How I helped Bifrost AI sign 2 Top 50 Japanese customers within 5 months

The Challenge

Bifrost AI is an AI startup building generative AI tools that enable users to create virtual 3D worlds and synthetic images on demand. This helps AI model developers improve the accuracy of their models with larger datasets and a greater variety of data for training. They are a Series A-funded company with Sequoia Capital as their lead investor. Two of the company’s target industries are maritime and defense.

They were interested in securing large Japanese enterprise customers to use their product. This would provide critical product feedback from end-users within maritime and defense while also delivering customer logos and revenue essential to the company’s growth. Acquiring Japanese enterprise customers would demonstrate progress to its board and investors. While Bifrost AI had cutting-edge technology and customers in the U.S., they faced key challenges in gaining traction with Japanese enterprise customers:

• Breaking into the Japanese Market: Bifrost AI needed introductions to the right decision-makers at major Japanese enterprises.

• Relationships & Resources: Japan’s business culture values relationships and local presence, but when we met Bifrost AI had no local advocate to vouch for them. However, as a startup, they had limited resources to expend and it was premature to hire full-time employees.

• Finding the Right Enterprise Customers: They needed to onboard enterprise customers to demonstrate continued traction in terms of customers and revenue.

Prior to engaging me, Bifrost AI had some conversations with Japanese companies but none materialized into customers.

My Approach

Bifrost AI was introduced to me through Sequoia Capital, who suggested that I could help. To solve this problem, here’s what I did to help Bifrost AI sign 2 Top 50 Japanese corporations (in terms of market capitalization) within 5 months (5-month sales cycles from the first meeting set):

1. Identified the Right Prospects: Through a cross-section analysis of my network (over 14,000 contacts total) and the needs of the Japanese market, I curated a list of companies that had a strong potential fit for Bifrost AI’s technology. I included Japanese corporations with whom I had pre-existing customer relationships to speed up the process. Additionally, I targeted individuals in digital innovation, R&D, and new business development roles—professionals with broad mandates to source technology.

2. Posted on LinkedIn for Lead Generation: Collaborating with Bifrost AI, I posted on LinkedIn to gauge interest within my network. When an individual from one of these Top 50 companies “liked” my post, I immediately reached out and arranged a call within 2 weeks. That company became Bifrost AI’s first Japanese customer. The process was accelerated as the company was already a previous customer of mine for foreign startup technology.

3. Facilitated the Introduction: I reached out to prospects and arranged numerous initial meetings between Bifrost AI and interested companies. Japanese companies have noted that when I represent a technology, they are more inclined to explore it further given our relationship and history of exchanging information and working together. 

4. Managed the Sales & Engagement Process: Beyond introductions, I actively participated in meetings, managed the sales process, and worked with the team to advance deals to closure.

5. Navigated Cultural and Business Differences: I helped Bifrost AI and the Japanese corporations align on expectations. When necessary, I took the lead in negotiations to ensure contracts were structured as subscriptions rather than pilot projects—an important metric for Bifrost AI.

6. Celebrated the Milestone: After signing both customers, I hosted meals—including a private dinner at the Tokyo American Club in Azabudai, Tokyo—to celebrate the relationship and reinforce long-term collaboration.

7. Supported Expansion: Even after project kickoff, I stayed involved, supporting ongoing discussions, contract expansion, and strategic partnership development based on successful technology implementation.

8. Scaled with Our Bilingual, AI-Savvy Japanese Team: As Bifrost AI's engagement in Japan expanded, I scaled support as needed by leveraging my experienced Japanese team. They understand the unique needs of startups, are bilingual, and have deep expertise in AI and technology. This allowed us to seamlessly navigate technical discussions, cultural nuances, and enterprise sales processes—ensuring smooth and effective customer support and expansion.

I used this approach because Japan’s enterprise sales cycles require trust, persistence, and deep relationship management. Understanding decision-making structures and organizational dynamics was key. By leveraging my network and guiding the engagement proactively, I ensured the process moved forward efficiently.

The Results

As a result of my approach, Bifrost AI successfully secured 2 Top 50 Japanese customers within 5 months:

• Accelerated Market Entry: Bifrost AI entered the Japanese market and landed 2 major enterprise customers within a 5-month sales cycle.

• Confident Market Entry Maximizing Resources: Bifrost AI entered the Japanese market with confidence, leveraging my track record. Our collaboration allowed the startup to operate efficiently, maximizing its resources without second-guessing the approach.

• Enterprise Validation: Partnering with companies of this stature significantly boosted Bifrost AI’s credibility in Japan and across Asia.

• Revenue Growth: The deals provided Bifrost AI with substantial commercial opportunities and significant potential for future expansion in the region.

“Mike came recommended by our investor, Sequoia Capital, as a key resource to help us navigate the Japan and Asia Pacific market. Partnering with Gradient Consulting proved invaluable—within 12 months, we achieved a 2.5x return on investment. Thanks to Mike’s extensive network and strategic introductions, we secured multiple customers in our target industries within just 5 months. Beyond acquiring customers, Mike played a pivotal role in deepening these relationships. His expertise and hands-on approach have been instrumental in driving our success in the region, with a particular focus on Japan.”

— Charles Wong, CEO
Bifrost AI (Lead Investor: Sequoia Capital)