Connect Free

What Connect Free does

Connect Free is a privately held Japanese technology company headquartered in Kyoto that builds ultra-low-cost IoT communication infrastructure on top of its proprietary EVER (Elastic Versatile Encrypted Relay) technology. The company was founded in 2010 by Christopher Teito and formally incorporated in March 2014; it operates with 11-50 employees and is funded to date by a single disclosed round from East Ventures in July 2014. Its core commercial offerings are an MVNO-based IoT connectivity lineup — IoT Zero (zero monthly fee LTE module + SIM for one-time 14,980 yen), IoT 139 (139 yen/month plus 0.6 yen/MB), IoT Light (3,000-4,000 yen/month over NTT East/West fiber), and IoT+DATA (IPv6 VPN billed per packet) — targeted at manufacturers embedding connectivity into mass-produced products and at service operators wanting cloud access to device data without owning the endpoints.

The company controls key layers of the stack in-house: EVER relay communication technology and related Japanese patents, the ZEN safe compiler and programming language, the NETBOY secure IoT mainboard, and the EVER/IP secure remote-work technology. Distribution is multi-channel: direct B2B sales of MVNO plans to manufacturers and service operators, OEM/embedded module sales into mass-produced products, GitHub-based open source distribution of ZEN to a global developer audience, and a free consumer tethering service (t.free) launched in 2012 that generated front-page Nikkei coverage and remains a brand-awareness funnel. Revenue mechanics are diversified across subscription (IoT plans), usage-based (IoT+DATA per-packet billing, IoT 139 per-MB), one-time license and hardware sales (ZEN, NETBOY), and technology licensing (EVER).

Strategic positioning emphasizes Japan's domestic IoT connectivity gap, with stated ambitions to provide a global-connectivity interface for Japanese "Galapagos" products and to enable autonomous, energy-efficient communication infrastructure. Cabinet Office recognition of the CEO as an IP strategy expert in 2015 and a 2020 Netflix Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 media appearance provide brand visibility, while Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturing partnerships and NTT East/West fiber access underpin the technical go-to-market. The company is operating as of 2020, though no revenue figures, headcount growth, or follow-on funding events are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Connect Free

Legal name

コネクトフリー株式会社

Website

https://connectfree.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Connect Free is a Kyoto-based Japanese IoT connectivity company that delivers ultra-low-cost MVNO communication plans (IoT Zero, IoT 139, IoT Light) built on its proprietary EVER relay technology, serving IoT product manufacturers, service operators, and enterprises embedding secure connectivity into mass-produced devices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IoT Connectivity Services

NAICS

Telecommunications Resellers (517121), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

IoT Connectivity Management (Private APN, SIM/eSIM, Device Connectivity) (HDAIAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Business/SoHo Routers & Gateways (HDAFAIAH)

Keywords

• IoT connectivity services
• MVNO communication plans
• Encrypted relay technology
• Secure IoT hardware
• Programming language tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IoT Communication Services (IoT Zero, IoT 139, IoT Light): MVNO-based IoT communication plans. Revenue generated from initial module fees and monthly service fees for IoT connectivity, targeting manufacturers embedding connectivity into products and businesses using IoT devices.
2. IoT + DATA VPN Service: IPv6 VPN service billed per packet, providing cloud access to connected IoT networks. Revenue is usage-based per packet transmitted.
3. ZEN Programming Language & NETBOY Hardware Sales: Sale of secure compiler/language products and secure IoT mainboard hardware to businesses and developers.
4. EVER Technology Licensing: Licensing of EVER (Elastic Versatile Encrypted Relay) secure relay communication technology and related patents to third parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Connect Free provides low-cost IoT communication services and connectivity infrastructure for product manufacturers and service operators, built on its proprietary EVER (Elastic Versatile Encrypted Relay) secure relay technology and delivered via MVNO. Its portfolio includes zero-monthly-fee LTE plans (IoT Zero), low-cost SIM plans (IoT 139), fiber-based indoor connectivity (IoT Light), and an IPv6 VPN service (IoT+DATA), complemented by its own secure ZEN programming language and NETBOY IoT mainboard hardware.

