Atama plus
Tokyo-based EdTech company providing AI-powered personalized K-12 learning systems to 4,500+ tutoring centers across Japan, plus own branded tutoring franchises, university pre-admission programs, and corporate employee training.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Atama plus does
Atama plus Inc. is a Tokyo-based EdTech company founded in April 2017 by CEO Daisuke Inada that develops an AI-powered personalized learning platform branded "atama+." The core system analyzes individual student learning data — including correct/incorrect answers, learning history, related subject mastery, concentration state, and forgetting curves — to create fully individualized curricula and identify root causes of knowledge gaps across grades and subjects. The company holds Patent No. 6397146 for real-time "passing soon" mastery prediction technology and has filed a patent for its AI-driven university entrance examination framework (UNITE Program). The platform serves K-12 students across mathematics, English, science, social studies, and Japanese, supported by 10 billion+ cumulative answers and 100 million+ learning hours of accumulated learning data as of 2026.
The company's primary business model is B2B2C subscription licensing to tutoring centers and cram schools (塾・予備校), reaching 4,000–4,500+ partner classrooms across all 47 Japanese prefectures. Major partners include Eikoh (Z-Kai Group subsidiary, 241 schools), Sundai (nationwide rollout), Eishinkan (59 locations), Nodajuku, Osshu Juku, Renseikai Group, and Tierra Com. Atama plus has progressively expanded into adjacent revenue streams: company-operated and franchised branded tutoring centers ("Shingaku Kobetsu atama+ Juku" franchise launched June 2024 with KDDI Group's AEON Holdings and JR Kyushu as anchor partners), an online tutoring platform ("atama+ Online Juku"), university pre-admission programs (200+ universities including Ritsumeikan, APU, Ryukoku, Aoyama Gakuin), and a newly launched corporate employee training program (March 2026). Cumulative funding totals approximately ¥8.2 billion (~$58M) across seed, Series A (JAFCO/DCM, 2019), and Series B (Pavilion Capital/T. Rowe Price, July 2021) rounds.
The company operates from its Iidabashi, Tokyo headquarters and employs 51–100 staff (down from ~190–200 in 2022). Its distribution is exclusively domestic Japan with no international expansion disclosed. Governance includes external directors from strategic partners (Sundai Group's Yamakuro Kiyoaki) and advisors from prior board members (Sansan's Terada Chikahiro, Merpay's Aoyagi Naoki). The company holds multiple industry recognitions, including the 2020 Japan e-Learning Award Grand Prize, and was recognized in 2021 by Mizuho Bank's Innovation Award program.
Atama plus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Atama plus
- Legal name
- atama plus株式会社
- Website
- https://corp.atama.plus
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tokyo-based EdTech company providing AI-powered personalized K-12 learning systems to 4,500+ tutoring centers across Japan, plus own branded tutoring franchises, university pre-admission programs, and corporate employee training.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Atama plus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI-powered adaptive learning software
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers) (EDAFAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms (EDANAGAD), Institutional & Program Analytics (Enrollment, Retention, Outcomes) (EDAFAFAK), Early Warning & Risk Prediction (Dropout/Failure Alerts, Intervention Targeting) (EDAFAFAE)
Keywords
Where Atama plus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Atama plus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- B2B Licensing to Tutoring Centers: AI教材 atama+ is provided to tutoring centers and cram schools (塾・予備校) across Japan on a per-student subscription or platform licensing basis. Partner centers include major chains like 栄光, Z会グループ, 駿台, 練成会グループ, 野田塾, and over 4,000 classrooms nationwide.
- Own Branded Tutoring Centers: Direct operation of tutoring centers including '進学個別 atama＋塾' (franchise) and 'atama＋ オンライン塾' (online). Revenue comes from student tuition fees, with a fixed-rate unlimited attendance model.
- University Programs: AI教材 for pre-enrollment education and university entrance exam programs provided to universities including 立命館大学, 龍谷大学, 青山学院大学, 日本大学, 北海道科学大学, 滋賀大学, and others.
