What Lean on Me does

Lean on Me (株式会社Lean on Me) is a privately held Japanese e-learning and SaaS company founded in April 2014 in Osaka, focused on the disability welfare sector. Its core product is Special Learning, a video-based e-learning platform offering more than 2,000 courses covering abuse prevention, disability understanding, human rights awareness, and reasonable accommodation, distributed to disability welfare facilities and to companies employing people with disabilities. The company reports 8,200+ facilities served and 153,000+ individuals trained as of March 2026, with a stated 98% retention rate.

The product portfolio extends beyond the core platform through SL for Business (corporate disability inclusion training, launched April 2024), Special Shift (shift scheduling and attendance management for welfare facilities, launched September 2024), and certification sub-brands such as 知的障がい支援士 (Intellectual Disability Support Specialist) and Friendly Partner, all bundled under a Smart Solution umbrella. The business operates on a subscription model starting at ¥8,000 per organization per month, distributed directly via the company website and through institutional partner channels including NTT Business Solutions, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, SMS Co., Ltd. (Kabenashi Cloud), and the 2025 Japan International Expo Association.

Lean on Me monetizes a regulatory mandate: Japanese disability welfare staff are required to undergo training, and companies face disability employment quota obligations, converting the platform's specialized content into a compliance-grade purchase. The company is backed by multiple third-party equity allocations (Dec 2019, Feb 2021, Feb 2022, May 2024), with total registered capital of ¥313.8M including reserves, and operates from Osaka headquarters with a Tokyo branch established in February 2026.

Name

Lean on Me

Legal name

株式会社Lean on Me

Website

https://leanonme.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lean on Me operates Special Learning, a video-based e-learning platform serving Japanese disability welfare facilities and corporate employers with mandatory training on abuse prevention, disability awareness, and reasonable accommodation, complemented by shift scheduling software and certification programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Welfare E-Learning Software

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)

Keywords

• Disability welfare training
• E-learning platform
• Workplace inclusion training
• Shift scheduling software
• Welfare facility management

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-learning Subscription (Special Learning): Subscription-based e-learning service providing video training content to disability welfare facilities and general companies. Users pay a recurring fee for access to the training platform and content library. Subscription pricing starts at ¥8,000 per month per organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Lean on Me sells a subscription-based e-learning platform called Special Learning, providing 2,000+ video courses specialized in disability welfare staff training (abuse prevention, disability understanding, human rights, reasonable accommodation), targeting social welfare corporations and welfare facilities. The portfolio extends through SL for Business (corporate disability inclusion training), Special Shift (shift scheduling management for welfare facilities), and certification programs such as the Intellectual Disability Support Specialist (知的障がい支援士) and Friendly Partner (フレンドリーパートナー). Subscription pricing starts at ¥8,000 per month per organization.

