SARAH
SARAH (株式会社SARAH) is a Tokyo-based food technology company founded in 2014 that operates a menu-level gourmet review app for Japanese diners, accumulated over 1 million dish reviews across all 47 prefectures, alongside B2B data services (FoodDataBank and FoodDataBank AI) for the food industry and the annual SARAH Japan Menu Award.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What SARAH does
SARAH (株式会社SARAH) is a Tokyo-based food technology company founded in 2014 that operates a menu-centric gourmet review platform serving Japanese consumers across all 47 prefectures. The company's core product is a mobile and web application that organizes restaurant reviews at the individual menu-item level rather than at the venue level, supported by location-based discovery, user-generated photography, and deep integration with Japanese social platforms (Twitter, LINE, Hatena Bookmark). SARAH has accumulated over 1 million dish reviews and runs the annual SARAH Japan Menu Award across 8 regions and roughly a dozen food categories. The company is led by Representative Director and CEO Yota Takahashi (高橋洋太), is privately held, and operates with a 51–100-person team from headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo.
SARAH's technology stack centers on a proprietary menu-unit content schema that differentiates it from restaurant-centric competitors, combined with big data aggregation that the company commercializes through its B2B brand FoodDataBank (fooddatabank.net). In 2026, SARAH launched FoodDataBank AI, which applies text-based AI to automate menu proposal planning for food-industry clients by combining accumulated data from the SARAH and MoguNavi (もぐナビ) platforms. Distribution is mobile-first via the iOS App Store, Google Play, and a responsive web application (sarah30.com); MoguNavi appears as an additional operated brand. The platform also publishes curated editorial content (SARAH Topics/特集) on regional food specialties.
SARAH operates a hybrid revenue model: a free, consumer-facing freemium app whose monetization mechanics are not publicly disclosed, paired with subscription-based B2B services (FoodDataBank, FoodDataBank AI) targeting restaurants, food manufacturers, and food service companies. The company has raised approximately $9 million across at least nine disclosed funding rounds since 2015, drawing strategic investors from across the Japanese food and retail value chain — House Foods Group, Mitsui & Co, Ajinomoto, Seven-Eleven Japan, DD Holdings, SBI Investment, and Kodansha — as well as financial investors including ANOBAKA and PE&HR. Recent (2026) strategic moves include co-development partnerships with House Gaban (ハウスギャバン, on the Rā-kare ramen-curry concept) and Felica Networks (フェリカネットワークス株式会社), positioning SARAH as both a consumer content platform and an emerging B2B data and AI supplier to Japan's food industry.
SARAH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SARAH
- Legal name
- 株式会社SARAH
- Website
- https://sarah30.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SARAH (株式会社SARAH) is a Tokyo-based food technology company founded in 2014 that operates a menu-level gourmet review app for Japanese diners, accumulated over 1 million dish reviews across all 47 prefectures, alongside B2B data services (FoodDataBank and FoodDataBank AI) for the food industry and the annual SARAH Japan Menu Award.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SARAH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Tech / Restaurant Review and Menu Analytics
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads) (CRAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hot Hold & Ready-to-Eat Meals (Rotisserie, Hot Bar, Entrées) (CRAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where SARAH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
SARAH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Consumer App Services: Free consumer app generating value through user engagement and data collection. Revenue model not explicitly disclosed but likely includes premium features or advertising.
- FoodDataBank B2B Services: Big data analysis and AI services for food industry companies, including menu proposal automation for restaurants and food manufacturers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free consumer app with core review and discovery features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SARAH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SARAH operates a menu-centric gourmet review platform available as a mobile app and website where individual users in Japan post, search, and browse reviews organized by individual menu items rather than by restaurant. On top of this consumer platform, it sells FoodDataBank, a B2B big-data analytics service, and FoodDataBank AI, an AI agent that automates menu proposal planning for restaurants, food manufacturers, and food-service companies using accumulated menu-level data.
Product overview
SARAH operates a consumer-facing restaurant menu review platform as its core product, supplemented by B2B data services (FoodDataBank and FoodDataBank AI) that leverage the platform's accumulated menu data for the food industry. The Japan Menu Award is a marketing/brand initiative that uses the platform's review data to create an annual awards program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SARAH App
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million menu reviews nationwide
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SARAH
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SARAH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
SARAH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- フェリカネットワークス株式会社 (Felica Networks)minorJoint online seminar hosted by SARAH and Felica Networks on topics related to dining and technology.