- Corporate Employee Training: AI-powered employee training programs for businesses, including AI role-play and knowledge acquisition, offered on a custom/OEM basis to enterprise clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Fixed-rate unlimited attendance at atama＋塾 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Atama plus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Atama plus develops and licenses AI教材「atama＋」, an AI-driven personalized learning platform that diagnoses each student's knowledge gaps across subjects and grade levels, then prescribes a customized study program. The platform is deployed inside Japanese cram schools and tutoring centers and is also delivered through the company's own branded tutoring schools, online school, university programs, and corporate training offerings.
Product overview
Atama plus operates a unified AI-powered education platform centered on AI教材「atama＋」, an adaptive learning system that creates personalized curricula for each student. The core AI system analyzes individual learning data to identify stumbling points and recommend optimal learning sequences across multiple subjects (math, English, science, social studies, Japanese language) for elementary through high school students. The company extends its reach through multiple channels: 進学個別 atama＋塾 and atama＋ オンライン塾 (company-operated and franchised tutoring schools), 大学向けプログラム (university pre-admission programs including the UNITE Program), 企業向け従業員教育プログラム (corporate training), and 駿台atama＋オンライン模試 (online mock exams). Supporting tools include atama＋ COACH for instructors and atama＋ AI伸びしろ診断 for learning diagnostics. The platform serves over 4,500 tutoring school classrooms across Japan and continues to expand into new educational segments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AI教材「atama＋」: AI-powered personalized learning system that creates customized curricula for each student, offered to tutoring centers and prep schools nationwide.
- 進学個別 atama＋塾
- atama＋ オンライン塾
- 大学向けプログラム
- 企業向けプログラム
- 駿台atama＋オンライン模試
- atama＋ EdTech研究所
Products and services
- AI教材「atama＋」 (atama Plus AI Learning Platform) Cloud-based AI-driven personalized learning software that diagnoses each student's knowledge gaps at granular cross-subject, cross-grade resolution and prescribes a customized study program with adaptive content and on-demand step-by-step explanations. Licensed to private cram schools and tutoring centers across Japan for use inside their classrooms.
- Shingaku Kobetsu atama+ Juku (進学個別 atama＋塾) Company-operated branded individual tutoring school that delivers K-12 entrance-exam preparation using Atama plus's AI personalization engine. Targets individual student households; pricing is a flat monthly fee with unlimited attendance.
- atama+ Online Juku (atama＋ オンライン塾) Company-operated online tutoring school delivering AI-personalized K-12 learning to students remotely using the AI教材「atama＋」 engine. Serves individual student households seeking online, on-demand preparation.
- Sundai atama+ Online Moshi (駿台atama＋オンライン模試) Co-branded online mock-exam service delivered in partnership with Sundai, leveraging AI教材「atama＋」 to provide adaptive mock examinations for entrance-exam preparation.
- University Programs (大学向けプログラム) Institutional licensing program that delivers AI教材「atama＋」-powered supplemental learning to Japanese universities for preparatory, foundation, and academic-support programs aimed at undergraduates.
- Corporate Programs (企業向けプログラム) Enterprise program line that licenses AI教材「atama＋」 to Japanese corporations for employee reskilling, upskilling, and corporate training use cases, leveraging the same AI personalization engine used in K-12 to manage diverse workforce knowledge baselines.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students who used atama+ showed 50% improvement in center exam scores after just 2 weeks of use (2018)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Atama plus
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Atama plus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Atama plus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- JR Kyushu System Solutions (JR九州システムソリューションズ)coreIT subsidiary of JR Kyushu. Franchise partner opening 'atama+ juku' locations in Fukuoka. First location 'Kashii' opening March 2025. Operator of robot programming schools 'ProgLAB' in Kyushu.
- Nihon University College of Economics (日本大学経済学部)minorPre-enrollment education using atama+ Japanese language and English for economics faculty students. Aims to improve reading comprehension and English skills.
