Pre-series A investment in interpreter app Oyraa
Genesia Ventures has announced its investment in Oyraa Inc., the company behind Oyraa — an interpreter app that connects users with professional interpreters 24/7, 365 days a year. The app provides on-demand language assistance with minute-by-minute support, without the need for scheduling appointments.
About Oyraa
The company launched its interpreter app Oyraa in 2017, with a mission to “break down all language barriers and create a multicultural society where everyone can live wherever they want.” With the app, it aims to eliminate the pervasive language barriers in communication.
The app connects users with over 2,000 professional interpreters across 153 languages, available 24/7 without the need for appointments. Users can access minute-by-minute support directly from their smartphones. This service caters primarily to expatriates and international residents, offering language assistance for both business contexts and everyday needs.
With Oyraa being accessible on any smartphone or tablet, users can receive interpretation support for all aspects of daily life, from administrative procedures to medical appointments and phone inquiries. It’s one of the few interpretation services offering comprehensive daily support for foreigners who have only lived in Japan for a short period and are not fluent in Japanese.
By combining a global interpreter network with a smartphone app, Oyraa can offer a high-quality and flexible human-centric interpretation service that surpasses current AI capabilities. This innovative approach makes professional interpretation easily accessible and affordable for everyone.
Background of funding
Funds from the fundraising round will be used for marketing initiatives to acquire more users, developing new features to enhance corporate business offerings, and for recruiting talented personnel.
About the Investment
Shuku Yushu, Investment Manager, Genesia Ventures
Japan faces significant demographic challenges common to developed countries, including an aging population, population decline, and labor shortages. Despite these issues, it remains an attractive destination for foreigners. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in both foreign immigrants and tourists. Today, Japan is once again in the international spotlight and its global interactions are expected to accelerate. Oyraa’s service aims to alleviate language-related social frictions, and it is a key reason for our investment. Oya Koc is an entrepreneur whose strong convictions stem from personal experience, and she brings a visionary approach to tackling globalization challenges from the outset.
Company profile
Company name: Oyraa Inc.
URL: https://www.oyraa.com/ja
Location: 23F Kamiyacho Trust Tower, 4-1-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Oya Koc, President and Representative Director
