Dofa
Dofa is a Tokyo-based Japanese HR services company operating a portfolio of recruitment platforms, including Kasooku (sales side-jobs), Satsuten (Hokkaido jobs), Sekokan (construction), and IPO Preparation Job Change, serving job seekers, startups, and regional SMEs across Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dofa does
Dofa (株式会社ドゥーファ) is a privately held Japanese HR and digital-transformation services company founded in September 2017 by Kento Ichinohe and headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo after relocating from Muroran, Hokkaido in November 2024. The company operates a portfolio of web-based recruitment platforms, with its core product Kasooku being a sales-focused side-job matching marketplace connecting individuals seeking part-time work with companies posting sales or business projects. Complementary platforms target specific segments: Satsuten serves Hokkaido/Sapporo job seekers, Sekokan focuses on construction-industry professionals, and IPO Preparation Job Change (launched July 2024 with Uniforce) places CXO and back-office talent into pre-IPO companies. Dofa's Fukugyo Tenshoku offering adds a 3-month trial-period model that lets candidates work part-time before formal hiring decisions.
Dofa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dofa
- Legal name
- 株式会社ドゥーファ
- Website
- https://dofa.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dofa is a Tokyo-based Japanese HR services company operating a portfolio of recruitment platforms, including Kasooku (sales side-jobs), Satsuten (Hokkaido jobs), Sekokan (construction), and IPO Preparation Job Change, serving job seekers, startups, and regional SMEs across Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dofa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Recruitment Platform
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD), Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services) (BPAMAHAG), Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)
Keywords
Where Dofa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Dofa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Enterprise platform subscription: Companies pay monthly subscription fees to post job listings and access candidates. Regular plan starts at 50,000 yen per month with unlimited candidate interviews
- Recruitment success fee: Success-based fee model where Dofa receives payment upon successful placement of a candidate, whether through full-time or side-job-to-permanent conversion
- Gacco online course sales agent: Dofa acts as a sales agent for NTT DOCOMO gacco's online course platform, earning commissions on course enrollments
- Media advertising: Revenue from operating multiple web media properties (DivAI Press, media Kasooku) and selling advertising placements to companies seeking exposure
- DX consulting and IT implementation services: Professional services revenue from IT introduction support, SaaS implementation consulting, and DX transformation support for regional companies
- M&A advisory services: Advisory services for companies seeking M&A transactions, business reorganization, and value maximization through experienced advisor networks
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Individual users - Free access to browse and apply for side jobs |
| Subscription | Monthly | Regular plan - 50,000 yen/month minimum for companies |
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise plan - Higher tier with unlimited profile views and scout capability |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Side job career change service - Success-based fee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium/Professional plan - Higher pricing tier |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Dofa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dofa operates web-based recruitment matching platforms (Kasooku for sales-focused side jobs, Satsuten for Hokkaido, Sekoukan for construction, and the IPO Preparation Job Change service) that connect individual job seekers with companies on a free-for-candidates, paid-by-employers basis. In parallel, the company runs a Career Design human-resources introduction agency, a DX (digital transformation) implementation and SaaS consulting practice for regional SMEs, and an M&A advisory service, supplemented by AI/DX media properties (DivAI Press, media Kasooku) that monetize via advertising.
Product overview
Dofa operates a multi-service HR and consulting platform with a portfolio of interconnected products. Core offerings include Kasooku (side-job matching platform), IPO準備転職 (IPO preparation job placement), and 複業転職/副業転職 (trial-period based recruitment). These are supported by regional job placement services (サツテン, セコカン), media platforms (DivAI Press, media Kasooku), and consulting services covering career design, DX support, M&A advisory, and media/advertising.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kasooku (カソーク): Side job/part-time job matching platform for sales and business professionals, including corporate version and individual registration.
- サツテン (Satsuten)
- セコカン (Sekoukan)
- IPO準備転職
- DivAI Press
- media Kasooku
- 複業転職 (Fukugyo Tenshoku)
Products and services
- Kasooku (カソーク) Sales-focused side-job and freelance matching platform connecting companies with individuals seeking part-time work; free for individuals, paid subscription for companies; supports job posting, profile matching, scout functions, messaging, and non-monetary rewards alongside cash.
- Satsuten (サツテン) Regional job placement platform focused on Sapporo and the Hokkaido area, helping local residents find employment opportunities within Hokkaido.
- Sekoukan (セコウカン) Construction and building industry professional job placement platform supporting career advancement for technical workers and helping companies recruit specialized personnel.
- IPO Preparation Job Change (IPO準備転職) Job placement service operated in partnership with Uniforce, connecting IPO preparation and high-growth companies seeking CXO-level and experienced back-office talent with professionals looking for career opportunities in growth-stage companies.
- Fukugyo Tenshoku (複業転職 / 副業転職) New recruitment platform that incorporates trial work periods (side-job or internship) into the selection process; candidates work for up to 3 months before a formal hiring decision, reducing mismatch risk for both sides.
- Career Design (キャリアデザイン事業) Human resources introduction and job placement / recruitment agency service providing career consulting, job-hunting support, interview preparation, and matching for job seekers and companies.
- DX Support (DX支援事業) IT introduction and digital transformation support service utilizing a professional talent network and SaaS implementation experience to support DX adoption for local companies, from tool selection through implementation.