- Shiga University (滋賀大学)minorPre-enrollment education using atama+ math for data science faculty students. Focus on mathematics fundamentals needed for data science studies.
- Kyoei Gakuen Maebashi International University (共愛学園前橋国際大学)minorUNITE Program adopted for new Digital Co-creation Faculty's comprehensive selection entrance exam for AY2026.
- Daito Bunka University (大東文化大学)minorUNITE Program adopted for comprehensive selection entrance exam for AY2026.
- Hokkaido University of Science (北海道科学大学)minorPre-enrollment education using atama+ for all faculties' students admitted via comprehensive/推荐 selection for 2025 academic year.
- KDDI Group - AEON Holdings (イーオンホールディングス)coreKDDI group company operating 380+ English/Chinese language schools. Franchise partner for 'atama+ juku' opening 40 locations nationwide by summer 2025, leveraging AEON and AMITY classroom network.
- Yokohama University of Pharmacy (横浜薬科大学)minorAI learning program using atama+ chemistry topics for pharmaceutical faculty's comprehensive selection entrance exam. Students complete specified chemistry topics to qualify for application.
- Senri Kinran University (千里金蘭大学)minorAI learning program using atama+ chemistry or biology for nutrition faculty's comprehensive selection entrance exam. Science learning type program.
- Sundai - Yamakuro Kiyoaki (山畔清明)minorSundai Gakuentou Gakuen Managing Director Yamakuro Kiyoaki appointed as outside board director, succeeding Honda Kosuke (DCM) and Terada Chikahiro (Sansan) who stepped down March 2024.
- Ryukoku University (龍谷大学)minorPre-enrollment education using atama+ math courses for economics faculty students admitted via comprehensive selection and recommendation-based exams.
- Aoyama Gakuin University (青山学院大学)minorPre-enrollment education using atama+ math for social informatics faculty students admitted via sports-based selection programs.
- Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)coreUNITE Program extended to all APU faculties (Asia Pacific, International Management, Sustainability & Tourism). Students learn math topics using atama+ to qualify for comprehensive selection entrance exam.
- NPO Katariba (カタリバ)minorNPO providing online learning support to economically disadvantaged students. atama+ provided free of charge to Katariba programs. Expanded from 1 to 6 programs covering 100+ students including support for orphans, students with disabilities, and international roots.
- SansanminorSansan CEO Terada Chikahiro appointed as outside board director. Brings experience building SaaS unicorn company and perspective on education market innovation.
- Merpay (メルペイ)minorMerpay CEO Aoyagi Naoki appointed as advisor, bringing startup growth and management experience from GREE and Mercari.
- Ritsumeikan University (立命館大学)coreJoint research on new high school-university connection and entrance examination methods. Established 'UNITE Program' - first AI-based entrance examination program in Japan where students must master specific topics using atama+ to qualify for admission. Partnership expanded to APU (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University) in 2023.
- Eishinkan (英進館)core九州最大手 learning center with 59 teaching locations. Full rollout of atama+ across all locations; combined group class + AI learning curriculum. First major Kymshu region partnership.
- Sundai (学校法人駿河台学園)coreStrategic and capital partnership. Joint development of 'atama+ Sundai Online Mock Exam'. Sundai received equity stake. Full rollout of atama+ across all Sundai preparatory schools. 2024 partnership expansion with Sundai external director appointment.
- Z-Kai Group (Z会グループ) / 栄光coreZ-Kai Group subsidiary 栄光 opened 'atama+ visa-bi' branded locations (204 schools) and introduced atama+ across 133 栄光の個別ビザビ locations, expanding to all 241 schools.
- Shinyu Group (城南進学研究社)minorOperates '城南予備校DUO' using atama+ for AI learning courses.