Product overview

Connect Free offers a portfolio of IoT communication services and security-focused technology products. The core offerings include t.free (tethering service), EVER/IP® (proprietary encrypted relay technology), and ZEN™ (programming language). The IoT service lineup consists of four communication plans: IoT Zero (zero monthly fee LTE), IoT 139 (low-cost SIM plan), IoT Light (fiber optic), and IoT+DATA (IPv6 VPN cloud access), all built on the EVER/IP® technology platform. The company also develops hardware products including NETBOY® mainboards and provides MVNO services through its own network infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EVER™: Elastic Versatile Encrypted Relay - a secure, flexible, multi-purpose encrypted authentication relay technology for IoT communications
• ZEN™
• IoTゼロ™
• IoT１３９™
• IoT光™
• IoT+DATA™
• NETBOY®
• t.free
• EVER/IP®

Products and services

• IoT Zero™
• IoT 139™
• IoT Light™ (IoT光™)
• IoT+DATA™
• t.free
• NETBOY®
• ZEN™

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero monthly communication costs for IoT devices with IoT Zero plan
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NTT East / NTT WestcoreTechnology or IntegrationConnect Free utilizes NTT East and NTT West fiber optic lines to provide the IoT Light (IoT光) communication plan, enabling low-cost fiber-based IoT connectivity for indoor business equipment across Japan.
• Taiwan Semiconductor ManufacturerscoreTechnology or IntegrationTaiwan-based semiconductor manufacturers provide support for chip implementation and manufacturing of Connect Free's IoT communication semiconductor products. The partnership is described as receiving 'strong support' from Taiwanese partners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Soracom: Tokyo-based IoT-focused MVNO offering cellular connectivity plans, SIM/eSIM management, and a developer platform. Soracom is the most direct competitor to Connect Free's IoT Zero / IoT 139 plans in the Japanese market, with a comparable cellular IoT connectivity proposition.
• Hologram.io: Global IoT SIM and connectivity provider with developer-friendly pricing and OEM-friendly plans; competes for cross-border IoT deployments targeting the same OEM and connected-product customers as Connect Free.
• SORACOM (NTT Group affiliate context): Most direct Japanese IoT MVNO peer with global reach; competes head-to-head for IoT SIM customers and OEM module deals, especially given IoT Zero's zero-monthly-fee pricing.
• Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ): Japanese MVNO and network services provider with IIJ IoT service offerings including cellular IoT connectivity, SIM management, and platform services targeting enterprise and OEM customers in Japan.
• 1NCE: Global IoT connectivity provider offering flat-rate, multi-year cellular IoT plans across 2G/3G/4G/5G and NB-IoT/LTE-M, conceptually similar to Connect Free's IoT Zero flat-fee model and competing for low-ARPU OEM IoT deals worldwide.

Broad incumbents

• NTT Docomo IoT: Japan's largest MNO with IoT connectivity, eSIM, and OEM module offerings. Competes indirectly with Connect Free's MVNO plans while also being a potential upstream wholesale capacity provider.
• SoftBank Corp. Japanese MNO providing IoT/M2M connectivity, OEM modules, and LPWA services at national scale, competing for the same OEM and enterprise IoT customers Connect Free targets with IoT Zero and IoT 139.
• KDDI / au IoT Connectivity: Major Japanese MNO offering enterprise IoT connectivity, LPWA, and OEM cellular modules. Competes with Connect Free at scale via bundled connectivity, devices, and platform services across consumer, industrial, and automotive segments.
• Rakuten Mobile / Rakuten Symphony: Japanese MNO aggressively pricing IoT and MVNO services, including enterprise cellular IoT plans. Rakuten's disruptive pricing on connectivity directly pressures Connect Free's zero-fee differentiator.

Emerging players

• Aerial (by Ericsson): Cellular IoT connectivity platform offering simplified SIM management and connectivity-as-a-service for enterprise customers, overlapping with Connect Free's IoT+DATA VPN and OEM SIM strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/connectfree
• GitHubgithub.com/connectFree
• Facebookfacebook.com/connectfree
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connectfree

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Connect Free