Thinkings
Thinkings (Thinkings株式会社) is a Tokyo-based HR Tech company operating sonar ATS by HRMOS, a SaaS applicant tracking and recruitment automation platform serving more than 2,500 Japanese enterprises and government agencies. It became a Visional Group subsidiary (under Bizreach) in October 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Thinkings does
Thinkings株式会社 (Thinkings Inc.) is a Tokyo-based HR technology company that operates the sonar ATS by HRMOS platform — a SaaS-based applicant tracking system serving Japanese enterprise HR departments, mid-market companies, and government agencies. The company was established on January 31, 2020 through the business integration of Infodex Co., Ltd. (founded 2000) and Ignite I Inc. (founded 2013), though the sonar ATS product itself traces back to March 2012 when it was launched as Infodex's HR Tech business. Thinkings became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bizreach (株式会社ビズリーチ) in October 2025 and operates within the Visional Group; the company remains privately held and headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The core product, sonar ATS by HRMOS, automates end-to-end recruitment operations including candidate sourcing, application tracking, interview scheduling, and offer management, with real-time pipeline visualization and recruitment KPI reporting. The platform integrates natively with more than 50 HR services — job boards, aptitude tests, AI screening tools, calendar and communication platforms (Microsoft Teams, Outlook, LINE), and campus recruitment platforms such as BizReach Campus. Around the ATS core, Thinkings has built a modular product suite: sonar AI (launched April 2023) for NLP-based candidate matching and screening, sonar Assessment for aptitude testing with custom "persona model" configuration, sonar Connecter (October 2025) for internal talent mobility and workforce planning, Flow Master (January 2026) for workflow visualization, and sonar store, an HR-tool marketplace. The platform has been deployed at more than 2,500 corporations and government institutions, including Toyota Motor Corporation, LINE Yahoo Corporation, NTT Data Group, Daikin Industries, All Nippon Airways, and Japan's Ministry of Justice, and it has held the Leader category in the ITReview Grid Award for five consecutive years.
Thinkings operates a recurring subscription-based revenue model with quote-based pricing (no public price list disclosed) and was reported to have reached annual recurring revenue (ARR) of 2 billion JPY as of September 2024. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct enterprise field sales for large accounts, inside sales and customer success for mid-market accounts, and event-driven demand generation through major Japanese HR industry events (BizReach Conference, HR EXPO, Ultra Camp). Following the October 2025 Visional Group integration, distribution is augmented by parent-mediated cross-selling with HRMOS 採用 and BizReach Campus. Supporting functions include ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, and 27701 certifications covering the sonar ATS service division, thought-leadership content via the Re-Thinking Organizations Lab and Thinking Time publication series, and a research-community initiative launched in December 2024 to explore future Japanese organizational management practices.
Thinkings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thinkings
- Legal name
- Thinkings株式会社
- Website
- https://thinkings.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Thinkings (Thinkings株式会社) is a Tokyo-based HR Tech company operating sonar ATS by HRMOS, a SaaS applicant tracking and recruitment automation platform serving more than 2,500 Japanese enterprises and government agencies. It became a Visional Group subsidiary (under Bizreach) in October 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thinkings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Applicant Tracking System
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise AI Data & Knowledge Platforms (Vector Databases, Knowledge Graphs) (HDAEANAH)
Keywords
Where Thinkings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Thinkings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- sonar ATS Subscription (SaaS): Subscription-based SaaS revenue model for the sonar ATS applicant tracking system, with annual and multi-year contract billing. Pricing is quote-based / not publicly disclosed. The company reached ARR of 20 billion JPY in September 2024.
- sonar store (HR Tool Marketplace): HR tool introduction and purchasing support service for sonar ATS customers, with full support from proposal through system integration. Revenue derived from marketplace facilitation and partner service commissions.
- sonar Assessment (Aptitude Testing): Personality and ability assessment tests offered as part of the sonar ATS ecosystem, enabling negative screening and custom person-model creation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | sonar ATS by HRMOS - enterprise ATS SaaS with automation, data analytics, and 50+ HR service integrations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Thinkings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thinkings provides sonar ATS by HRMOS, a cloud-based SaaS applicant tracking system that automates end-to-end recruitment operations including candidate sourcing, application tracking, interview scheduling, and offer management for enterprise HR departments in Japan. The platform is augmented by add-on modules including sonar AI (AI-powered candidate matching), sonar Assessment (aptitude testing), sonar Connecter (internal talent mobility), and sonar store (HR tool marketplace).
