Permission

What Permission does

Permission Inc. (株式会社パーミッション) is a Tokyo-based internet media management company founded in 2005 that operates a dual B2B/B2C model. On the B2B side, the company provides end-to-end web and smartphone app development, IT consulting, design production, and 24/365 server monitoring and maintenance, with a proprietary monitoring system used to manage approximately 500 client servers. Its client work spans diverse verticals including aquaculture traceability (toresa / IKESU.jp blockchain platform), luxury watch e-commerce (Watch Gate on the EC PLUS shopping cart ASP), legal services, healthcare clinics, education, real estate, and entertainment, serving primarily Japanese SMB and mid-market customers. Representative engagements include Mr. (ミスター), a men's self-service hair removal salon reservation system in Fukuoka Tenjin, GAGA Online Theater video content distribution, and AppliDonna women's app recommendation service.

On the B2C side, the company develops and operates a portfolio of consumer mobile apps distributed globally through App Store and Google Play under its own publishing accounts. The portfolio includes AI博士 (ChatGPT-powered Japanese AI chat, available as both an app and a LINE official account), Pictor (Stable Diffusion-based AI image generation and high-resolution upscaling), SRC (password/biometric-locked private photo and video album with local-only storage), Onelink (link-in-bio service), 即決定 (decision-making roulette), and parenting/childcare utilities ベビレポ and ベビオト. Revenue from these apps comes through freemium subscriptions (e.g., SRC premium at ¥720/year or ¥100/month) and ads.

The company is led by Representative Director Takahiro Suzuki (鈴木崇浩), who co-founded the firm in 2005 alongside the prior representative and assumed the CEO role in 2015. Registered capital is ¥30 million following a 2014 increase from ¥3 million. The company holds a Privacy Mark certification from JISA and has relocated offices multiple times (Hiroo 2008, Ebisu 2015, Nakameguro 2020), reflecting ongoing but modest scaling within Tokyo.

Name

Permission

Legal name

株式会社パーミッション

Website

https://permission.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Permission is a Tokyo-based internet media management company operating a dual B2B/B2C model: it provides end-to-end web and mobile app development, IT consulting, design, and 24/365 server monitoring to Japanese SMB and mid-market clients, while also publishing a portfolio of consumer mobile apps including ChatGPT-powered AI chat, Stable Diffusion image generation, secure photo albums, and parenting utilities via global app stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kami-meguro

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Client Services - Web/App Development: Custom web systems and smartphone app development contracted to business clients. Covers full lifecycle from requirements definition through design, development, testing, and maintenance.
2. Client Services - Consulting: IT and system consulting services for business process improvement and digital transformation.
3. Server Maintenance Services: 24H365D server monitoring and management services, including AWS cloud operations and dedicated server management.
4. Owned Mobile Applications - Freemium: Self-developed consumer mobile apps (SRC, 即決定, ベビレポ, ベビオト, Onelink) distributed via App Store and Google Play. Free tier with optional premium subscriptions for enhanced features.
5. Premium App Subscriptions: Premium services for owned apps offering ad removal, unlimited storage, additional icons, and other convenience features. Annual and monthly billing options.
6. EC PLUS ASP Licensing: Shopping cart ASP service with flexible customization options provided to e-commerce operators.
7. Internet Advertising Agency: Internet advertising agency services as part of business activities.
8. Rental Server Business: Rental server services as part of core business operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Permission is a Tokyo-based internet media management company that provides end-to-end web business consulting, smartphone and web application development, design production, and 24/7/365 server maintenance services for business clients. The company also self-develops and operates a portfolio of consumer mobile apps (AI chat, AI image generation, secure photo/video locker, decision-making roulette, link-in-bio service, parenting tracker, baby soothing sounds) distributed globally through the App Store and Google Play under freemium and premium subscription pricing.

Product overview

Permission Inc. is a web business consulting and support company offering both client work and proprietary self-service products. The company operates a portfolio of consumer mobile apps including AI博士 (ChatGPT-powered Japanese AI chat available on app and LINE), Pictor (AI image generation using Stable Diffusion), Onelink (link-in-bio service), SRC (secure photo/video album with biometric lock), 即決定 (roulette decision app), ベビレポ (parenting tracker), ベビオト (baby soothing sounds), and mirror apps. On the enterprise/client side, they provide web systems development, smartphone app development, consulting, server maintenance, design production, EC PLUS shopping cart ASP, server monitoring, and customer management systems. The company was established November 1, 2005, with capital of 30 million yen, headquartered in Nakameguro, Tokyo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SRC: 鍵付きの写真・動画アルバムアプリ（iOS/Android対応）
• AI博士
• Pictor
• 即決定
• Onelink（ワンリンク）
• ベビレポ(babyrepo)
• ベビオト(babyoto)
• EC PLUS
• BA mirror
• ミラー360
• CMニュースライダー

