iChain
iChain is a Tokyo-based InsurTech company founded in 2016 that operates iChainBase, a SaaS insurance contract management platform for Japanese insurers, alongside consumer policy management apps and small-amount short-term insurance establishment consulting services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What iChain does
iChain株式会社 (iChain Inc.) is a Tokyo-based InsurTech company founded on April 1, 2016, that develops and markets software and consulting services for the Japanese insurance sector. The company's core offering is iChainBase, a cloud-based SaaS insurance contract management platform that handles policy administration, underwriting assessment, premium billing and collection, claims intake and assessment, and customer/agent/product master data for small-amount short-term, life, non-life and mutual aid insurers. iChainBase is built with standard APIs by default, integrates OCR for insurance policy certificates, an anti-social forces check API, and SSO/API connectivity with insurance-company mypages, and is priced on a usage basis tied to the customer's monthly premium income.
Layered on iChainBase are two consumer smartphone apps: iChain保険ウォレット (iChain Insurance Wallet), the company-branded policy management app tightly coupled to iChainBase, and うちの保険 (Uchi no Hoken), an insurer-neutral app with family-sharing and SSO/API connectivity to participating carriers such as Dai-ichi Frontier Life, Dai-ichi Neo Life, Nanairo Life and Hanasaku Life. iChain also offers packaged end-to-end consulting for companies establishing new small-amount short-term insurers (少額短期保険会社設立プロデュース) and is preparing to launch 通勤管理クラウド (Commute Management Cloud), a corporate employee commute-management SaaS, in June 2026.
iChain generates revenue primarily through usage-based SaaS subscriptions for iChainBase (metered on customer monthly premium income), project-based consulting fees for new-insurer establishment engagements, and OEM/white-label licensing of its consumer wallet app (for example, Money Compass Japan distributes it as 'Sonaeru Compass'). Named enterprise relationships include Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Dai-ichi Frontier Life, Dai-ichi Neo Life, Nanairo Life, Hanasaku Life, Mobile Life Japan and Money Compass Japan. With 1-10 employees, 40,000,000 JPY in capital and reserves (as of October 2025), and a co-CEO leadership structure adopted on 2025-10-01, the company operates exclusively in the Japanese domestic market and is a member of the Japan Small-Amount Short-Term Insurance Association and the Fintech Association of Japan.
iChain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iChain
- Legal name
- iChain株式会社
- Website
- https://ichain.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- iChain is a Tokyo-based InsurTech company founded in 2016 that operates iChainBase, a SaaS insurance contract management platform for Japanese insurers, alongside consumer policy management apps and small-amount short-term insurance establishment consulting services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iChain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- InsurTech / Insurance Contract Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL)
Keywords
Where iChain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
iChain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- iChainBase SaaS subscription (usage-based pricing): Recurring revenue from the iChainBase insurance contract management platform. Pricing is metered / variable based on monthly insurance premium income collected by the customer, with customization and optional features quoted separately.
- iChainBase usage-based pricing component: Pricing scales with the customer's monthly premium income — variable/usage-based component of iChainBase billing.
- Small-amount short-term insurance company establishment consulting: Project-based professional services revenue from consulting engagements to help companies establish new small-amount short-term insurance companies — covering planning, registration, system procurement, and operational launch. Packaged service offering to reduce upfront customer costs.
- OEM licensing of iChain保険ウォレット: OEM/white-label licensing revenue — the iChain保険ウォレット app is licensed to partners (e.g., Money Compass Japan) who rebrand and distribute it as their own product (e.g., 'そなえるコンパス').
- Free consumer apps (うちの保険, iChain保険ウォレット): Consumer-side insurance management apps are provided free of charge to users — supporting distribution and platform/ecosystem value rather than direct revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | iChainBase — usage-based SaaS billed by monthly premium income |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | うちの保険 (Uchi no Hoken) — free consumer app |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | iChain保険ウォレット — free consumer app |
Go-to-market motion6 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
iChain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iChain develops and sells iChainBase, a cloud-based SaaS insurance contract management platform for Japanese life, non-life, small-amount short-term and mutual aid insurers, covering underwriting, premium billing/collection, claims processing, and customer/agent/product master data with standard API integrations. It also provides two free consumer smartphone apps (iChain保険ウォレット and うちの保険) for policyholders to manage and share their insurance policies, and offers consulting services to support new entrants establishing small-amount short-term insurance companies in Japan.