- ハウスギャバン (House Gaban)coreJoint project to promote 'Rā-kare' (ラーメン×カレー), a new food culture combining ramen soup with curry rice. SARAH provides information dissemination and customer acquisition support through its gourmet app, while House Gaban provides the spice expertise. Six collaborating ramen shops participated in the launch.
- 株式会社AsobicaminorCo-hosted online seminar titled 'Capturing Customer 'Wants'! Differentiating Product Development with Qualitative Data' to share insights on using qualitative customer data for food product development.
- 株式会社講談社 (Kodansha)minorCooperation/support from Kodansha for the SARAH Japan Menu Award event, providing editorial expertise and media support for the annual food award program.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SARAH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yelp: Global restaurant and local business review platform. Comparable as a restaurant review/discovery business model, but geographically focused on US/EU rather than Japan.
- Tripadvisor: Global travel and restaurant review platform with significant Japan presence. Comparable as a consumer-facing restaurant review platform with broad advertiser business, though bundled with travel/tourism.
- Hot Pepper Gourmet: Operated by Recruit, Hot Pepper Gourmet is one of Japan's largest restaurant discovery and coupon platforms. Comparable as a consumer-facing restaurant review/search service, but bundled with Recruit's broader lifestyle media portfolio.
- Cookpad: Japan's leading recipe platform (TSE-listed) with massive food-related UGC. Comparable as a Japan-focused food content/community platform, though focused on home cooking rather than restaurant dining — adjacent rather than directly competing.
Regional players
- OpenTable: Global restaurant reservation and review platform, owned by Booking Holdings. Comparable as a restaurant discovery + data platform serving both diners and restaurants, but primarily US/EU focused with limited Japan footprint.
Direct peers
- Gurunavi: Long-established Japanese restaurant search and reservation platform with broad restaurant database across Japan. Comparable as a Japanese consumer-facing restaurant discovery platform competing for similar diner and advertiser mind-share.
- Tabelog: Operated by Kakaku.com (TSE-listed), Tabelog is Japan's dominant restaurant review platform with tens of millions of monthly users. Directly comparable to SARAH as a Japanese restaurant discovery and review service, though it organizes reviews at the restaurant rather than menu level.
- Retty: Japanese restaurant review social platform emphasizing 'real recommendations from friends.' Comparable to SARAH as a Japan-focused restaurant review platform with user-generated content and location-based discovery.
Others
- Uber Eats Japan: Food delivery platform with extensive restaurant menu data and diner behavior in Japan. Comparable as a data-rich food platform serving restaurants, though business model is delivery-driven rather than review-driven.
- NPD Group (now Circana): Global food industry data and analytics provider serving CPG and foodservice companies. Comparable as a B2B food data business analogous to SARAH's FoodDataBank / FoodDataBank AI offering, though at much larger scale and broader category coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SARAH social profiles
Digital presenceSARAH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SARAH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SARAH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors20 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SARAH 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 SARAH
What does SARAH do?
SARAH operates a menu-centric gourmet review platform available as a mobile app and website where individual users in Japan post, search, and browse reviews organized by individual menu items rather than by restaurant. On top of this consumer platform, it sells FoodDataBank, a B2B big-data analytics service, and FoodDataBank AI, an AI agent that automates menu proposal planning for restaurants, food manufacturers, and food-service companies using accumulated menu-level data.
Is SARAH a public or private company?
SARAH is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SARAH founded?
SARAH was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SARAH based?
SARAH is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does SARAH make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Consumer App Services are the primary driver. The others are foodDataBank B2B Services.
Who are SARAH's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yelp, Tripadvisor, Hot Pepper Gourmet and Cookpad. OpenTable is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Gurunavi, Tabelog and Retty. Others are Uber Eats Japan and NPD Group (now Circana).
Does SARAH have an API?
No public API is recorded for SARAH.
What industry is SARAH in?
SARAH's product category is Food Tech / Restaurant Review and Menu Analytics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAKAA, Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads), with a secondary code of CRAHAKAB, Hot Hold & Ready-to-Eat Meals (Rotisserie, Hot Bar, Entrées). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5812.