyze business opportunities and the competitive environment through our analysis.

APPROACH

approach

Overseas market research

1

1

survey design

About ​1 week~

2

Hypothetical setting of business opportunities through surveys of overseas market trends

About 1 month ~

3

Hypothesis verification of business opportunities

About 1 month ~

Four

Formulation of an action plan

about 2 weeks

1

survey design

about 1 week

Through discussion with the customer, we will understand the theme of interest and set the research target. We will understand the purpose of the survey, specify the items to be surveyed with priority and the items to be analyzed, and clarify the specific image of the deliverables.


Output: Survey plan (free)

2

Hypothetical setting of business opportunities through surveys of overseas market trends

About 1 month ~

We will investigate the market size, market share, market structure, regulatory and policy trends, technological breakthroughs, and examples of emerging players such as leading players and startups in each field. In principle, the survey is conducted by local personnel in the language of the target market. Based on the survey results and the client's existing management resources, we set an initial hypothesis for business opportunities.


Output: Business Opportunity Hypothesis
We summarize business opportunities derived through PEST analysis and market trend analysis, especially trend analysis of overseas startups and advanced players showing characteristic movements.

3

Hypothesis verification of business opportunities

About 1 month ~

We will verify what can be established through interviews with local experts and customer interviews for hypotheses of business opportunities. Specifically, through interviews with decision makers of customer companies in B2B business and key persons such as local competitors, we grasp market needs and competitive strengths and weaknesses, and verify business opportunities.


Output: Verification results of business opportunity hypothesis
We verify hypotheses mainly through interviews with important people, and summarize the results of verifying which business opportunities are viable.

Four

Formulation of an action plan

about 2 weeks

Based on the identified business opportunities, we organize the actions and timeframes for expanding into overseas markets. In many cases, it is necessary to acquire collaborators when actually deploying, and we will also summarize what kind of collaborators we will collect and on what time axis.


Output: action plan
Compilation of action details and implementation schedule for overseas market expansion.

Innovation trend survey

1

1

survey design

About ​1 week~

2

Survey/Summary

About 1 month~

3

Innovation factor analysis

about 2 weeks

1

survey design

about 1 week

Through discussion with the customer, we will understand the theme of interest and set the research target. We will understand the purpose of the survey, specify the items to be surveyed with priority and the items to be analyzed, and clarify the specific image of the deliverables.


Output: Survey plan (free)

2

Survey/Summary

About 1 month~

Based on public information surveys (Internet, articles, magazines, etc.), we identify cutting-edge technologies and the associated innovative elements, and summarize them from various perspectives.


Output: Innovation map (list of transformation opportunities)
Organize researched cutting-edge technologies and the innovative points they bring about. We will organize the overall picture, such as what will be the new innovation for existing industries and themes, competitive relationships by comparison with the past, dependencies of related technologies, etc. There are various ways to organize information, such as by technical area, by region, and by genealogy.

3

Innovation factor analysis

about 2 weeks

Through analysis by members who are good at new business analysis, we will analyze what kind of technological evolution conditions and how likely it is that the transformation will proceed in the transformation opportunity map. We also analyze the attractiveness of each transformational opportunity.


Output:
・Possibility analysis of transformation opportunities
We analyze the potential for technological evolution behind transformational opportunities and assess how likely they are to transform.
・Evaluation of attractiveness of transformational opportunities
We evaluate the scale of the market generated by transformational opportunities, the possibility of migration from existing markets, and the attractiveness of the market.

1

Overseas player trend survey

1

survey design

About ​1 week~

2

Survey/Summary

About 1 month~

3

analysis

about 2 weeks

1

survey design

about 1 week

Through discussion with the customer, we will understand the theme of interest and set the research target. We will understand the purpose of the survey, specify the items to be surveyed with priority and the items to be analyzed, and clarify the specific image of the deliverables.


Output: Survey plan (free)

2

Survey/Summary

​About 1 month~

Based on public information surveys, interviews with related parties, and direct visits to overseas bases, we understand the features and positioning of promising players in accordance with the survey items.


Output: Player map (≒ chaos map)
We summarize the characteristics of promising players, their market positioning, and their strategies. When compiling a list, various formats such as so-called chaos maps, regions and genealogies are used as appropriate.