Product overview
iChain operates as an InsurTech (insurance technology) company delivering a platform-plus-modules architecture rather than a single unified product. The core platform is iChainBase, a SaaS-type insurance contract management system that handles underwriting workflows, premium billing/collection, claims assessment, customer/agent/product management, and external API integration for small-amount short-term, life, non-life, and mutual aid insurers. Layered on top of iChainBase are two consumer-facing smartphone apps: iChain保険ウォレット (iChain Insurance Wallet), which is the company-branded policy management app tightly coupled to iChainBase, and うちの保険 (Uchi no Hoken), the insurer-neutral policy management app designed for policyholders and their families with family-sharing and SSO/API connectivity to participating insurers. Complementing the platform, iChain offers the 少額短期保険会社設立プロデュース consulting service that supports new entrants and existing operators in the small-amount short-term insurance sector from planning through regulatory registration and core system replacement. Extending beyond insurance, iChain is preparing to launch the 通勤管理クラウド (Commute Management Cloud) in June 2026, a separate SaaS product applying the company's InsurTech expertise to corporate employee car-commute management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- iChainBase: SaaS-type insurance contract management platform for insurers (life, non-life, petty short-term, mutual aid), offering policy administration, premium billing/collection, claims processing, customer/agency/product management, and external API integrations.
- iChain保険ウォレット (iChain Insurance Wallet)
- うちの保険 (Uchi no Hoken)
- 通勤管理クラウド (Commute Management Cloud)
Products and services
- iChainBase SaaS-type insurance contract management platform for Japanese life, non-life, small-amount short-term, and mutual aid insurers. Provides contract management, premium billing/collection, claims intake and assessment, customer/agent/product master data, auto underwriting assessment, anti-social force checks, and external system integration via standard APIs, with usage-based pricing tied to monthly premium income.
- iChain保険ウォレット (iChain Insurance Wallet) Smartphone app for managing personal insurance policies; users photograph insurance certificates (OCR auto-extracts data), register policies, share policies with family members, view monthly/annual premiums, and quickly access insurer contact numbers at claim time. Tightly coupled to iChainBase for two-way data flow and also available via OEM/white-label.
- うちの保険 (Uchi no Hoken / "Our Insurance")
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000 registered users for the 'うちの保険' insurance management app
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use iChain
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
iChain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
iChain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major insurer partner, strategic, mid-tier, flagship / major insurance partner and strategic oem channel.
- Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance (第一フロンティア生命保険)major insurer partnerSSO and API integration service started 2025-03-31 between the 'うちの保険' app and Dai-ichi Frontier Life. Dai-ichi Frontier Life also issues dedicated QR codes on its policy documents for the app. First integration of this kind for iChain and a key milestone for the platform.
- Dai-ichi Neo Life Insurance (第一ネオ生命保険)major insurer partnerDai-ichi Neo Life supports the '保険会社とつながる' (Connect to Insurance Company) SSO/API feature and issues dedicated QR codes on its policy documents for the 'うちの保険' app (as of 2026-04-01).
- Genetec (ゼネテック)strategicCooperation announced 2023-02-07 with the aim of realizing safety and security for families and important people. The press release describes 'collaboration toward family safety and security' but does not specify a particular product.
- Mobile Life Japan (モバイルライフジャパン)mid-tierBusiness alliance announced 2020-07-14 for digital transformation of insurance agency operations (保険代理店DX). Extends iChain's reach through an agency partner channel.
- Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (三井住友海上)flagship / major insurance partnerCollaboration agreement announced 2018-09-11 between iChain and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance. Service integration started 2018-12-19. One of iChain's first and most prominent insurance-company partnerships, anchoring the InsurTech platform's enterprise traction.
- Money Compass Japan (株式会社マネーコンパス・ジャパン)strategic oem channelOEM licensee of iChain保険ウォレット. Money Compass Japan rebrand and distribute the wallet app as 'そなえるコンパス' (released 2020-01-23). They also hosted 'マネーLABO 2020' (2020-02-24) promoting financial planning with the app.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
iChain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Finatext (MoneyX Holdings): Japanese fintech platform that builds and operates consumer financial products including insurance and securities. Closest direct comparable in Japan: similar InsurTech platform-plus-apps architecture targeting Japanese retail and partner distribution.
- Lemonade: Public US InsurTech using a mobile-first app and AI-driven underwriting for life and non-life. Directly comparable on business model (consumer insurance app + carrier-style risk bearing) and a useful benchmark for cross-insurer aggregation, even though iChain serves carriers rather than underwriting directly.
