for Startups
for Startups Inc. is a publicly listed Japanese startup support platform operating a hybrid capital model that combines executive talent placement, a proprietary 26,000+ company STARTUP DB database, venture investment, M&A advisory, and major industry conferences including GRIC and FUSE.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What for Startups does
for Startups Inc. (TSE Growth: 7089), founded in September 2016 and headquartered in Tokyo, is a publicly listed growth-industry support firm operating a hybrid capital model targeted at Japanese startups. The company combines human capital support (executive-level talent placement for startups, including a specialized engineering team called Engineer Produce) with capital support through its wholly owned subsidiary Force Startup Capital (for Startups Capital), and extends into startup M&A brokerage, acceleration programs, and entrepreneurship support in partnership with VCs and research institutions including Kyoto University's Startup M&A Chair. Its proprietary technology asset is STARTUP DB, a structured platform aggregating information on 26,000+ Japanese startups and venture companies with financing and patent data, integrated with global databases Crunchbase and Dealroom.co. The firm also operates a proprietary conference ecosystem — most prominently GRIC (12,000+ registrants, 46 countries, 220+ speakers in 2025) and FUSE (large-scale online corporate–startup matching), plus the M&A for Startups Conference co-hosted with Mitsui Sumitomo Bank — that serve as both brand assets and distribution channels.
The company earns revenue through multiple streams: transaction-based success fees on executive placements (200% of first-year candidate salary or ¥1.5M minimum), professional services fees for open-innovation and M&A advisory work, sponsorship and partnership revenue from events, and capital returns from for Startups Capital investments. Pricing on the special candidate search engagement is ¥10M upfront plus ¥10M per activity month, indicating high unit economics per placement. Distribution is multi-channel: direct enterprise sales by Human Capital consultants, the self-serve STARTUP DB platform accessible globally, and event-based distribution via conferences. The customer base spans Japanese startups seeking executive talent, large enterprises seeking open-innovation partnerships, and investors participating in the M&A and conference ecosystems; geographic operations are primarily domestic Japan with international exposure through the database integrations.
Strategic posture indicates a maturing public company scaling an ecosystem-platform playbook: a recent head-office relocation to Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower 31F (recognized with the 2025 Good Design Award and A' Design Award Bronze), a flurry of government-aligned partnerships around Japan's Startup Development 5-Year Plan, expansion into deeptech via the Aichi Deeptech Launchpad, and a third-consecutive-year strategic-partner role at IVS2026. The leadership team — CEO Shimizu Yuichiro (first Japan Headhunter Hall of Fame inductee), COO Tsuneda Yukiko, and a bench of CXOs and directors — combines headhunting pedigree with capital-markets discipline, though net income has compressed from ¥3.3B (2023) to ¥2.4B (2025) even as revenue has grown, signaling margin discipline as the next operational frontier.
for Startups firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- for Startups
- Legal name
- フォースタートアップス株式会社
- Website
- https://forstartups.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- for Startups Inc. is a publicly listed Japanese startup support platform operating a hybrid capital model that combines executive talent placement, a proprietary 26,000+ company STARTUP DB database, venture investment, M&A advisory, and major industry conferences including GRIC and FUSE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
for Startups industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Support Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where for Startups is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
for Startups business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Talent Placement Agency: Executive-level talent placement for startups generating spot-revenue success fees. Revenue is primarily from high-unit-price executive search assignments through exclusive job-opening pipelines built via venture capital partnerships.
- Open Innovation Support: Supporting corporate-startup partnerships and open innovation initiatives using proprietary startup database and VC networks.
- Event & Conference Services: Organizing GRIC, M&A for Startups Conference, FUSE and other major events generating sponsorship and partnership revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Executive Placement Success Fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
for Startups product offering
Product offeringCore offering
for Startups provides hybrid capital support to Japan's growth industry ecosystem through executive-level talent placement (Human Capital), startup M&A advisory, and direct venture capital investment via for Startups Capital. The firm operates the proprietary STARTUP DB database covering 26,000+ Japanese startups and orchestrates large-scale conferences including GRIC and FUSE to connect startups, corporations, and investors.
Product overview
for Startups operates as a growth industry support platform combining multiple services centered on human capital (talent placement) and capital (investment) support. The core portfolio includes: Human Capital recruitment services for executive placements, the proprietary STARTUP DB database (26,000+ companies), for Startups Capital investment arm, Startup M&A brokerage, Acceleration programs, and the GRIC conference brand. Supporting sub-brands include FUSE (corporate-startup matching conference), EP (engineer career support), EVANGE (executive media), and Challengers (content series). The company also provides entrepreneurship support services, positioning itself as a comprehensive startup ecosystem enabler.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STARTUP DB: Growth industry information platform covering 26,000+ startup and venture companies with finance information and patent data
- GRIC
- M&A for Startups
- for Startups Capital
- Human Capital
- EP (Engineer Produce)
- FUSE
Products and services
- Human Capital (人材支援) Executive-level talent placement and career consulting services for startups and growth-stage companies, generating revenue through success-based fees from high-value recruitment assignments. Licensed as a fee-charging employment placement business (有料職業紹介事業者).
- STARTUP DB A proprietary startup database containing information on over 26,000 Japanese companies with financing data, business details, and patent information, with data partnerships linking to global venture capital databases Crunchbase and Dealroom.co.
- for Startups Capital Investment arm providing strategic capital support to growth-stage startups as part of the company's hybrid capital business model combining human capital and financial capital support.
- Startup M&A (スタートアップM&A) M&A brokerage and advisory services facilitating startup acquisitions and mergers to support innovation-driven growth in Japan.
- Acceleration (アクセラレーション) Open innovation acceleration programs and support services for startups, promoting industry-academia-government collaboration to drive innovation across major Japanese cities.
