Connected Design

What Connected Design does

Connected Design (コネクティッドデザイン) 株式会社 was a Japanese technology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Setagaya, Tokyo, focused on the planning, development, and sale of IoT products and services for the smart-home segment. Its core offering combined IoT and digital technology with lifestyle applications targeted at residential consumers and businesses seeking enhanced living quality, underpinned by sensor-driven smart-home infrastructure and a Japan-focused go-to-market. The company positioned itself as a digital-transformation partner for smart-living adoption rather than as a hardware OEM, with a horizontal segmentation approach serving consumers using its smart-home use case.

The firm operated as a privately held, small-scale business with headcount in the 11-50 range, receiving a single disclosed funding round of approximately $3.69 million from Tokyu Corporation in January 2020. Leadership was anchored by founder and CEO Koji Takeda. Pricing, customer-specific contracts, and revenue figures were not publicly disclosed, and the company did not maintain publicly known patents, awards, certifications, or distribution partners beyond its strategic relationship with Its Communications (Itscom/ITSCOM). No AI/ML capabilities, named enterprise customers, or international footprints were evidenced in the source data.

On April 1, 2023, Connected Design executed an absorption-type merger with Its Communications (イッツ・コミュニケーションズ株式会社), a Tokyu Group affiliated cable/telecoms operator, with Itscom as the surviving entity. Connected Design was the dissolving company; all of its rights and obligations were succeeded by Itscom, and Connected Design ceased to exist as an independent legal entity. The stated strategic rationale was to fuse Connected Design's IoT/digital-technology expertise with Itscom's customer touchpoints to accelerate service adoption and quality, effectively converting the firm into an internal IoT unit of a larger Japanese operator.

Name

Connected Design

Legal name

Connected Design株式会社

Website

https://connected-design.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Connected Design was a Japanese IoT and smart-home solutions company founded in 2015, serving residential consumers and businesses with digital-technology-based connected-living services until its April 2023 absorption merger into Its Communications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Home IoT

NAICS

Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Home Hubs & Home Gateways (IoT Edge) (HDAFAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Networking & Connected Home Infrastructure (Wi‑Fi Mesh, Routers, Matter/Thread/Zigbee Bridges) (HSAPAQAG), Home Network/Wi‑Fi, Router & IoT Connectivity Setup (for Smart Home) (HSAHADAI), Smart Networking & Connectivity (Mesh Wi‑Fi, Routers, Bridges) Retail (CRACAGAH)

Keywords

• IoT products services
• Smart home solutions
• Connected devices
• Digital technology services
• Smart living platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Setagaya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Core offering

Connected Design plans, develops, and sells IoT products and services focused on smart home solutions for residential consumers and businesses. The company integrates digital technology to enhance lifestyle and living quality, and combined its IoT expertise with Its Communications' (Itscom) customer contact capabilities through an absorption merger effective April 1, 2023.

Product overview

Connected Design株式会社 is an IoT and smart home company that operated as a subsidiary/integrated unit providing digital technology solutions for residential and lifestyle applications. As of April 1, 2023, the company completed an absorption merger with イッツ・コミュニケーションズ株式会社 (ITSCOM/イッツコム), with ITSCOM as the surviving entity. The merger combined Connected Design's IoT and digital technology expertise with ITSCOM's customer touchpoints to expand service reach and quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• イッツ・コミュニケーションズ株式会社 (ISCOM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Connected Design merged with ISCOM on April 1, 2023. ISCOM was the surviving company while Connected Design was the dissolving company. All rights and obligations of Connected Design were transferred to ISCOM. The merger combined Connected Design's IoT and digital technology expertise with ISCOM's customer contact capabilities, aiming to enhance service popularization and quality improvement.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• J:COM: J:COM is Japan's largest cable television and telecommunications operator, providing cable internet, TV, telephony, and increasingly bundled smart home/IoT services to households. J:COM overlaps directly with Connected Design/Itscom on bundling smart home capabilities on top of Japanese cable ISP infrastructure — comparable business model and customer base.
• Control4 (Snap One): Control4 is a smart home integration and automation platform that designs, develops, and sells whole-home control systems and IoT products. Its planning, development, and sales model across IoT home automation closely mirrors Connected Design's described approach.
• Vivint Smart Home: Vivint is a U.S.-based smart home services company providing professionally installed home security, automation, and IoT services to residential customers. It is comparable to Connected Design in delivering integrated smart home IoT solutions (security, sensors, home networking) as a service to consumers.
• Alarm.com: Alarm.com is a smart home / connected property platform offering IoT hardware, software, and services for security, energy, and home automation. It is comparable to Connected Design as a vertically capable provider of planning, development, and sale of IoT products and services targeting residential customers.

Broad incumbents

• KDDI (au HOME): KDDI is one of Japan's largest mobile and fixed-line telecom operators, offering the 'au HOME' smart home platform that bundles IoT sensors, hubs, and home automation with telecom services. KDDI is comparable to Itscom/Connected Design as a major Japanese telecom expanding into adjacent smart home services for its subscriber base.
• SoftBank (SoftBank Smart Home): SoftBank is a major Japanese telecom operator offering smart home services, IoT connectivity, and home networking solutions to its mobile and broadband subscribers. Its convergence play between telecom and IoT home services is directly analogous to Connected Design's planned integration with Itscom.
• Panasonic (Smart Home / IoT): Panasonic operates a significant smart home and home appliance IoT business in Japan and globally, including home networking, sensors, and home automation products. As a Japanese incumbent with deep retail distribution and brand equity, it competes for the same residential smart home IoT wallet that Connected Design addresses.
• LIXIL (LIFEELE / Home IoT): LIXIL is a major Japanese housing and building products company with a growing smart home/IoT portfolio (LIFEELE) covering connected fixtures, sensors, and home automation. It is comparable to Connected Design as a Japan-focused provider integrating IoT into residential living experiences.
• Sharp (SHARP IoT / Smart Home): Sharp offers smart home-related IoT products and connected appliances in the Japanese market, leveraging its brand and home appliance retail channels. It overlaps with Connected Design on Japan-centric smart home IoT offerings targeted at residential consumers.

Emerging players

• Loxone: Loxone is a European smart home automation specialist providing planning, development, and sales of IoT products (controllers, sensors, automation software) primarily to installers and end customers. It parallels Connected Design's specialist IoT planning-and-development role in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ConnectedDesignInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Connected Design