DataWise raises from PKSHA Algorithm Fund to build open location-data platform

What's the deal? Tokyo-based DataWiseDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised an undisclosed sum from PKSHADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Algorithm Fund and other backers. The company runs a foot-traffic analysis platform that combines high-precision location data with AI, serving retail, real estate, local governments, and smart-city projects.

What's the endgame? DataWise wants to evolve into an "open integrated foot-traffic data platform," blending location data with sources such as point-of-sale (POS) purchase data. The funding will accelerate that expansion and fund research into spatial analysis for smart cities and self-driving applications.

Why now? DataWise says it has already finished building its location-focused algorithms. It now plans to layer in advanced AI, including generative AI, drawing on PKSHA's experience deploying machine learning in real-world settings.

Investor view: PKSHA Algorithm Fund's Hiroki Asano said DataWise's spatial and foot-traffic expertise will become "essential infrastructure" for smart cities and retail DX, and that the round should deepen the company's use of advanced AI.

What could go wrong? DataWise is betting on data partnerships to grow its platform. Its plan hinges on signing top companies across industries for capital and business tie-ups — deals it has yet to announce.

The signal: The round reflects investor appetite for infrastructure that fuses location intelligence with generative AI, as Japanese firms push digital transformation across retail, real estate, and urban planning.

Read more: PR Times