- Entrepreneurship Support (起業支援) Startup entrepreneurship support services collaborating with venture capital firms and research institutions to cultivate startup founders and foster new company formation.
- EP (Engineer Produce) Specialized engineering career support team focusing on placing engineers into startup positions, rediscovering and uncovering engineering talent for placement in high-growth startups.
- GRIC (Growth Industry Conference) One of Japan's largest growth industry conferences, connecting startups, corporations, and investors with over 12,000 registrants, 220+ speakers, 2,333 startups, and participants from 46 countries.
- FUSE Large-scale online conference connecting startups with corporations, attracting over 2,400 attendees, 60+ speakers, and 3,400+ online networking sessions in its first edition.
Quantifiable outcome
- Executives placed at startups earn average annual salary of 850万円, exceeding Japanese average by 372万円
Companies that use for Startups
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
for Startups technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
for Startups partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.
- Mitsui Sumitomo Bank (三井住友銀行)coreCo-hosting M&A for Startups Conference 2026 on September 4, 2026 in Tokyo to address bottlenecks in Japan's startup M&A ecosystem. The conference will feature six sessions covering M&A valuation, post-merger integration, and VC perspectives, targeting startups, buyers, investors, financial institutions, and policymakers. Part of government Startup Development 5-Year Plan initiative.
- IVS KYOTO Executive CommitteecoreStrategic partner for IVS2026 conference in Kyoto (July 1-3, 2026). Operates IVS STATION with 15+ side events, including IVS Annaijo networking hub. Theme: 'Japan is Back'.
- Community Bank Kyoshin (コミュニティ・バンク京信)minorCo-creation facility operator providing venue 'QUESTION' for IVS STATION events during IVS2026 conference.
- CIC Catalyst APACcoreCo-operating Aichi Deeptech Launchpad 2026 program with CIC Catalyst APAC and Livenness to support deeptech startups in Aichi Prefecture. Focus on technology social implementation and disruptive innovation.
- Livenness (株式会社リバネス)coreCo-operating Aichi Deeptech Launchpad 2026 program together with CIC Catalyst APAC to support deeptech startups in Aichi Prefecture.
- CrunchbasecoreData partnership linking STARTUP DB with global venture capital database Crunchbase to deliver Japanese company information to international professionals.
- Dealroom.cocoreData partnership linking STARTUP DB with global startup database Dealroom.co for international visibility of Japanese startups.
- Kyoto University Graduate School of Management - Startup M&A ChairstrategicJoint research on startup M&A, with STARTUP DB providing survey data for the program's research activities. Professor Matsumoto Shigeru published 'Startup M&A: Mechanism of Unseen Rapid Growth' as outcome of this collaboration.
- Japanese Venture Capital FirmscorePartnership network with multiple venture capital firms providing exclusive job-opening pipelines for executive talent placement services.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
for Startups competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wantedly: Wantedly operates a Japan-focused recruitment platform targeting startup and growth-company hiring, directly competing with for Startups' Human Capital service for the same talent supply and demand.
- Nihon M&A Center: Japan's largest SME/M&A intermediary; competes with for Startups' M&A for Startups advisory for the same Japanese SME and growth-stage M&A mandates.
- BizReach: Major Japanese headhunting platform serving executive and managerial placements; directly competes with for Startups' Human Capital business across startup and corporate clients.
- JAFCO Group: One of Japan's largest venture capital firms; comparable to for Startups Capital for early-stage venture investment activity and LP/GP-style capital deployment.
- M&A Research Institute: M&A intermediary focused on tech and growth-company deals; overlaps with for Startups' Startup M&A brokerage service for matching buyers and growth-stage targets.
- M&A Capital Partners: Specialized Japanese M&A intermediary serving growth companies and SMEs; competes with for Startups' Startup M&A advisory on mandates targeting founder-led exits.
- GLOBIS: Japan-based VC (GLOBIS CAPITAL PARTNERS) and business education provider; comparable ecosystem investor and a listed Growth Partner of for Startups itself, with overlapping VC and startup-support plays.
- Linkage: Japanese HR consulting and recruitment firm with focus on technology and business-process roles; competes for the same enterprise hiring mandates and tech talent pool as for Startups.
Broad incumbents
- Recruit Holdings: Large Japanese HR services conglomerate operating Indeed, HR technology, and executive search; broader portfolio comp overlapping for Startups' talent placement, database, and conference adjacencies.
- Persol Holdings: Large Japanese HR services group with staffing, recruitment, and HR consulting across multiple brands; incumbent comp for for Startups' executive and professional placement offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
for Startups social profiles
Digital presencefor Startups compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
for Startups financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
for Startups leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
for Startups subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
for Startups funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
for Startups M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about for Startups
What does for Startups do?
for Startups provides hybrid capital support to Japan's growth industry ecosystem through executive-level talent placement (Human Capital), startup M&A advisory, and direct venture capital investment via for Startups Capital. The firm operates the proprietary STARTUP DB database covering 26,000+ Japanese startups and orchestrates large-scale conferences including GRIC and FUSE to connect startups, corporations, and investors.
Is for Startups a public or private company?
for Startups is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was for Startups founded?
for Startups was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is for Startups based?
for Startups is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does for Startups make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Talent Placement Agency is the primary driver. The others are open Innovation Support and event & Conference Services.
Who are for Startups's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wantedly, Nihon M&A Center, BizReach, JAFCO Group, M&A Research Institute, M&A Capital Partners, GLOBIS and Linkage. Broad incumbents are Recruit Holdings and Persol Holdings.
Does for Startups have an API?
No public API is recorded for for Startups.
What industry is for Startups in?
for Startups's product category is Startup Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs, with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 8742.