Research and Innovation

What Research and Innovation does

Research and Innovation Co., Ltd. (RNI) is a Tokyo-based market research company founded in 2011 that operates a dual-sided purchase-data platform connecting Japanese consumers with consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and advertising agencies. On the consumer side, RNI runs the CODE mobile app, a gamified receipt- and barcode-scanning application that rewards users with TAMARU points and had 3.67 million registered members, 559.32 million scanned receipts, and ¥198.57 billion in cumulative receipt value as of March 2026. On the enterprise side, the CODE for Business suite packages this purchase log — branded Kailog — into research (Kailog QA real-time surveys with patent-pending methodology, Kailog Talk interviews), promotion (Kailog SP sampling), advertising (Kailog AD in-app), and data provision (Kailog View BI tool with 300,000 MAU) products, supplemented by the consumer-facing Monolog review site and the Consumer Insight Research Institute content portal.

The platform's technical core combines mobile barcode scanning, a patent-pending real-time survey engine, and a co-developed methodology with parent Intage Inc. for barcode-level fresh and prepared-food analysis reported at over 80% accuracy. RNI monetizes primarily through enterprise subscriptions and project-based research engagements targeting CPG manufacturers, retailers/distributors, and ad agencies; the consumer app is freemium, with point issuance serving as both engagement mechanic and data-collection cost. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

RNI has been a majority-owned subsidiary of Intage Inc. since May 24, 2021, when Intage acquired a controlling stake to integrate CODE's verified-purchase data with its marketing research infrastructure. Earlier disclosed venture funding included a 2014 round of approximately $2.12M and a 2015 round of approximately $1.65M from DBJ Capital, JAFCO, and Mizuho Capital, followed by successive Intage-led capital injections in 2017, 2018, and 2021. RNI operates exclusively in Japan and has not disclosed pricing, enterprise customer logos, or audited financials.

Name

Research and Innovation

Legal name

株式会社リサーチ・アンド・イノベーション

Website

https://r-n-i.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Research and Innovation operates the CODE mobile app, a gamified receipt-scanning platform with 3.67 million registered members in Japan, and sells the resulting verified-purchase data to consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers through its Kailog enterprise suite. It is a majority-owned subsidiary of Intage Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Purchase Data Analytics Platform

NAICS

Credit Bureaus (56145), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• Purchase data analytics
• Consumer insights platform
• Mobile receipt scanning
• Market research services
• Retail data BI tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CODE Consumer App (B2C): Freemium mobile app generating revenue through consumer engagement. Users earn points (TAMARU points) for scanning receipts and barcodes, which can be exchanged for gift cards and other rewards. The app collects purchase data that is monetized through enterprise services.
2. CODE for Business Enterprise Services: B2B services including research (Kailog QA, Kailog Talk), promotion (Kailog SP), advertising (Kailog AD), and data provision (Kailog View). Provides purchase data analytics and consumer insights to enterprise clients in consumer goods, retail, and advertising sectors.
3. Data Provision - 買いログView: BI tool providing quantitative purchase data (MAU 300,000) and qualitative review/rating data. Offers category analysis, product comparison, repeat analysis, flow analysis, basket analysis, and review analysis. Includes fresh/perishable goods data.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Research and Innovation operates a dual-sided "information bank" platform that connects consumers and businesses through purchase data. The consumer-facing CODE mobile app gamifies receipt and barcode scanning to collect purchase data from over 3.67 million registered members, rewarding users with points. The B2B CODE for Business suite monetizes that data through research (Kailog QA, Kailog Talk), promotions (Kailog SP), advertising (Kailog AD), and a BI analytics platform (Kailog View) sold to consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, and advertising agencies in Japan.

Product overview

Research and Innovation (RNI) operates a dual-sided data platform connecting consumers and businesses through purchase data. The core consumer product is CODE, a mobile app that gamifies receipt and barcode scanning to collect purchase data from 3.67 million registered members (as of March 2026). The enterprise suite CODE for Business provides services including: 買いログQA/秒速QA (real-time purchase-based surveys with patent-pending methodology), 買いログTalk/Talk self (actual purchaser interview services), 買いログSP (sampling and verification), 買いログAD (in-app advertising), and 買いログView (BI analytics tool with 300,000 MAU). Supporting consumer-facing properties include ものログ (product review/rating site) and 消費者インサイト研究所 (consumer insights research portal).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CODE: Consumer-facing mobile app that collects purchase data through gamification. The app allows users to scan receipts and earn points, with over 3.67 million registered members as of March 2026.
• CODE for Business
• 買いログ (KaiLog)
• 買いログQA
• 買いログTalk
• 買いログSP
• 買いログAD
• 買いログView
• ものログ (Monolog)
• 消費者インサイト研究所

Products and services

• CODE (consumer mobile app)

Quantifiable outcome

• 367万以上の累計登録会員数を誇り、月次3500万件以上の購買データを収集
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Intage Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2021Intage Inc. acquired the majority of RNI's shares on May 24, 2021, making Research and Innovation a subsidiary. The acquisition aimed to combine RNI's data services with Intage's marketing assets to advance digital marketing and consumer insights. RNI maintains operations while benefiting from Intage's broader marketing infrastructure.
• Intage Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of proprietary methodology for fresh and prepared food data analysis at barcode level. The collaboration leverages Intage's marketing data expertise with RNI's CODE purchase data platform to provide unprecedented fresh goods purchase analysis across retail chains.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Macromill, Inc. Tokyo-headquartered online market research firm operating large consumer panels in Japan and globally. Direct competitor in B2B market research/consumer insights, with overlapping customers in CPG and retail.
• Cross Marketing Inc. Japanese market research company providing consumer panels, online surveys, and qualitative research to CPG, retail, and advertising clients. Directly comparable in offering mix and customer base.
• GMO Research & AI, Inc. Operates GMO Research Panel, one of Asia's largest online consumer panels, providing market research services similar to RNI's Kailog offerings. Direct peer in panel-based consumer insights.
• Rakuten Insight, Inc. Operates Japan's largest proprietary online research panel derived from Rakuten's consumer base. Directly comparable business model (panel-as-a-product) and customer overlap in CPG/retail research.

Broad incumbents

• Intage Inc. RNI's majority parent and Japan's largest marketing research company, offering SCI (Consumer Panel Survey), SRI+, and broader marketing analytics. Overlaps in consumer purchase data but at much greater scale across multiple research methodologies.
• NielsenIQ Japan: Global market research leader providing consumer panel and retail measurement services in Japan (HomeScan). Offers overlapping purchase-data analytics but at a broader portfolio level.
• Circana (IRI Japan): Global provider of retail measurement and consumer insights including scanner data and panel-based research in Japan. Overlaps with RNI's purchase-data analytics and CPG/retail client base.
• Kantar Japan: Global market research firm offering consumer panel (Worldpanel) and brand/ advertising research in Japan. Comparable in B2B research/insights but at a much larger and broader portfolio scale.

Regional players

• Video Research Ltd. Japan's leading media research firm providing audience measurement and consumer media behavior data. Tangentially comparable as a Japanese consumer-research incumbent but focused on media rather than purchase data.

Emerging players

• Monet (E-Commerce Consumer Insights): Japan-based consumer panel and online survey provider serving CPG and digital advertisers. Comparable in panel/research-as-a-service model but smaller scale and more focused on digital/e-commerce use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CODE_point_app
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfCwOob3AvSwaeFp0ke422w
• Facebookfacebook.com/code.rni
• Instagraminstagram.com/code_app
• TikToktiktok.com/@code_app

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors8 records

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 Research and Innovation