- M&A Advisory (M&A事業) Merger and acquisition advisory service with experienced advisors supporting corporate growth strategies, optimal M&A plan development and execution, and business reorganization through acquisitions and integrations.
- Media & Advertising (メディア・広告事業) Multi-platform web media operation including DivAI Press (AI/DX news) and media Kasooku (side-job work-style magazine) with advertising monetization across both company and individual audiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65.2% of registered users are first-time side job seekers, indicating strong ability to attract and convert new participants into the side job market
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dofa
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dofa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Dofa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Uniforce Co., Ltd. (ユニフォース株式会社)coreCapital and business partnership established November 2024. The partnership enables Dofa to provide executive and back-office recruitment services for IPO preparation companies through Uniforce's network of governance and compliance consulting clients. The collaboration combines Dofa's startup recruitment expertise with Uniforce's IPO support services, creating comprehensive talent solutions for growth-stage companies. The partnership was initiated following the successful joint launch of the 'IPO Preparation Career Change' service in July 2024.
- NTT DOCOMO gacco Co., Ltd. (株式会社NTTドコモgacco)minorSales agent partnership for gacco online course platform. Dofa resells NTT DOCOMO gacco's online educational courses to corporate clients and organizations, expanding the reach of these services in regional markets.
- Lancers Inc. (ランサーズ株式会社)minorPartnership connecting Kasooku users with Lancers' Online BPO Center service. Users registered on Kasooku can access opportunities within Lancers' BPO operations, while Dofa's platform gains access to Lancers' database of 1.15 million freelancers for enhanced talent matching.
- ITOCHU Techno Solutions Corporation (伊藤忠テクノソリューションズ株式会社)minorCollaborative interview and discussion partnership featuring Dofa CEO Ichinohe and CTC executive Matsuda on R25 platform about side job talent utilization best practices.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dofa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CrowdCare: Japan-focused SaaS and DX support services firm that overlaps with Dofa's DX支援事業 line, helping regional SMEs with SaaS implementation and IT adoption.
Direct peers
- Lancers: Japan's leading crowdsourcing/freelance marketplace with 1.15M+ registered freelancers. Dofa actually has a partnership with Lancers for its Online BPO Center, indicating direct competition and complementarity in the side-job/gig matching space.
- BizReach: Major Japan-headquartered mid-career recruitment platform serving experienced professionals and executives. Directly competes with Dofa's career design and IPO-prep placement services for high-quality placement fees.
- Wantedly: Japanese recruitment matching platform focused on startup and tech employer hiring, with a similar dual-sided model connecting companies and candidates. Closely comparable in product mechanics to Kasooku and Dofa's career design business.
- Timee: Japanese 'help work' / short-time gig marketplace with strong consumer brand. Competes with Kasooku in the side-job matching space, particularly for shorter-duration engagements.
- JAC Recruitment: Specialist Japanese recruitment firm for mid-career professionals and executives. Direct competitor in the IPO-preparation executive placement vertical that Dofa entered via the Uniforce partnership.
Broad incumbents
- Recruit Holdings: Japan's dominant HR/recruitment conglomerate operating Indeed, Rikunabi, and many other HR brands. Operates broadly in every category Dofa touches (recruitment, side-jobs, media) with vastly greater scale and resources.
- Indeed (Japan operations): Global job board with substantial Japan presence; competes broadly across Dofa's full-time recruitment (career design) vertical via large employer adoption and SEO-driven candidate traffic.
- Dip Corporation: Japanese HR services group operating job boards (Indeed Japan partnership, Baitoru) and HRTech. Competes with Dofa's recruitment platform business as a broader incumbent with greater capital depth.
Others
- Manmaru E-net: Operator of the '転職鉄板ガイド' job board where Dofa's services are listed as a partner recommendation. An adjacent ecosystem participant (job information aggregator) rather than a direct competitor, but indicative of the broader Japanese recruitment media ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dofa social profiles
Digital presenceDofa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dofa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dofa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dofa 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 Dofa
What does Dofa do?
Dofa operates web-based recruitment matching platforms (Kasooku for sales-focused side jobs, Satsuten for Hokkaido, Sekoukan for construction, and the IPO Preparation Job Change service) that connect individual job seekers with companies on a free-for-candidates, paid-by-employers basis. In parallel, the company runs a Career Design human-resources introduction agency, a DX (digital transformation) implementation and SaaS consulting practice for regional SMEs, and an M&A advisory service, supplemented by AI/DX media properties (DivAI Press, media Kasooku) that monetize via advertising.
Is Dofa a public or private company?
Dofa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dofa founded?
Dofa was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dofa based?
Dofa is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Dofa make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Enterprise platform subscription is the primary driver. The others are recruitment success fee, gacco online course sales agent, media advertising, DX consulting and IT implementation services and M&A advisory services.
Who are Dofa's main competitors?
CrowdCare is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Lancers, BizReach, Wantedly, Timee and JAC Recruitment. Broad incumbents are Recruit Holdings, Indeed (Japan operations) and Dip Corporation. Manmaru E-net is listed as an others.
Does Dofa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dofa.
What industry is Dofa in?
Dofa's product category is Online Recruitment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAL, Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services, with a secondary code of BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.