Buzzreach
Buzzreach is a Tokyo-based SaaS company that provides clinical trial operations, patient recruitment, and decentralized trial management platforms to Japanese medical institutions and pharmaceutical sponsors, anchored by its StudyWorks platform and a 737+ partner facility network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Buzzreach does
Buzzreach Inc., founded June 23, 2017, and headquartered in Tokyo, is a Japanese clinical trial technology company that sells a SaaS platform connecting patients, medical institutions, and pharmaceutical sponsors across the trial lifecycle. The company operates under a "DRO" (Digital Research Organization) strategy spanning digital operations, decentralized trials, and real-world data. Its product portfolio is anchored by the StudyWorks Platform — a SaaS suite for clinical trial project management, cost aggregation, task management, visit scheduling, candidate tracking, and file sharing built from CRC/CRA workflow insights — extended with P.R. (data-driven patient recruitment using EHR/RWD), smt (Japan's first clinical trial matching site aggregating JRCT, UMIN, ClinicalTrials.gov, and JAMCCT data), smt for X (PPI-oriented information disclosure for pharma and academic sites), Study Concierge (patient retention app with ePRO), FeasiCon (feasibility and site selection, Japanese/English), and MiiLike (patient SNS using MROC methodology). Underlying infrastructure is the Puzz SaaS platform, and a September 2025 release added DCT business management covering eRecruit, eConsent, telemedicine, drug delivery, wearables, and visiting nursing.
Buzzreach monetizes through subscription SaaS (StudyWorks, smt for X), professional services (project management support, recruitment operations via the 737+ partner site network), and information disclosure services. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts and free consultations; an entry-level plan was substantially upgraded in June 2026. Customers include university hospitals (Osaka University Hospital — which delivered Japan's largest DCT at 2,000 cases — Kanazawa, Tokyo Medical University, Juntendo), large hospital groups (Tokushukai), general hospitals (Tsuchiura Kyodo), pharmaceutical companies (Boehringer Ingelheim Japan, Maruho), and government-linked research centers (National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology for CLIC-D). Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, the 737+ facility partner site network across 29 diseases, the patient-facing smt/MiiLike self-serve channels, and a capital and business alliance with Medley Inc., M3 Inc., and DG Resona Ventures (November 2025) reaching approximately 90% of Japan's physicians via M3. The company has raised more than ¥1 billion in venture funding led by Globis Capital Partners and holds ISMS, PrivacyMark, and ISO 27001 certifications, with over 50 employees as of mid-2022 (currently reported at 51–100).
Buzzreach firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Buzzreach
- Legal name
- Buzzreach Inc.
- Website
- https://buzzreach.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Buzzreach is a Tokyo-based SaaS company that provides clinical trial operations, patient recruitment, and decentralized trial management platforms to Japanese medical institutions and pharmaceutical sponsors, anchored by its StudyWorks platform and a 737+ partner facility network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Buzzreach industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clinical Trial Management Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Clinical Trial Financial Management & Payments (Site Budgeting) (HLAGACAM)
Keywords
Where Buzzreach is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Buzzreach business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Subscriptions (StudyWorks): Subscription-based SaaS revenue from StudyWorks clinical trial management platform, with tiered pricing for different facility sizes and feature sets. Entry plan with significant feature updates as of June 2026.
- Professional Services: Project management support services utilizing StudyWorks and specialized personnel for clinical trials and clinical research. Implementation and consulting services for medical institutions adopting the platform.
- Patient Recruitment Services: Patient recruitment support through partner site network model, recruitment managers providing support to medical institutions and partner sites for clinical trial participant matching.
- smt for X Services: Clinical trial information disclosure support services for pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions using the smt platform for PPI and patient-centric information sharing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Entry Plan with significant feature updates announced June 2026 |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Buzzreach product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Buzzreach provides a vertical SaaS platform (branded StudyWorks / puzz) that enables pharmaceutical companies, medical institutions, and CROs to plan, manage, and run clinical trials end-to-end, including patient recruitment (P.R.), trial-condition search (smt), decentralized clinical trial operations, feasibility consulting (FeasiCon), and patient-facing applications such as Study Concierge and MiiLike. The company also operates a partner site network of medical institutions that supports decentralized clinical trial execution.
Product overview
Buzzreach operates as a SaaS platform provider for clinical trials and clinical research, offering an integrated platform architecture centered on the StudyWorks Platform. The product portfolio consists of eight distinct offerings: StudyWorks serves as the core clinical trial management tool; P.R. provides recruitment solutions; smt functions as a clinical trial matching and information platform; smt for X extends the platform for patient public involvement; Study Concierge delivers patient retention applications; FeasiCon handles feasibility and site selection; and MiiLike operates as a patient SNS. All services are unified under the Puzz SaaS platform umbrella, enabling centralized management of clinical trial operations from recruitment through retention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- StudyWorks: Clinical trial and research project management SaaS platform for CRCs and CRAs
- P.R. – Patient Recruitment –
- smt (search my trial)
- smt for X
- Study Concierge
- FeasiCon
- MiiLike
Products and services
- StudyWorks Platform Core SaaS platform for clinical trial management, including decentralized clinical trial (DCT) business management functionality, enabling pharmaceutical companies, medical institutions, and CROs to plan and operate trials.
- P.R. (Patient Recruitment) Patient recruitment service that connects pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions with candidate patients via the smt search infrastructure and partner site network, addressing recruitment challenges and uncertainty in clinical trials.
- smt (Search My Trial) Trial-condition search service (Search My Trial) that allows patients to find clinical trials matching their condition by integrating multiple registries (JRCT, UMIN, ClinicalTrials.gov, JAMCCT) and EHR/EMR data.