Product overview

Lean on Me operates as a disability welfare technology company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is Special Learning, an e-learning platform with over 2,000 video courses for disability welfare. The portfolio extends through SL for Business (corporate inclusive employment training), Special Shift (shift scheduling for welfare facilities), and several certification programs including the Intellectual Disability Support Specialist (知的障がい支援士) and Friendly Partner communication specialist programs, all unified under the Smart Solution umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Learning A video-based e-learning platform providing 2,000+ courses specialized in disability welfare staff training (abuse prevention, disability understanding, human rights, reasonable accommodation). Targets disability welfare facilities, social welfare corporations, and welfare offices in Japan; subscription-based access with pricing starting at ¥8,000 per month per organization.
• SL for Business A corporate-oriented extension of Special Learning providing disability awareness, inclusion training, and reasonable accommodation tools for general companies hiring or seeking to hire people with disabilities. Targets enterprise HR / D&I teams and is supported by partnerships with NTT Business Solutions (for AI-powered unconscious bias training) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
• Special Shift A shift scheduling and workforce management solution specifically designed for disability welfare facilities. Enables efficient staff scheduling, attendance tracking, and workforce management in welfare facility environments.
• Intellectual Disability Support Specialist (知的障がい支援士) A professional certification program that trains and certifies specialists to support individuals with intellectual disabilities. Part of the Special Learning educational ecosystem and marketed under a dedicated sub-brand with its own product URL.
• Friendly Partner (フレンドリーパートナー) A communication support specialist training program under the Special Learning platform, providing training for professionals who assist with the communication needs of individuals with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 153,000 people trained across disability welfare facilities and general companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• SMS Co., Ltd. ( SMS株式会社 )coreTechnology or IntegrationSMS Co., Ltd. provides the technology platform for Lean on Me's online training services through its Kabenashi Cloud and Kabenashi Job Navi services. This partnership enables Lean on Me to deliver its Special Learning e-learning content to disability welfare facilities and companies using SMS's cloud-based training infrastructure.
• NTT Business Solutions ( NTTビussiネスソリューションズ )flagshipTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with NTT Business Solutions for the joint development and distribution of AI-powered unconscious bias training tools targeting companies employing people with disabilities. This partnership leverages NTT's AI technology capabilities and enterprise sales reach alongside Lean on Me's domain expertise in disability inclusion training.
• デコボコベース ( Dekoboko Base )minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSales partnership with デコボコベース for disability welfare solutions. デコボコベース acts as a go-to-market partner, promoting Lean on Me's Special Learning platform to disability welfare facilities and organizations within its network.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ( 三井住友銀行 )coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for joint operation of customer training programs focused on disability inclusion. SMBC refers its corporate customers to Lean on Me's training services, and the two organizations collaborate on delivering reasonable accommodation support programs.
• 2025 Japan International Expo Association ( 公益社団法人2025年日本国際博博会協会 )coreOthersAdvisory contract with the 2025 Japan International Expo Association (Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan). Lean on Me serves as an advisor to the expo association on disability-related matters, contributing expertise in disability inclusion and accessibility.
• 2025 Japan International Expo Association ( 公益社団法人2025年日本国際博博会協会 )flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the 2025 Japan International Expo Association for marketing and event collaboration. Lean on Me participates in the Expo 2025 Osaka as an exhibitor and partner, leveraging the event to showcase its disability welfare training solutions to a global audience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global MOOC and online learning platform with Coursera for Business enterprise offering. Indirectly competes with Lean on Me in corporate upskilling budgets, though Coursera's catalog is academic/general rather than disability-welfare focused.
• LITALICO: TSE-listed Japanese disability services company operating LITALICO仕事ナビ (employment support) and LITALICO発達ナビ (developmental disability support). Larger, established player in the broader disability welfare and inclusion space with overlapping end-users but a wider service portfolio than Lean on Me's focused training offering.
• Schoo: Japanese video-based e-learning platform focused on business and professional development for corporates. Competes with Lean on Me's SL for Business division in the corporate learning market, though Schoo is a generalist rather than disability-specialized.
• Udemy: Global online learning marketplace with significant Japan presence. Competes in the broader e-learning subscription space with corporate (Udemy Business) offerings, though Udemy's content is generalist rather than disability-welfare specialized.

Emerging players

• UZUZ: Japanese employment support and staffing company focused on young workers including those with disabilities. Overlaps with Lean on Me in the disability employment and inclusion space, particularly with SL for Business training content for hiring managers.
• Carely: Japanese platform focused on the caregiving and welfare workforce community. Overlaps with Lean on Me in serving welfare/care professionals with digital content and resources, though focused more on community and information than structured training.

Others

• Kaonavi: TSE-listed Japanese HR/employee database cloud platform. Sells to similar corporate HR personas as Lean on Me's SL for Business, though focused on talent management rather than training content delivery.
• Bizreach: TSE-listed Japanese HR/recruiting platform operator including HRMOS suite. Adjacent ecosystem participant serving corporate HR buyers who may also be purchasers of Lean on Me's SL for Business division for D&I training.

Direct peers

• eWeLL (kabushiki kaisha eWeLL): Japan-listed SaaS company providing welfare facility management and HR solutions for disability and care service providers. Most direct comparable in Japanese disability welfare technology, with overlapping customer base (welfare facilities). Lean on Me's outside director (Nakano Tsuyoshi) is eWeLL's President, indicating deep competitive overlap.
• SMS Co., Ltd. Provider of Kabenashi Cloud and Kabenashi Job Navi platforms serving HR, staffing, and disability employment functions. Both technology partner and partial competitor in the welfare/HR cloud space in Japan, serving overlapping facility and HR buyer personas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leanonme_inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors11 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 Lean on Me