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Through "3D space", we want to provide a place that is right for every individual.

Hiroki Tanaka, 3rd year doctoral student, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering

Entrepreneurship Center (Waseda Campus Building No. 19-3) In front of the Urth Corporation office

While continuing his research in architecture in his doctoral program, Daiki Tanaka is CEO of Urth Co., Ltd., which he founded with his colleagues. By fusing architecture and IT, they are exploring unprecedented forms of 3D space and challenging themselves with architecture in the metaverse. By utilizing the Waseda University Entrepreneurship Center 's entrepreneurial support system, they raised 60 million yen in seed funding (※) in 2024. Now a rising star as the CEO of a startup, Tanaka talks about the process and driving force behind his founding of the company, as well as his message to Waseda students.

*Funds that a company raises from supporters, investors, etc. in the early stages of its founding in order to launch and verify its business.

--Please tell us about Urth Inc. and its business.

Our mission at Urth is to "create a society where all individuals can shine." We believe that if each person has their own individuality, and if that individuality is properly expressed and recognized, and if they are optimally placed in society so that people think, "This is where you shine!", then a better society can be created. To that end, we help people express things that cannot be fully conveyed through words or videos using 3D space.

Specifically, we are developing a service for corporations that utilizes the "power of spatial expression" of architects in 3D spaces such as VR to solve corporate problems. In reality, one architect can design about 10 to 20 buildings in their lifetime, but there are about 350,000 architects in Japan. We believe that if we can effectively combine their powers in 3D space, the number of spatial experiences that can be delivered to society can be expanded by tens or even hundreds of times.

For example, in a company presentation for a job, even if a company wants to show a factory or other place but cannot release a video of the site due to confidential information, it can be safely and realistically experienced on the metaverse by recreating it in 3D model by an architect. Applicants can feel as if they are actually walking through the place, and they can also gain a deeper understanding of the workplace. The reason we choose the metaverse is because it transcends physical constraints and "reliably delivers the message to the people you want to reach." If you create a real exhibition space, only a limited number of people can visit, but with the metaverse, anyone can access it from anywhere with just a URL.

Additionally, while at present we are providing experiences that utilize the metaverse, in the future I  hope to utilize the results of my own research to create a system that allows anyone to have their own preferred space in the real world as well.

Left: The logo of Urth Co., Ltd. The company name comes from "You (U) are the earth," which represents the relationship between the earth in a state where every individual can shine.
Photo on the right: An example of an Urth service. Children with disabilities have created clay versions of their imagined towns, which are then reproduced in the metaverse. "A metaverse created by children, for children" The exhibition aims to share the way we feel about the world through space.

-When did you become interested in architecture and spatial design?

It was when I was in the second year of junior high school. I originally dreamed of becoming a tennis player, but I realized the difference in ability between me and professional players, so I started to vaguely think, "I wonder if there's any other interesting job." At that time, I saw a TV show called "Big Renovation!! Dramatic Before and After" (TV Asahi).

When I saw a client of a renovation project crying with emotion after seeing the space reborn by the craftsmanship of a top architect, I strongly felt that "it's a wonderful job to be able to make people happy by changing their space." That was the trigger that made me want to become an architect. I also had an intuition that if I was going to work, I wanted to do a job that made people happy, so it was the perfect fit for me. With that feeling in mind, I enrolled in the School of Creative Science and Engineering at Waseda University, which is famous for its architecture.

Tanaka during the interview at the Urth Co., Ltd. office

-What motivated you to start your own business?

In the spring semester of my second year at university, I felt that I needed a new perspective, especially since the number of places to do real architecture is decreasing physically in cities, and I wanted to get involved with Waseda students from other departments of architecture. So I took the open course "Business Idea Design (BID)" at the School of Commerce. BID is a class that teaches how to start a business, and in the first class, we were given the assignment to "compose 100 ideas to solve people's problems." I approached the problem from an architectural perspective called "spatial design" and came up with 100 ideas, but the students in my group from the School of Political Science and Economics and the School of Commerce came up with about 30. They perceived the problem from the perspective of a business model, and the difference in their approach may have been reflected in the number of ideas. I was deeply shocked by this gap and realized that "the architectural thinking I am learning can be used in other fields as well."

Since I had come up with an idea, I wanted to actually put it into action. I started making products with four people, including my high school classmates and a friend from Waseda whom I met at BID. In the student club I belonged to at the time, we developed a reservation system that could search for the availability of tennis courts in Tokyo simultaneously, and we created products by finding problems in our daily lives.

A photo with the founding members of Urth Co., Ltd. What started as a casual activity with friends has developed into a company with the support of Waseda University.

How did you go from there to starting your own business?

When I was a third-year university student taking a course aimed at nurturing entrepreneurs, I tried out the Waseda University corporate support program "WASEDA-EDGE Gap Fund Project" that connects research-based businesses to commercialization. I proposed an online contract system that connects wedding couples with art students who write lyrics and music to create original songs, and then plays them at the wedding venue and releases them on CD. It received the highest evaluation, and I was able to receive a donation of 1.5 million yen. So, I decided to take the plunge and start my own business. However, one month after I started, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and the wedding venues I did business with closed one after another, so things didn't go well, so in April of the following year I tried my hand at the metaverse business, which I had been interested in for a long time, and that's what I'm still doing today.

Left: A photo with members who participated in the "WASEDA-EDGE Gap Fund Project"
Right: Urth Co., Ltd. executives. Tanaka continues his research at the university, with an eye on where the company will be in 10 years' time. Right after the company was founded, he had the other members gain work experience at other companies, and now they are making the most of that experience in the team.

--Finally, please give a message to Waseda students who are looking to take on new challenges in the future.

The important thing when trying something new is whether you find it truly interesting. For example, if you can't get it out of your head and you find yourself thinking about it even when you're in the shower, then I urge you to put it into action and work hard at it. In my case, I would like to invest my time in using the 3D space as a means of expression.

On the other hand, I think there are many students who worry that they can't find what they want to do. When that happens, try going outside, or just sitting in your room, or looking at yourself objectively and trying to figure out what excites you. For example, if you realize that you feel happy when you see someone happy in front of you, then think about how to give shape to that feeling. Anyway, I think it's important to try to find something "seriously" and properly dig deep into the "desires" inside you.

902nd

Interview, text and photography: Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff)
Nagisa Nishimura, 3rd year, School of Culture, Media and Society

【Profile】

He visited Israel on an overseas training program as part of his entrepreneurial education. He actively interacted with local entrepreneurs, explaining his company's initiatives.

Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Shudo High School in Hiroshima Prefecture. As a result of his family's frequent transfers, he moved between Tokyo, Kochi Prefecture, and Hiroshima Prefecture, so when drinking, he speaks a mix of Tosa and Hiroshima dialects. He has been playing tennis since he was in junior high school, a hobby he continued in university as part of his student club activities. His favorite Waseda meals are "Himawari" and "Abura Soba Specialty Store Menji." His favorite way to eat abura soba is with ponzu sauce.