M & A Research Institute

What M & A Research Institute does

M & A Research Institute Inc. (株式会社M&A総合研究所) is a Tokyo-based M&A brokerage intermediary targeting Japan's lower-middle-market business succession segment. The firm serves small and medium enterprise owners — typically companies with sales between roughly ¥100M and ¥10B — seeking to transfer ownership due to retirement, lack of succession, or growth objectives, and increasingly extends services to family offices, private equity firms, and strategic corporate buyers across the lower-middle-market deal band ($10M-$100M enterprise value). Its product set combines a digital M&A Matching Platform with full-service advisory support from in-house advisers handling matching, valuation, negotiation, and closing.

The platform architecture layers a proprietary AI matching algorithm over natural language processing technology licensed through a partnership with PKSHA Technology, with the stated objective of rapidly surfacing buyer-seller matches that traditional intermediary searches miss. The platform is paired with a human-advisor model in which senior executives (often recruited from major Japanese securities and banking firms) manage deal flow across vertically-aligned corporate departments spanning manufacturing, IT, construction, real estate, medical, and consumer verticals. Average deal closing time has been reduced to 6.2 months with the fastest documented close at 43 days, versus a sector average commonly measured in years for small-deal intermediation.

The commercial model is a completely success-based fee structure: zero retainer, interim, or monthly fees for transferor companies, with success fees calculated on transfer price rather than total asset amount. Transferee companies are not charged engagement fees either, broadening the buyer pool. Revenue is recognized at deal closing on a transaction-fee basis. The firm operates from a Tokyo headquarters in Marunouchi alongside eight additional offices covering Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Sapporo, Takasaki, Sendai, and Singapore, supported by a workforce of 502 employees as of March 2026. M & A Research Institute is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quants Research Institute Holdings, Inc. (TSE Prime: 9552) and operates within METI's registered M&A Support Organization framework.

Name

M & A Research Institute

Legal name

株式会社M&A総合研究所

Website

https://masouken.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

M & A Research Institute is a Tokyo-based, retainer fee-free M&A intermediary serving Japanese SME business owners and a growing base of family offices, PE firms, and corporate buyers in the lower-middle market, using an AI-powered matching platform paired with human advisers and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TSE Prime-listed Quants Research Institute Holdings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Brokerage Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

Keywords

• M&A intermediary services
• Business succession advisory
• AI-powered deal matching
• SME mergers acquisitions
• Cross-border M&A advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Marunouchi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. M&A Intermediation Success Fees: Revenue generated through success fees charged upon successful M&A closing. The company operates on a completely success-based fee system with no retainer fees, interim fees, or monthly fees for transferor companies (sellers). Success fees are calculated based on the transfer price, not total asset amount.
2. Acquirer-side Fees: Fees collected from acquirer companies (transferees), including intermediary fees upon successful transfer. Buyers are not charged retainer fees, enabling wider buyer pool access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

M&A Research Institute is a retainer fee-free mergers and acquisitions intermediary serving primarily Japanese small and medium enterprise (SME) owners. The company combines experienced M&A advisers with an AI-powered matching platform (developed with NLP technology from PKSHA Technology) to identify potential buyers and sellers, providing end-to-end advisory from initial consultation through deal closing on a completely success-based fee model. Target deals range from approximately 100 million yen to 10 billion yen in enterprise value.

Product overview

M&A Research Institute Inc. operates a dual offering consisting of an AI-powered M&A Matching Platform (their core digital product) and M&A Brokerage Services. The platform enables online searching for M&A sellers and buyers using sophisticated AI matching algorithms developed in partnership with PKSHA Technology for NLP capabilities. The brokerage service provides full advisory support from experienced M&A advisers, operating on a success-based fee model with no fees charged until deal closing. The company targets lower-middle-market transactions (approximately 100 million yen to 10 billion yen in enterprise value) and emphasizes speed, with average closing times of 6.2 months and minimum of 43 days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Matching Platform AI-powered digital platform that enables online searching for sellers and buyers in M&A transactions. Utilizes proprietary AI matching algorithms built with NLP technology from PKSHA Technology to identify optimal M&A matching candidates rapidly that could not be predicted through traditional methods. Serves SME owners, acquirers, and the company's own advisers across Japan and Singapore.
• M&A Brokerage Services Retainer fee-free M&A intermediary service providing full support from experienced M&A advisers in matching sellers and buyers, conducting negotiations, and closing deals. Operates on a completely success-based fee system with no fees charged to transferor companies (sellers) until M&A closing, with success fees calculated against transfer price. Targets lower-middle-market transactions (sales of approximately 100 million yen to 10 billion yen) across all industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• M&A closing in as little as 43 days
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• MergersCorp M&A InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Strategic global partnership announced April 2026 to accelerate cross-border M&A activity between Asia-Pacific and Western markets. Combines MergersCorp's global network spanning North America, Europe, and emerging markets with Masouken's AI-powered matching platform and established presence in Japan's M&A market. Both firms maintain independent brand identities while offering joint advisory services, shared technology, and coordinated marketing targeting lower-middle-market transactions of $10 million to $100 million enterprise value. Joint services target family offices, private equity firms, and strategic corporate buyers.
• PKSHA Technology Co., Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership established for natural language processing (NLP) technology to enhance the AI matching algorithm capabilities. PKSHA Technology provides NLP algorithms that power the M&A matching system, enabling more accurate and rapid identification of potential buyers and sellers that could not be predicted through traditional methods.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AGS Consulting: Japan-based M&A and business consulting firm focused on SME succession transactions. Competes in similar deal-size segments with similar advisor-led intermediation model.
• Nihon M&A Center: Japan's leading listed SME M&A intermediary with the largest market share and brand recognition. Directly comparable on target segment (SME business succession), success-fee model, and nationwide office footprint — the primary competitive benchmark in this market.
• ストライク (Strike Consulting): Listed Japanese M&A intermediary specializing in SME business succession. Comparable target customers, success-fee model, and nationwide coverage — a direct competitor in the same market segment.
• Yamada Consulting Group: Japanese consulting firm with significant M&A advisory practice focused on SME succession and regional deals. Comparable target customers and overlap on lower-middle-market deal sizes, with longer-tenured consulting relationships.
• M&A Capital Partners: Listed Japanese M&A intermediary focusing on SME business succession deals with a similar success-based fee structure. Competes head-to-head for the same transferor companies and overlap on target deal sizes, providing direct fee-rate and speed competition.
• M&A Total Support: Japan-based SME M&A intermediary serving the same business succession segment with comparable fee models. Direct competitor for SME owners seeking sale of companies in the ¥100M–¥10B revenue range.

Emerging players

• Baton (FUKUI COMPUTER-related M&A arm): Japanese SME-focused M&A intermediary targeting younger-generation business succession. Comparable in target customer and deal size, though smaller scale than the leading intermediaries.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with strong M&A advisory franchise and significant Japan presence. Comparable in M&A advisory services but operates at larger transaction sizes and serves institutional rather than SME clients.
• KPMG (Japan M&A Advisory): Big Four advisory firm with M&A practice serving Japan and cross-border deals. Comparable M&A advisory service line but within a broader professional services portfolio and at higher deal sizes than M&A Research Institute's SME focus.

Regional players

• MergersCorp M&A International: Global cross-border M&A intermediary that became M&A Research Institute's strategic partner in April 2026. Comparable business model (M&A intermediation, lower-middle-market focus) but primarily serves Western markets — making it a regional peer that now serves as a channel partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/masouken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/masouken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about M & A Research Institute