Product overview
Thinkings offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on sonar ATS by HRMOS, a comprehensive applicant tracking system that digitizes end-to-end recruitment workflows. The product suite includes sonar AI (AI-powered matching and automation), sonar Assessment (aptitude testing), sonar Connecter (internal position planning), and sonar store (HR tool marketplace), all designed to work together to support modern talent acquisition and internal mobility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- sonar ATS by HRMOS: SaaS-type applicant tracking system (ATS) supporting end-to-end recruitment operations including automation of tasks, process management, data aggregation, and analytics. Introduced in 2012 and used by over 2,500 corporations and government agencies.
- sonar Assessment
- sonar Connecter
- sonar store
- sonar AI
- 組織再考ラボ (Re-Thinking Organizations Lab)
Products and services
- sonar ATS by HRMOS SaaS-based applicant tracking system (ATS) that digitizes recruitment operations, automates workflows (candidate communication, interview scheduling), provides real-time data analytics, and aggregates candidate data from 50+ channels. Used by 2,500+ corporations and government agencies in Japan for end-to-end hiring from candidate sourcing to onboarding.
- sonar Assessment Aptitude testing module measuring personality traits and basic abilities using reliable reports. Supports negative screening and creation of custom 'persona models' based on hiring team-defined evaluation criteria. Available to sonar ATS customers for recruitment evaluation.
- sonar Connecter Position planning and talent assignment module promoting collaboration between HR and front-line teams for optimal internal talent placement. Enables internal job postings, position-based planning, progress sharing, and analysis to assign the best-fit talent to open positions. Integrates with sonar ATS to enable unified internal and external labor market management.
- sonar store HR tool marketplace and implementation support platform for sonar ATS customers. Offers HR tools across candidate sourcing, selection, and onboarding stages, with full integration support from proposal through system integration.
- sonar AI AI-powered recruitment solution that improves candidate matching accuracy and streamlines selection workflow efficiency using artificial intelligence technology. Analyzes candidate profiles, job requirements, and historical hiring data to recommend optimal matches.
Quantifiable outcome
- 導入実績 2,500件超 (累計)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Thinkings
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Thinkings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Thinkings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- HRMOS採用 (Visional/ビズリーチ)flagshipCo-exhibition at HR EXPO 2026 and joint go-to-market positioning. While sonar ATS and HRMOS採用 are competing ATS products within the Visional Group portfolio, they are marketed together to help prospects compare and select the system best suited to their recruitment needs (sonar ATS: automation and customization; HRMOS採用: simplicity and individual candidate handling).
- 日本エス・エイチ・エル株式会社 (SHL Japan)coreAPI integration between sonar ATS and SHL Japan's aptitude testing platform enables seamless candidate assessment invitation delivery and results retrieval directly within sonar ATS, improving candidate experience and reducing administrative steps for recruiters.
- パーソルキャリア株式会社 (doda)coreAPI data integration between sonar ATS and doda CONNECT enables automatic import of candidate data from doda job boards and staffing services into sonar ATS. This streamlines the candidate intake process for mutual customers using both doda recruitment services and sonar ATS.
- AI RECOMEN (AI面接ツール)coreAPI integration between sonar ATS and AI RECOMEN, an AI-powered interview evaluation tool, enables automated candidate interview scheduling and AI-assisted screening score import into the ATS workflow.
- ビズリーチ・キャンパス (BizReach Campus)coreFeature integration between sonar ATS and BizReach Campus (Visional Group alumni/current student networking platform) for new graduate recruitment. Enables individual-optimized recruitment workflows by connecting campus recruitment activities directly into the ATS selection pipeline.
- Microsoft (Teams, Outlook)coresonar ATS integrates with Microsoft Teams (for automated meeting link generation) and Outlook Calendar (for interview schedule synchronization), significantly reducing recruiter administrative workload and improving candidate communication efficiency.