Regional players
- ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance: Chinese InsurTech pioneer offering mobile-first insurance products and ecosystem distribution. Comparable as an Asian-region InsurTech platform, but operates in mainland China rather than competing with iChain in Japan.
Broad incumbents
- Hoken-no-Madoguchi (保険のマド/保険窓口): Japan's largest insurance agency chain with a digital platform for life and non-life products. Comparable as a broad Japanese insurance intermediary with both consumer-facing and B2B distribution, though much larger and more established than iChain.
- Hoken Ichiba (保険市場): One of Japan's leading insurance comparison and marketplace sites, owned by a major Japanese insurance group. Comparable consumer-facing insurance aggregator in the Japanese market, though it focuses on lead generation rather than carrier-side SaaS.
- Money Forward: Listed Japanese SaaS company providing financial/accounting/HR/payment software to SMBs and consumers. Comparable as a Japanese vertical-fintech SaaS business with insurance-adjacent features; broader portfolio than iChain's insurance-focused stack.
- NTT Data: Major Japanese IT services group with a dedicated insurance industry practice. Comparable as a broad incumbent that could build competing policy administration offerings; also a credible partner/channel for iChain-style integrations. iChain is a Plug and Play Japan/NTT Data open-innovation finalist.
- JustSystems: Established Japanese software vendor with insurance and enterprise document-management offerings. Comparable as a larger Japanese software incumbent whose document-handling capabilities overlap with iChainBase's OCR/contract workflow features.
Emerging players
- ZUU: Japanese fintech/asset-management platform with adjacent insurance content and distribution. Comparable as a smaller Japanese fintech with insurance-adjacent products and a digital consumer audience; less directly competitive on carrier-side SaaS.
- PolicyBazaar (PB Fintech): Indian InsurTech marketplace comparing and distributing insurance products to consumers. Comparable consumer-insurance aggregation model to 'うちの保険', though operating in India rather than Japan; useful as an emerging-market aggregator benchmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iChain social profiles
Digital presenceiChain compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
iChain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iChain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
iChain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iChain 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 iChain
What does iChain do?
iChain develops and sells iChainBase, a cloud-based SaaS insurance contract management platform for Japanese life, non-life, small-amount short-term and mutual aid insurers, covering underwriting, premium billing/collection, claims processing, and customer/agent/product master data with standard API integrations. It also provides two free consumer smartphone apps (iChain保険ウォレット and うちの保険) for policyholders to manage and share their insurance policies, and offers consulting services to support new entrants establishing small-amount short-term insurance companies in Japan.
Is iChain a public or private company?
iChain is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was iChain founded?
iChain was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is iChain based?
iChain is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does iChain make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. iChainBase SaaS subscription (usage-based pricing) is the primary driver. The others are iChainBase usage-based pricing component, small-amount short-term insurance company establishment consulting, OEM licensing of iChain保険ウォレット and free consumer apps (うちの保険, iChain保険ウォレット).
Who are iChain's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Finatext (MoneyX Holdings) and Lemonade. ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Hoken-no-Madoguchi (保険のマド/保険窓口), Hoken Ichiba (保険市場), Money Forward, NTT Data and JustSystems. Emerging players are ZUU and PolicyBazaar (PB Fintech).
Does iChain have an API?
Yes. iChainBase is implemented with standard APIs by default, providing extensibility through external service integration. The platform offers multiple API capabilities: 1) Contract Inquiry API (契約照会API) that allows contract information lookup from websites and smartphone apps, enabling integration with the insurance company's existing my-page; 2) Anti-social Forces Check API (反社チェックAPI) that connects to the insurance industry group's anti-social database via external API integration, automatically performing checks at new contract, renewal, and claims assessment; 3) Payment Collection API (収納代行API) supporting bank transfer and credit card payment services as standard, with optional support for mobile payment and convenience store payment methods; 4) Open API (オープンAPI) available as an option for integration with external household account book apps and asset management services. Additionally, the "うちの保険" (Uchi no Hoken) app provides SSO/API integration with insurance companies (e.g., Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance launched 2025-03-31, general SSO/API service launched 2023-04-28) to enable features such as direct login to insurer my-pages and retrieval of contract information from insurers. The API is documented as partner-facing, primarily used by insurance companies and external service integrators. Developer documentation is at ichain.co.jp/ichain_base.html.
What industry is iChain in?
iChain's product category is InsurTech / Insurance Contract Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAGAL, Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 6411.