Two years later, Nezumi Kinetics signed its first distribution deal in Bangkok. Kenji kept the original EAA receipt framed on the wall. Not as a trophy, but as a reminder:
And above the frame, in marker on the concrete wall, he had written the three words that saved his company:
"Dassault Systèmes has a 'Startup Partner Program,'" Mika explained. "You apply with your business plan, your prototype photos, and a sob story. Approval takes two weeks. They give you SolidWorks Standard for ¥30,000 for the first year. Not free, but 90% off."
"Listen," she said. "SolidWorks is expensive if you buy it like a salaryman buying a new suit. But cheap if you buy it like a scavenger. Here’s the blueprint."
The results were a dark forest.
"The what?"
He almost cried.
