M&A Cloud
M&A Cloud operates a two-sided Japanese M&A and minority-investment matching marketplace connecting thousands of SME sellers and startups with 3,100+ corporate buyers, monetizing via buyer-side success and listing fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What M&A Cloud does
M&A Cloud (株式会社M&Aクラウド) is a Tokyo-headquartered two-sided M&A and capital-matching marketplace founded in December 2015. The core platform enables sellers — typically Japanese SMEs, startups, and business owners facing succession gaps — to register and post their offerings for free, while buyers (3,100+ active corporate and financial acquirers) pay listing fees and success-based transaction fees upon deal closure. Notable buyer-side users include Tokyo Gas, freee, Crowdworks, Neo Career, Vector, and Agaroot, and the platform claims penetration of over 35% of listed Japanese IT companies. Matchmaking features include a direct-approach mechanism where sellers initiate contact with buyers who have publicly disclosed acquisition criteria, a Scout function for inbound interest, and structured seller tools such as free Information Memorandum templates and a downloadable M&A research library.
The company operates a multi-product portfolio. The flagship M&A Cloud marketplace is complemented by Funding Cloud (資金調達クラウド), which applies the same matching model to minority equity investments with 2,000+ registered capital-seeking companies. MACAP (M&A Cloud Advisory Partners) is a high-touch advisory service for large or complex deals, and in 2025 the company launched M&A Cloud Agent, pairing technology with human advisors to serve Japan's estimated 1.27 million business owners lacking successors. The technology stack is a proprietary online marketplace with no disclosed AI/ML models, APIs, or SDKs; matching is described as platform-mediated rather than algorithmically differentiated.
M&A Cloud is a privately held company (no public ticker) that has raised approximately $14.3 million across four disclosed rounds (2017 seed, 2020 Series 2, 2024, and 2025 Series 3), with the 2024 round anchored by SMBC, Mizuho, Kiraboshi, Shizuoka, and Japan Finance Corporation. Revenue derives from buyer-side success fees on completed transactions (e.g., ~5.4M yen vs. ~20M yen for traditional intermediaries on a 100M yen deal, a ~75% cost advantage), recurring listing fees from buyers, and MACAP advisory fees. The company employs 51–100 people and is led by Chairman & CEO Oikawa Atsuhiro, CTO Kazuhei Arai, COO Maekawa Takuya, and Director Takafumi Ochiai.
M&A Cloud firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- M&A Cloud
- Legal name
- 株式会社M&Aクラウド
- Website
- https://macloud.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- M&A Cloud operates a two-sided Japanese M&A and minority-investment matching marketplace connecting thousands of SME sellers and startups with 3,100+ corporate buyers, monetizing via buyer-side success and listing fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
M&A Cloud industry classification
Industry- Product category
- M&A Marketplace Platform
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- M&A / Corporate Finance Finders (Deal Origination) (FSAEAMAD)
Keywords
Where M&A Cloud is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
M&A Cloud business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Success-based fees from buyers: Buyers pay success fees when transactions are completed through the platform. The platform operates on a freemium model for sellers - free registration and use, with fees only charged to buyers upon successful deal closure. This creates a two-sided marketplace where the revenue comes exclusively from the buyer's side.
- Listing fees from buyers: Buyers pay to list their M&A and investment needs on the platform, enabling them to attract sellers. This is a key revenue stream alongside success-based fees.
- MACAP Advisory Services: Large deal advisory services provided through M&A Cloud Advisory Partners (MACAP), offering hands-on M&A advisor support for more complex transactions requiring professional assistance
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free for sellers |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Monthly free with success-based model for buyers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cost comparison example - 1/4 cost vs traditional intermediaries |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
M&A Cloud product offering
Product offeringCore offering
M&A Cloud operates an online matching platform that connects Japanese companies seeking to sell or find business succession with potential acquirers and investors. Beyond the core matchmaking platform, the company offers MACAP (M&A advisory and intermediary services), Shikin Cloud (a funding matching service for capital raising), and M&A Cloud Agent (an AI-driven succession matching service that introduces candidates from outside the standard platform flow).
Product overview
M&A Cloud operates as a multi-product portfolio centered on a matching platform model. The core M&A Cloud platform connects sellers with over 3,100 M&A-active buyers and 600 published acquisition targets, enabling direct negotiation at no cost to sellers. Its sister platform 資金調達クラウド (Funding Cloud) applies the same matching logic to minority equity investments with over 2,000 registered companies seeking funding. MACAP (M&A Cloud Advisory Partners) provides full-service advisory for larger or more complex transactions, while a new 2025 service, M&Aクラウドエージェント, addresses Japan's business succession crisis by pairing owners with advisors supported by technology. The ecosystem is further supported by free downloadable resources including IM (Information Memorandum) templates and a library of industry research reports.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 資金調達クラウド: M&Aクラウドと同じ仕組みで資金調達を行うプラットフォーム。M&Aクラウドと同じ仕組みで資金調達支援を提供。
- MACAP（M&A Cloud Advisory Partners）
Products and services
- M&A Cloud Online matching platform that connects Japanese business owners seeking M&A exits or business succession with potential acquirers. Sellers register for free; buyers subscribe for access to listings and use a scout function to proactively identify targets.