3

analysis

about 2 weeks

Through analysis by members who are good at benchmark analysis, we will understand the competitive relationship of major players in detail. We analyze business opportunities and marketability based on the competitive environment.


Output:
・Competitive environment analysis
Accurately grasp the competitive relationships of major players and accurately represent competitive relationships and dependencies.
・Business opportunity analysis
We analyze business opportunities and marketability based on competitive environment analysis.

ADVANTAGE

advantage

Our experience in launching and investing in startups allows us to thoroughly narrow down our research items by understanding the key points of identifying business opportunities in new markets.

On the other hand, formulating business plans for new businesses of large companiesWith experience such as this, we can present the total amount of items to be verified and their priority in anticipation of the customer's decision-making process.

Our experience in launching and investing in startups allows us to thoroughly narrow down our research items by understanding the key points of identifying business opportunities in new markets.

Since we are also developing B2B services in-house, it is possible to deepen player strategies and initiatives by utilizing the channel network and know-how of identifying and approaching key persons.

We have strengths in verifying business opportunities for B2B and B2B2C.

When identifying business opportunities in new businesses, it is common to consider the framework of the 3Cs (market, competitors, company), but we are a startup that aims for technological evolution and disruptive innovation in the industry. By also researching trends, we can determine the positioning that customers should aim for in anticipation of market changes that may occur in the medium to long term.

It is possible to conduct surveys that take into account technological trends and the trends of emerging players such as startups.

In addition to the various elemental technologies that make up one type of technology, there are also cases where it can be divided into various technology methods, and it is sometimes difficult for customers to determine what and how much they need to consider. In addition, there are cases where the general classification of elemental technologies and technology methods is not appropriate for making business decisions and hinders the visualization of the overall technology picture.
Therefore, in our technology research, after breaking down to the elemental technology and technology method, we will analyze the dependency relationships and substitution relationships between technologies, the points of change and evolution from the conventional technology by technology method, the mechanism that establishes superiority, and the limitations associated with it.・We will analyze the granularity of constraints and the environment that needs to be maintained in order to be established. We can present the overall picture of the technology and extract exactly the technology that the customer needs.
In order to organize the overall picture, we have created our own unique classifications that are rational for showing the relationships between technologies. We will also organize the correspondence between

You can organize the advanced technologies that are the source of innovation into a single overall picture.

There are various predictive analyses, regarding the phases of specific technologies and the time axis until their diffusion, but in many cases they do not reflect the actual situation such as the trend of technology startups. Therefore, at our company, while using general predictive analysis as a reference, we evaluate the maturity level based on the actual usage of technology found through surveys, such as the degree of accumulation of technology startups and the results of introduction and demonstration.

It provides a realistic assessment of technology maturity, which is important in assessing the potential for transformational opportunities.

It may not be possible to understand the future vision hidden behind them, the positioning they are aiming for, or the mechanism for gaining competitiveness just by looking at the players' past and present efforts and transmissions on the surface.
Therefore, we carefully pick up the transmissions of each player and their key persons in chronological order, directly interview the key persons as necessary, combine them with our business knowledge and analyze them, aiming for the future vision, business development, competition Summarize the hypothesis of force mechanism.
Through the analysis of "aim", we can identify the business model and positioning that each player is trying to realize in the medium to long term, and the short-term focus area for that purpose. In addition, through the analysis of the "structure", we can identify hidden revenue sources, technological and operational strengths, partnering utilization methods, etc. that do not appear in the superficial business model.

It is possible to analyze not only the activities and achievements of overseas players, but also the "aims" and "mechanisms" behind them.

We can identify business opportunities based on the customer's business and business conditions.

Just because the market size is large and many players are targeting, it does not necessarily mean that it is the best business opportunity for you. Therefore, we analyze the customer's strategic strengths, resources, business and technical strengths, etc., and identify business opportunities that are viable for the customer and lead to competitive advantage.

We place the utmost importance on research that leads to the customer's next action.

