Tokyo-based Triple W is tackling a universal problem that is a source of deep sense of shame for a half billion people around the world every day, especially for the elderly and the handicapped, incontinence or not knowing when to go to the bathroom.
“My grandfather was an entrepreneur and I always wanted my own business,” says CEO Atsushi Nakanishi. He studied business in college, worked for a consulting firm, looked for business ideas in the Philippines and went to UC Barkley, where he himself experienced a “shitty” accident in his pants followed by an excruciating feeling of shame.
He turned that shame into a blessing in disguise, thinking, “What if I could have predicted this?” He talked with everyone he knew to make this idea a reality. In 2015, he started Triple W with friends from high school and college. As they launched a crowdfunding campaign, it became clear to them, as well as for skeptical investors, that this product could be a life-quality-saver for many people in need and their caretakers.
One of their first international exposures was GET IN THE RING 2016, a global pitch event with a network spanning over 150 locations and 100 countries. OIH has been its dedicated host in Japan. Triple W won the competition and joined GITR’s Global Meetup.
Since then, Triple W is expanding its user base globally. DFree won 4 awards at the International CES 2019, including “Best of CES Award” in the Digital Health and Fitness Category. Their US and France offices are catering to the global audience. China, with a significant aging population, is the next target market.
“The messages from our users that DFree changed their lives are our motivation sources,” Atsushi emphasizes. Triple W is living their mission of “Taking the World a Step Further” by offering a solution to those who want a long and dignified life, which means all of us.