Linkers
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Linkers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Linkers
- Legal name
- リンカーズ株式会社
- Website
- https://corp.linkers.net
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Linkers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open Innovation / Business Matching Platform
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Partner Network & Supplier Onboarding/Connectivity Platforms (Mapping, Certification, QA) (THALAJAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- System Integration & Connectors (BPAMAOAC)
Keywords
Where Linkers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Linkers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Linkers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Linkers is a business matching and open innovation support platform for manufacturing companies in Japan. Its core offerings connect manufacturers with technology partners, end users, and decision-makers through a combination of SaaS platforms (Linkers TX, LFB) and curator-led services (Linkers Sourcing, Marketing, Research, TechMesse Academy). The platform enables joint R&D, co-development, prototyping, process improvement, production outsourcing, user acquisition, and technology trend research for Japan's manufacturing sector.
Product overview
Linkers Corporation operates a comprehensive open innovation platform for manufacturing companies, offering six interconnected services. The core offering includes Linkers TX (technical exploration SaaS), Linkers Sourcing (partner/technology search), Linkers Marketing (customer acquisition), LFB (SaaS business matching system for banks and businesses), Linkers Research (global technology intelligence by subsidiary OI Laboratory), and TechMesse Academy (event promotion services). These services work together to support open innovation through technical partner discovery, user acquisition, and technology research across Japan's manufacturing sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Linkers TX: Technology exploration SaaS platform for R&D, marketed as enabling unprecedented creative freedom in research and development.
- Linkers Sourcing
- Linkers Marketing
- LFB (Linkers for BANK/Business)
- Linkers Research
- TechMesse Academy
Products and services
- Linkers TX Linkers TX is a technology exploration SaaS platform providing R&D teams with creative freedom to discover and connect with technology partners, researchers, and experts across Japan. It is targeted at manufacturing companies conducting research and development that need to identify external technical resources and collaborative partners.
- Linkers Sourcing Linkers Sourcing is a business matching service that searches across Japan for companies, universities, and experts to solve manufacturing challenges including joint R&D, co-development, prototyping, process improvement, and production outsourcing. It serves manufacturers needing external technical capabilities.
- Linkers Marketing Linkers Marketing introduces clients' technologies, products, and services to engineers and researchers at major manufacturing companies through Linkers' proprietary network of 10,000+ technical professionals. It targets SMB and seed-technology manufacturers seeking enterprise customers at 150+ major manufacturers.
- LFB (Linkers for BANK/Business) LFB is a SaaS-type business matching system that surfaces latent client issues and supports sophistication of business matching operations for financial institutions and business companies. It is sold to regional and commercial banks in Japan (29 adopters as of September 2022) to enable institution-wide, not branch-siloed, matching for their manufacturing SME clients.
- Linkers Research Linkers Research is a global technology research service utilizing Linkers' worldwide expert network and proprietary research technology to survey world technology trends tailored to client requirements. It is operated by subsidiary Linkers OI Laboratory and serves manufacturers and innovation teams needing domain intelligence.
- TechMesse Academy TechMesse Academy is an event hosting and promotion service providing total coordination for technology and service promotion events, including content planning, event operations, video production, and follow-up reporting. It targets Linkers' database of 30,000+ manufacturing engineers and serves companies seeking to promote technologies to relevant technical audiences.
- Linkers GenAI Practice Academy (Linkers生成AI実践塾) Linkers GenAI Practice Academy is a consulting service helping manufacturing companies practically implement generative AI in research and analysis workflows. It is delivered as a three-session small-group workshop per client department and targets tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The offering is aimed at manufacturing companies seeking to operationalize generative AI beyond pilot adoption in R&D and analysis functions.
Companies that use Linkers
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Linkers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Linkers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 阿波銀行 (Awa Bank)coreAwa Bank uses Linkers for BANK/Business (LFB) system to support local manufacturing clients with business matching services. The bank branch uses LFB to connect clients with suitable partners across Japan.
- 愛知銀行 (Aichi Bank)coreRegional bank coordinator supporting Linkers Sourcing service for identifying SME partners with specialized manufacturing capabilities in the Aichi region.