Exhaustive research of the market and presentation of business opportunities often do not lead to concrete initiatives. Therefore, when designing the survey, we will confirm the customer's internal persuasion / approval process necessary for proceeding to the next step, and also investigate the information necessary for that purpose.
For example, we reflect points that tend to become points of contention in the approval process, such as market size potential and profitability, customer needs and the possibility of entry by competitors, and linkage with the customer's existing initiatives.
As a result, we are realizing actions such as entering new business areas and partnering with startups. In making decisions on these initiatives, there have been many cases where customers have reported the results of our investigations as-is to management, leading to approval.

We can conduct surveys from useful information sources built from our experience and our own network.

Primary information from technical documents and related players can also be used for research to obtain detailed and specific information about the technology.
It is also possible to conduct detailed research on technology and startup trends in regions where it is difficult to obtain information in Japan, such as China and European countries where the startup ecosystem is growing remarkably, such as Northern Europe. Even lesser-known but promising early-stage startups can be explored through our network of overseas VCs, accelerators, startups, and others.
(Examples of research methods: Public information survey on trends of IT giants such as overseas startups, specialized research institutes, GAFA + BAT, search for venture DB, overseas VCs, accelerators, startups, other key person interviews through our network, academic papers, white Analysis of papers and other technical materials, research through affiliated research institutions (China, India, etc.)

Overseas competitive environment analysis

Analyze the key competitive players and their competitiveness in a particular foreign market.
When analyzing competitiveness, we interview local customers and actually use the products and services of competing players to analyze the source of competitiveness and the mechanism behind it. In addition, we will also summarize the areas where each company is weak and the themes where they are lagging behind in the competitive environment, and organize them appropriately as reference information when entering.

OUTPUT

Output

Overseas business opportunity analysis

We analyze business opportunities based on factors such as changes in overseas markets that customers are interested in, the needs of potential customers, and the maturity of existing services.
We analyze the market potential, growth potential, maturity of the competitive environment, competitiveness of major players, etc., and simulate expected profits. We also explore regulatory and policy trends and technological breakthroughs that may lead to business opportunities.
We also verify the accuracy of the survey results through interviews with local key figures.

Best practice survey when entering overseas market

We will investigate the methods that the pioneers have succeeded in entering overseas, and the methods of entry that have a high probability of success in view of the market environment. Specifically, by researching leading players, we will identify market positions where we can enter with advantage, and investigate whether there are opportunities to create an advantageous position based on relevant laws and economic policies.
It is possible to collect specific and realistic information because the survey is conducted by local personnel in the target market.

TRACK RECORD

achievement

KPIs

Number of business models surveyed and analyzed Approx.61,700

Number of advanced technology themes surveyed Approx.680theme

Number of countries with survey results Approx.70Countries

Percentage of surveys conducted overseas Approx.98.3%

Number of client industries17Industry

Percentage of clients with multiple contracts Approx.95.5%

Average survey period approx.2.5for a month

Percentage of on-site survey implementation Approx.92.5%

CASE STUDY

CLIENTS' VOICE

customer's voice

Major chemical manufacturer

Knowing the overseas market broadened my horizons

I requested a market survey in ASEAN because I wanted to expand domestic technology overseas, but I received a counter-suggestion that it would be better to enter North America. I was skeptical at first, but I was convinced that ASEAN had no buds.I accepted it because I could understand that it was a counter-proposal against the background.

​As a result, we were able to visualize a promising market, just as we had suggested in the opposite direction, and the management was satisfied with the results, so we are very grateful.

Auto parts supplier

I was surprised to be able to get this detailed information

Since it was my first time to meet with them, I tried to throw out all my requests for the time being, but I felt reassuring that they were more tenacious than I had imagined. Due to their know-how, they were unable to provide detailed information, but in fact, many of the survey results were consistent with those of the European survey company that we had requested at the same time. .
Since then, we have made many requests for similar cases.

RELATED SERVICES

Related services

Advanced technology research

We will explore and pursue advanced technologies that will lead to the growth of our customers' businesses. We organize the information necessary for decision-making based on customer needs.

Overseas startupresearch

We will analyze the strengths of overseas startup strategies, technologies, and business models that will serve as a reference for your business growth, and organize future actions.

​ Advanced technology introduction support

We select cutting-edge technology that meets the needs of the customer's business, and follow up until MVP development and on-site introduction are achieved.

WHITE PAPER
DOWNLOAD

White Paper Download

Download the white paper here

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