Products and services

• Smartphone App Development (client service) Custom iOS and Android smartphone application development covering requirements definition, design, coding, testing, and release for Japanese business clients needing bespoke mobile apps.
• Web System Development (client service) Custom web system development using PHP, Laravel, CakePHP, PostgreSQL, and MySQL for Japanese business clients, including e-commerce platforms, reservation systems, and corporate websites.
• IT Consulting (client service) Upstream consulting on web business strategy, requirements definition, and digital transformation for Japanese business clients seeking to commercialize web and app initiatives.
• Server Maintenance / 24/7/365 Monitoring (client service) Managed operations service providing continuous 24/7/365 monitoring of client cloud and dedicated servers using Permission's proprietary monitoring tool, with email alerting on anomalies and AWS cloud operations support.
• Design Production (client service) Design services for web and mobile projects, including UI/UX, visual design, and graphic assets, delivered as part of Permission's full-stack project engagements.
• EC PLUS Shopping Cart ASP Customizable shopping-cart ASP service for e-commerce operators, offered as a flexible platform that can be tailored to operator-specific needs and used in Permission's client e-commerce builds (e.g., Watch Gate luxury watch store).
• サーバーモニタリングシステム (Server Monitoring System) Proprietary monitoring tool enabling Permission to provide 24/7/365 surveillance of approximately 500 cloud and dedicated servers with email notification of anomalies; offered as part of managed server services to clients.
• 顧客管理システム (Customer Management System package) Customizable customer management system package that Permission integrates into client projects to accelerate development timelines and reduce per-project cost.
• AI 博士 (AI Hakase) Consumer AI chat service available as a smartphone app and LINE official account that delivers Japanese-language conversational AI powered by the ChatGPT API for general queries and assistance.
• Pictor AI image generation app for iOS/Android using Stable Diffusion that creates AI illustrations from text prompts or existing images and performs image upscaling / high-resolution enhancement; available free with unlimited generation.
• Onelink (ワンリンク) Link-in-bio service that consolidates multiple social media and website links into a single URL, offered as a web version and a smartphone app.
• SRC Password- and biometric-protected photo and video album app for iOS/Android that keeps private media hidden via face/fingerprint authentication and a calculator-disguise mode, with local-only storage and optional cloud backup to Google Drive / Dropbox / iCloud.
• 即決定 (Soku Kettei) Roulette app for making decisions, selecting punishments, and running lotteries, with weighted probabilities, sequential no-repeat selection, and premium features such as backup/restore for device migration.
• ベビレポ (babyrepo) Parenting record and feeding timer app for iOS/Android that helps parents log feeding, diapers, and other baby activities.
• ベビオト (babyoto) Baby crying-sounds app for iOS/Android that plays various sounds to soothe a crying baby.
• ミラ—360 (Mirror360) Android mirror utility app that provides a simple on-screen mirror for everyday use.
• BA mirror iOS mirror application that combines a mirror view with before/after photo creation functionality.
• Rental Server Business Rental server service offered to Japanese businesses as part of Permission's core operations, providing server infrastructure on a rental basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~500 servers monitored 24H365D
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AI inside: AI inside (TSE 4488.T) is a Japanese AI platform company providing OCR and generative AI services. Its focus on Japanese-language AI products parallels Permission's AI博士 and Pictor offerings, though at significantly larger scale and with B2B-centric distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Hatena: Hatena is a private Japanese web services company operating blogging, bookmarking, and developer tools platforms. Its hybrid model of consumer web products plus B2B developer services (Mackerel monitoring) parallels Permission's dual B2C/B2B approach, particularly in the server monitoring space.
• Appier: Appier (TSE 4180.T) is an Asia-focused AI and marketing platform company. While much larger and B2B-focused, it represents the broader category of Asian AI companies leveraging data signals for product development, providing a scale benchmark for Permission's AI ambitions.
• Nulab: Nulab is a Japanese software company (TSE 4443.T) operating Backlog, Cacoo, and Typetalk. While larger and more product-focused than Permission, it represents the broader category of Japanese software companies combining B2B services with proprietary products, serving as a public-market reference for Permission's hybrid model.
• Money Forward: Money Forward (TSE 3994.T) is a Japanese fintech SaaS company offering personal finance and business accounting apps. As a Japanese tech company with consumer mobile apps and B2B services, it provides a scaled reference point for Permission's broader Japanese tech market positioning.
• Mercari: Mercari (TSE 4385.T) is a Japanese consumer mobile marketplace company that built its business on a smartphone-first approach. While much larger, it represents the broader category of Japanese consumer mobile app success stories and provides a benchmark for consumer mobile monetization at scale.
• Cookpad: Cookpad (TSE 2193.T) is a Japanese consumer mobile app company focused on recipe sharing. While its scale and category are very different, it represents the broader Japanese consumer mobile app market in which Permission's lifestyle apps (ベビレポ, ベビオト, 即決定) compete.

Direct peers

• Asobism: Asobism is a Japanese mobile app developer specializing in entertainment and lifestyle applications for iOS/Android. Its small-team consumer app development model is directly comparable to Permission's owned mobile app portfolio (SRC, 即決定, ベビレポ, etc.).
• Appirits: Appirits is a Tokyo-headquartered mobile and web application development studio listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (4170.T). It operates a similar dual model combining client services with proprietary products, making it the most directly comparable Japanese peer for Permission's web/app development plus own-product strategy.
• Goodpatch: Goodpatch is a Tokyo-based digital design and development company listed on the TSE (7352.T), providing design, prototyping, and engineering services for web and mobile apps. Its end-to-end product development focus with UI/UX emphasis aligns closely with Permission's design-and-development service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/permission.co.jp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Permission