- MACAP Advisory and intermediary service providing professional M&A consulting support for transactions handled through the M&A Cloud platform.
- Shikin Cloud (Funding Cloud) Online matching platform that connects Japanese companies seeking capital with investors, addressing funding needs alongside the M&A offering.
- M&A Cloud Agent AI-driven service that supports business succession by actively introducing buyer candidates to sellers, supplementing organic matches from the main M&A Cloud platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average time from inquiry to first meeting: ~10 days
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use M&A Cloud
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
M&A Cloud technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
M&A Cloud partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
M&A Cloud competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ZUU: Japanese fintech with online M&A matching and corporate advisory services targeted at SMEs and startups. Comparable product mix and customer segment, though M&A is one of several lines rather than the core focus.
- Acquire.com: Online marketplace for acquiring startups and SaaS businesses, primarily serving US and global English-speaking markets. Comparable marketplace model for online business acquisitions but serving a different geography and segment (tech startups vs. Japanese SMEs).
Broad incumbents
- Funai Soken Holdings: Public Japanese consulting group with an established M&A advisory practice serving SMEs. Competes in the same Japanese SME M&A market but as part of a broader consulting and information services portfolio rather than as a pure-play marketplace.
- Nihon M&A Center: Japan's largest dedicated SME M&A intermediary, publicly listed with thousands of completed deals. Competes broadly with M&A Cloud in the same Japanese succession and SME M&A market but through a traditional human-advisor-led model rather than a self-serve marketplace.
Direct peers
- M&A Research Institute: TSE-listed tech-enabled M&A advisory in Japan with a hybrid digital-plus-advisor model targeting SME M&A. Most direct competitor given overlapping product approach (technology + advisors), customer segment (Japanese SMEs and corporates), and fee structure.
- BATONZ: Japanese M&A matching platform focused on SMBs and startups, operating a similar two-sided online marketplace model. Directly comparable in product mechanism, customer base, and Japan-only focus.
- M&A Capital Partners: Japanese M&A advisory firm serving mid-market and SME sellers. Competes for the same Japanese SME succession and business sale deals that M&A Cloud targets, with a more traditional intermediary model.
- M&A Best Way: Japanese M&A intermediary and online matching platform serving SME and mid-market sellers. Operates in the same domestic Japan market with overlapping customer segments and a comparable mix of marketplace plus advisory services.
- Tranzack: Japanese online M&A matching platform connecting SMEs with acquirers. Directly comparable in product category (online matching), target market (Japan SME M&A), and business model (transaction-fee based).
Others
- Empire Flippers: Online marketplace for buying and selling internet businesses and SaaS assets globally. Adjacent in applying marketplace mechanics to business transfers, though focused on smaller online-business M&A rather than the SME corporate sales that M&A Cloud handles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
M&A Cloud social profiles
Digital presenceM&A Cloud financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
M&A Cloud leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
M&A Cloud funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
M&A Cloud M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about M&A Cloud
What does M&A Cloud do?
M&A Cloud operates an online matching platform that connects Japanese companies seeking to sell or find business succession with potential acquirers and investors. Beyond the core matchmaking platform, the company offers MACAP (M&A advisory and intermediary services), Shikin Cloud (a funding matching service for capital raising), and M&A Cloud Agent (an AI-driven succession matching service that introduces candidates from outside the standard platform flow).
Is M&A Cloud a public or private company?
M&A Cloud is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was M&A Cloud founded?
M&A Cloud was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is M&A Cloud based?
M&A Cloud is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does M&A Cloud make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Success-based fees from buyers are the primary driver. The others are listing fees from buyers and MACAP Advisory Services.
Who are M&A Cloud's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ZUU and Acquire.com. Broad incumbents are Funai Soken Holdings and Nihon M&A Center. Direct peers are M&A Research Institute, BATONZ, M&A Capital Partners, M&A Best Way and Tranzack. Empire Flippers is listed as an others.
Does M&A Cloud have an API?
No public API is recorded for M&A Cloud.
What industry is M&A Cloud in?
M&A Cloud's product category is M&A Marketplace Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAMAD, M&A / Corporate Finance Finders (Deal Origination). Its SIC code is 6211.