- LINEcoresonar ATS integrated with LINE's official account platform, enabling two-way candidate communication via LINE messaging within the ATS, improving candidate engagement and response rates for Japanese companies where LINE is the dominant messaging platform.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Thinkings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HRMOS採用: Direct sibling ATS product from BizReach (also part of Visional Group) targeting the same Japanese enterprise HR market. Both products are co-marketed at HR EXPO and explicitly positioned as alternatives for prospects to compare, making them the closest direct competitor despite shared ownership.
- Talentio: Japanese-born cloud ATS serving mid-market and enterprise HR departments with recruitment workflow automation and HR data integration. Competes head-to-head with sonar ATS on enterprise recruitment digitization and integrates with similar HR service ecosystems.
- iRec: Japanese cloud ATS operated by i-style, focused on mid-market and enterprise recruitment automation with workflow customization. Targets the same horizontal enterprise HR buyer as sonar ATS and competes for the same RFP shortlists.
- Greenhouse: US-based enterprise ATS with structured hiring philosophy and deep integrations, expanding into Japan through global enterprise accounts. Comparable product architecture and positioning makes it a direct functional peer for cross-border RFPs.
- Lever: US-based ATS + CRM hybrid serving mid-market and enterprise customers with strong integration ecosystem. Comparable platform-plus-integrations architecture to sonar ATS and a relevant peer for global enterprise buyers evaluating Japan-local vs. global ATS.
Broad incumbents
- SmartHR: Japan's leading cloud HR/payroll platform with a large mid-market and SMB installed base. While its core is HR/payroll rather than ATS, its distribution scale and enterprise trust make it a relevant broad incumbent that could expand into the recruitment workflow space.
- Wantedly: Japanese recruiting platform with a strong brand among engineers and creatives; while primarily a job-matching service, its candidate-side brand and mid-market traction make it an overlapping player in the Japanese recruitment technology stack.
- Indeed Hire: Recruit Holdings-owned global hiring platform with dominant Japan job-search traffic and ATS/recruitment advertising products. Overlaps with Thinkings on the recruitment technology stack and represents a powerful incumbent in Japanese hiring funnels.
- Workday Recruiting: Global enterprise HCM suite with a recruiting module sold into large multinationals. As Japanese enterprises standardize on Workday for HCM, its recruiting module is a credible competitor for the same Fortune-500-style accounts that buy sonar ATS.
Others
- doda (Persol Career): Persol Career operates Japan's second-largest job board and integrated recruitment services, with doda CONNECT providing candidate data integration into ATS platforms — including sonar ATS. Acts as both a partner (integration) and an indirect competitor in the broader recruitment stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thinkings social profiles
Digital presenceThinkings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Thinkings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thinkings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Thinkings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thinkings 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 Thinkings
What does Thinkings do?
Thinkings provides sonar ATS by HRMOS, a cloud-based SaaS applicant tracking system that automates end-to-end recruitment operations including candidate sourcing, application tracking, interview scheduling, and offer management for enterprise HR departments in Japan. The platform is augmented by add-on modules including sonar AI (AI-powered candidate matching), sonar Assessment (aptitude testing), sonar Connecter (internal talent mobility), and sonar store (HR tool marketplace).
Is Thinkings a public or private company?
Thinkings is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Thinkings founded?
Thinkings was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Thinkings based?
Thinkings is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Thinkings make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. sonar ATS Subscription (SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are sonar store (HR Tool Marketplace) and sonar Assessment (Aptitude Testing).
Who are Thinkings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HRMOS採用, Talentio, iRec, Greenhouse and Lever. Broad incumbents are SmartHR, Wantedly, Indeed Hire and Workday Recruiting. doda (Persol Career) is listed as an others.
Does Thinkings have an API?
Yes. sonar ATS provides API integration with third-party HR services, enabling automated data exchange with job boards, aptitude tests, and other HR tools. Specifically mentioned is API connectivity with SHL's aptitude testing services, allowing candidate testing invitations and results confirmation directly within sonar ATS. Developer documentation is at sonar-ats.jp/news/20260608_shl.
What industry is Thinkings in?
Thinkings's product category is Applicant Tracking System. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS), with a secondary code of HDAEANAH, Enterprise AI Data & Knowledge Platforms (Vector Databases, Knowledge Graphs). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.