- smt for X Extended search service built on top of smt that allows patients to be matched to clinical trials using questionnaire/PPI data collected through the medical institution site, with candidate patients then forwarded to the sponsoring institution.
- Study Concierge Patient-facing mobile application that supports clinical trial participation, providing trial information, reminders, and ongoing participant engagement for patients enrolled in trials.
- FeasiCon Feasibility consulting service for clinical trial protocol design, leveraging real-world data (RWD) from EHR/EMR systems to support protocol and feasibility assessments.
- MiiLike Patient-facing service that allows patients to register detailed profile/condition information so they can be matched to relevant clinical trials and referred to participating medical institutions.
- VOICE App Patient voice application that supports capturing patient-reported information and feedback as part of clinical trial participation workflows.
Quantifiable outcome
- Partner site network covers 29 diseases and exceeds 737 facilities
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Buzzreach
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Buzzreach technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Buzzreach partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Institute for Advancement of Clinical and Translational Science (iACT) Kyoto University HospitalcoreClinical trial information partnership for advancing clinical and translational science research through Kyoto University Hospital.
- National Center for Geriatrics and GerontologycorePartnership for dementia clinical trial information center (CLIC-D) registry management, commissioned by the national center.
- Maruho Co., Ltd.minorClinical trial information partnership with pharmaceutical company.
- Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd.coresmt for X partnership for clinical trial information disclosure to patients and families, supporting PPI initiatives.
- XincerecoreStrategic partnership with eCOA/DCT vendor Xincere to attract more clinical trials to Japan and enhance DCT ecosystem capabilities.
- Dr. Yasuo TakedacoreAppointed as advisor; Chairman of Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists bringing expertise in DCT-era pharmacy services and clinical trial ecosystem creation.
- OncoshotminorInnovative global collaboration announced September 2023 to advance oncology clinical trials in Japan using Federated AI data system.
- 4DIN Co., Ltd.minorCollaboration for clinical trial feasibility using Real World Data (RWD) and Simpl Research platform.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Buzzreach competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Medrio: Cloud-native EDC, ePRO, and eConsent platform for clinical trials. Comparable as a SaaS-based clinical trial informatics vendor with overlapping EDC/ePRO functionality to Buzzreach's StudyWorks and Study Concierge products.
- 3H Medi Solution: Japan-based SMO/CRO providing site management and clinical trial support to pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions. Directly comparable as a Japan-focused clinical trial support services peer competing for the same SMO/CRO contracts.
- Signant Health: Specialized clinical trial technology provider offering eCOA, ePRO, DCT, and patient engagement solutions to pharma. Comparable as a DCT/patient-facing platform peer competing for similar pharma sponsor RFPs in Japan and APAC.
Broad incumbents
- CMIC Holdings: Japan's largest CRO offering end-to-end clinical development services to pharma and medical institutions. Comparable as it serves the same Japan pharma sponsor base and operates SMOs and site-support functions that overlap with Buzzreach's partner site network and clinical operations offerings.
- EPS Holdings: Major Japanese CRO/SMO group providing clinical trial services to pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions. Directly comparable target customer base (Japan pharma and sites) and overlap with patient recruitment and clinical operations services.
- Veeva Systems: Global leader in life sciences cloud software including CTMS, eTMF, and clinical data management. Comparable as an enterprise CTMS/eTMF vendor targeting pharma clinical operations teams, though serving a much broader multi-region portfolio than Buzzreach.
- Medidata Solutions: Dassault Systèmes-owned platform providing EDC, CTMS, eCOA, and DCT infrastructure for clinical trials. Comparable as a technology backbone for clinical trial operations, but at much larger global scale and serving large pharma primarily.
- Oracle Health Sciences: Oracle's health sciences unit offers EDC, CTMS, and clinical trial analytics as part of its broader enterprise software portfolio. Comparable as a competing clinical trial informatics vendor to pharma sponsors globally.
- IQVIA: Global CRO and healthcare data/technology conglomerate with strong Japan operations. Comparable as both a clinical research services competitor and as a data/technology vendor intersecting with Buzzreach's RWD and feasibility capabilities.
Emerging players
- Castor: Cloud-based EDC and clinical trial data capture platform serving biotech and academic sponsors. Comparable as a newer-generation EDC/clinical data platform targeting DCT-era trials, though smaller and primarily outside Japan.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Buzzreach social profiles
Digital presenceBuzzreach compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Buzzreach financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Buzzreach leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Buzzreach funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Buzzreach 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 Buzzreach
What does Buzzreach do?
Buzzreach provides a vertical SaaS platform (branded StudyWorks / puzz) that enables pharmaceutical companies, medical institutions, and CROs to plan, manage, and run clinical trials end-to-end, including patient recruitment (P.R.), trial-condition search (smt), decentralized clinical trial operations, feasibility consulting (FeasiCon), and patient-facing applications such as Study Concierge and MiiLike. The company also operates a partner site network of medical institutions that supports decentralized clinical trial execution.
Is Buzzreach a public or private company?
Buzzreach is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Buzzreach founded?
Buzzreach was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Buzzreach based?
Buzzreach is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Buzzreach make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SaaS Platform Subscriptions (StudyWorks) is the primary driver. The others are professional Services, patient Recruitment Services and smt for X Services.
Who are Buzzreach's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Medrio, 3H Medi Solution and Signant Health. Broad incumbents are CMIC Holdings, EPS Holdings, Veeva Systems, Medidata Solutions, Oracle Health Sciences and IQVIA. Castor is listed as an emerging player.
Does Buzzreach have an API?
No public API is recorded for Buzzreach.
What industry is Buzzreach in?
Buzzreach's product category is Clinical Trial Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAJAM, Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF), with a secondary code of HLAGACAM, Clinical Trial Financial Management & Payments (Site Budgeting). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7372.