- Tierra Com (ティエラコム)coreTierra Com operates '能開個別AIホロン' using atama+ across 43 individual classrooms and '能力開発センター' group classes across 77 locations. Full conversion of all individual tutoring classes to atama+ based 'AI Holon' model.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Atama plus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- StudySapuri (スタサプ / Quipper): Major Japanese online K-12 learning platform offering video lectures and adaptive practice for middle and high school students. While its pedagogical model is more video-driven than atama+'s AI-curriculum approach, it competes for the same student and tutoring-center wallet.
- Surala Net (すららネット): Japanese adaptive-learning platform providing AI-driven personalized curricula for K-12 students, distributed through schools and tutoring centers. It is the closest direct competitor to atama+ in the Japan market, with a similar B2B2C distribution model and adaptive-curriculum technology stack.
- Squirrel AI (松鼠AI / 乂学教育): China-based AI tutoring platform using adaptive learning algorithms to create personalized K-12 curricula. Operates at very large scale in China with a model and value proposition that closely mirrors atama+'s AI-driven individualized learning approach.
- Risu (リス / Risu Education): Japanese AI tutoring service for elementary school students (especially arithmetic) using tablet-based adaptive learning. Operates as a direct competitor in the younger end of atama+'s K-12 segment with a similar personalized-AI approach.
Broad incumbents
- ALEKS (McGraw-Hill): Long-established adaptive-learning platform using knowledge-space theory to personalize K-12 and higher-education math/science instruction. Comparable to atama+ as an AI-curriculum product but owned by a large incumbent publisher and without the tutoring-center channel focus.
- Benesse Holdings (ベネッセホールディングス): Largest incumbent Japanese education company, operating 进研ゼミ, 進研模試, and a wide portfolio of K-12 and lifelong-learning services. Comparable to atama+ as a broad educational-services incumbent with overlapping customer segments (students, parents, schools) but a much wider portfolio and different go-to-market.
Others
- Z-Kai Group (Z会グループ): Major Japanese cram-school and publishing group that is both an atama+ channel partner (241 schools via Eikoh) and a provider of competing K-12 educational content. Relevant as a strategic partner/competitor shaping atama+'s distribution.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy: Global free AI-enhanced learning platform with Khanmigo (GPT-based tutor) for K-12 students. Comparable as an AI-tutoring offering but distributed direct-to-consumer globally rather than via the partner tutoring-center channel that defines atama+.
- Smartick: AI-driven daily math learning platform for children, originally Spanish and now expanding internationally. Comparable to atama+ in its personalized, short-session adaptive-learning approach but focused narrowly on math.
- Sana Labs: AI-powered enterprise learning platform for corporate training and knowledge management. Most relevant peer for atama+'s newly launched corporate employee education vertical combining AI-driven practice with knowledge acquisition.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Atama plus social profiles
Digital presenceAtama plus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Atama plus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Atama plus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Atama plus 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 Atama plus
What does Atama plus do?
Atama plus develops and licenses AI教材「atama＋」, an AI-driven personalized learning platform that diagnoses each student's knowledge gaps across subjects and grade levels, then prescribes a customized study program. The platform is deployed inside Japanese cram schools and tutoring centers and is also delivered through the company's own branded tutoring schools, online school, university programs, and corporate training offerings.
Is Atama plus a public or private company?
Atama plus is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Atama plus founded?
Atama plus was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Atama plus based?
Atama plus is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Atama plus make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. B2B Licensing to Tutoring Centers are the primary driver. The others are own Branded Tutoring Centers, university Programs and corporate Employee Training.
Who are Atama plus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are StudySapuri (スタサプ / Quipper), Surala Net (すららネット), Squirrel AI (松鼠AI / 乂学教育) and Risu (リス / Risu Education). Broad incumbents are ALEKS (McGraw-Hill) and Benesse Holdings (ベネッセホールディングス). Z-Kai Group (Z会グループ) is listed as an others. Emerging players are Khan Academy, Smartick and Sana Labs.
Does Atama plus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Atama plus.
What industry is Atama plus in?
Atama plus's product category is AI-powered adaptive learning software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAFAC, AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers), with a secondary code of EDANAGAD, AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.