From the perspective of an investor evaluating big data analytics startups in both the US and Japan, this talk provides an overview of both the opportunities and threats facing companies in this space. We’ll also discuss the universal characteristics of the emerging data market spaces and the differences between the US and Japan in how big data has emerged and is evolving. Diving into topics especially relevant to the Japanese marketplace are differing interpretations of personal privacy rights on the consumer side and a greater awareness of a data company’s role within the larger business-to-business ecosystem.