- 公立大学法人岩手県立大学 研究・地域連携本部coreUniversity-affiliated coordinator supporting Linkers Sourcing for connecting companies with research institutions and local SMEs in Iwate prefecture.
- (一社)首都圏産業活性化協会coreChartered association of 1,700 SMEs and 600 researchers providing coordinator support for business matching in the Greater Tokyo area.
- 九州半導体・エレクトロニクスイノベーション協議会 (SIIQ)coreSIIQ has 200+ member companies and provides coordinator support for matching in the semiconductor and electronics sector across Kyushu region.
- 株式会社スペックホルダーminorOhno Takaaki, President of Spec Holder, serves as an advisor to Linkers and provides expertise on AI-driven technology promotion strategies for Linkers' clients.
- 宇佐美敏史minorAI specialist with 7 specialized certifications serving as partner instructor for Linkers AI Practice Academy consulting service.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Linkers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wazoku: UK-based open innovation and idea management platform (acquired InnoCentive) that runs curated challenges and tech scouting for global enterprises. Directly comparable to Linkers' Sourcing and Marketing services in providing structured open-innovation matching.
- NineSigma: US-headquartered open innovation services provider connecting large enterprises with external technology solutions providers. Closely mirrors Linkers' R&D partner-search and open-innovation support model for manufacturers.
- yet2.com: Global technology transfer marketplace that helps corporations license, partner, and source technologies from startups, universities, and other companies. Conceptually identical to Linkers Sourcing/Marketing in facilitating cross-organization technology matching.
- HeroX: Crowdsourced open-innovation platform that runs prize-based challenges to solve corporate R&D problems. Comparable in providing structured mechanisms for manufacturers to access external innovators and technical solutions.
- IdeaConnection: Open innovation service that builds bespoke expert networks to solve technical problems for client companies. Comparable to Linkers Research and Sourcing in leveraging curated expert panels to support corporate R&D.
- Innosabi: German open-innovation software vendor offering structured programs for collaborative innovation with customers, employees, and external experts. Operates in a similar partner-matching and innovation-program-management space as Linkers' platform.
- HYPE Innovation: German innovation management software provider for idea management, technology scouting, and innovation portfolios. Comparable to Linkers in providing tooling and services for systematic open innovation by manufacturers.
- 100%Open: UK-based open innovation agency that helps large organizations source innovations from startups, universities, and crowds. Directly comparable to Linkers Sourcing/Marketing in curating open-innovation pipelines for enterprise clients.
Regional players
- J-GoodTech (SME Support Japan / METI): Japanese government-backed platform run by SMRJ (Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation) that matches Japanese SMEs with large enterprises. Functions as a free Japanese-language alternative to Linkers Sourcing within the same domestic market.
Emerging players
- ITONICS: German innovation management software platform for trend scouting, technology radar, and idea management. Adjacent to Linkers TX, with stronger technology-roadmapping features but a less developed manufacturing-matching service layer in Japan.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Linkers social profiles
Digital presenceLinkers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Linkers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Linkers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Linkers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Linkers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Linkers 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 Linkers
What does Linkers do?
Linkers is a business matching and open innovation support platform for manufacturing companies in Japan. Its core offerings connect manufacturers with technology partners, end users, and decision-makers through a combination of SaaS platforms (Linkers TX, LFB) and curator-led services (Linkers Sourcing, Marketing, Research, TechMesse Academy). The platform enables joint R&D, co-development, prototyping, process improvement, production outsourcing, user acquisition, and technology trend research for Japan's manufacturing sector.
Is Linkers a public or private company?
Linkers is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Linkers founded?
Linkers was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Linkers based?
Linkers is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
Who are Linkers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wazoku, NineSigma, yet2.com, HeroX, IdeaConnection, Innosabi, HYPE Innovation and 100%Open. J-GoodTech (SME Support Japan / METI) is listed as a regional player. ITONICS is listed as an emerging player.
Does Linkers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Linkers.
What industry is Linkers in?
Linkers's product category is Open Innovation / Business Matching Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAJAO, Partner Network & Supplier Onboarding/Connectivity Platforms (Mapping, Certification, QA), with a secondary code of BPAMAOAC, System Integration & Connectors. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.