Connecting The Dots
Connecting The Dots was a community-led co-working and shared-office operator in Shibuya and Yoyogi, Tokyo, serving freelancers, startups, and SMEs with flexible day passes, monthly memberships, meeting rooms, and event space. The business closed in 2021 after ~9 years of operation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersShibuya, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Connecting The Dots does
Connecting The Dots was a community-oriented co-working and shared-office operator based in Shibuya, Tokyo, founded in 2012 and operated by 株式会社インクルードデザイン (Include Design Inc.). The business ran two primary physical locations — Shibuya (Kawahara Building 4F & 6F, near JR Shibuya Station) and Yoyogi (YK Building B1F & 4F, near JR Yoyogi Station West Exit) — with additional satellite facilities in Saginuma, Kanagawa and Ashigakubo, Saitama. Core infrastructure combined open co-working seating (combined ~33 seats across Shibuya floors), signature hexagonal booth seats, glass-walled meeting rooms, event spaces, Qrio-powered smart locks for 24-hour member access, and dual-band WiFi.
The product surface was a multi-tier workspace offering: ¥1,350 day passes, monthly subscriptions from ¥58,000 (shared) to ¥225,000 (4–6 person Area Seats with address registration), hourly meeting-room rental from ¥840, event-space rental, and add-ons (24-hour access +¥5,500/mo, address/business registration up to +¥11,000/mo, locker rentals ¥3,300–¥5,500/mo). A prepaid 'Dots Card' frequency ticket and a ¥500 nationwide-network basic plan extended the pricing ladder. In June 2020 the company launched 'Spot Office', an hourly private-office service, pivoting toward remote-work demand during COVID-19.
Go-to-market was community-led: a member directory platform, recurring mixers/seminars/workshops, member-interview blog content, and member-to-member referrals. The company grew to 5,000+ cumulative registered members over its ~9-year run. The operating company was small (11–50 employees). On February 22, 2021 Connecting The Dots announced its closure; the Shibuya store shut at end of April 2021 and Yoyogi at end of May 2021. The business is no longer operating.
Connecting The Dots firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Connecting The Dots
- Legal name
- Connecting The Dots
- Website
- https://dots.bz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Connecting The Dots was a community-led co-working and shared-office operator in Shibuya and Yoyogi, Tokyo, serving freelancers, startups, and SMEs with flexible day passes, monthly memberships, meeting rooms, and event space. The business closed in 2021 after ~9 years of operation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Connecting The Dots industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Co-working and Shared Office Space
- NAICS
- Facilities Support Services (561210), Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings (561790)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Work Enablement & Desk/Room Booking Operations (BPABAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workplace Technology & Smart Office Support (Room Booking Systems, IT/AV Liaison) (IMAIALAK), Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding) (IMAIALAF)
Keywords
Where Connecting The Dots is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shibuya
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Connecting The Dots business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Day Pass (1日プラン): One-time use passes for co-working space access, priced at ¥1,350 per day with no time restrictions.
- Monthly Plan (月額プラン): Recurring monthly subscription for dedicated desks, shared seating, or private area seats. Includes base amenities with optional add-ons.
- Meeting Room Rental (会議室): Hourly rental of small and large meeting rooms for member and non-member use. Small rooms from ¥840/hour.
- Event Space Rental: Rental of event spaces for seminars, workshops, and corporate events. Includes kitchen facilities.
- Add-on Services: Optional services including 24-hour access (+¥5,500/month), address use (+¥5,500/month), business registration (+¥11,000/month), and locker rentals (¥3,300-5,500/month).
- Dots Card (回数券): Prepaid card system offering free passes: 10 passes for ¥13,500 (1 free), 20 passes for ¥27,000 (3 free).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Day Pass - One-time daily access to co-working space |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Shared Desk - Flexible seating in co-working area |
| Subscription | Monthly | Area Seat (4-6 persons) - Private area with flexible layout |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meeting Room Rental - Small and large conference rooms |
| Subscription | Monthly | 24-Hour Access Add-on |
| Subscription | Monthly | Address/Business Registration Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Dots Card (Frequency Pack) |
| Subscription | Monthly | ¥500 Basic Plan |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Connecting The Dots product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Connecting The Dots operated shared office and co-working facilities in Tokyo's Shibuya and Yoyogi districts, offering flexible workspace access through day passes and monthly subscriptions, along with meeting rooms, event spaces, and business registration address services for freelancers, startups, and remote workers. The business combined physical workspace infrastructure with a member networking directory and community events to foster connections between members.
Product overview
Connecting The Dots operates a co-working and shared office business with two physical locations in Tokyo (Shibuya and Yoyogi), now closed. The core offering is flexible workspace rental with multiple access tiers: 1-Day Plan for casual users, Monthly Plan for regular members, and Spot Office for hourly private office rental. Meeting room and event space rental is available at both locations. Add-on services include the Dots Card frequency ticket system, Set Wari bundle discounts, Area Seat semi-private workspaces, and the Dots Members networking directory. The monthly plan supports various configurations from shared seating to dedicated desks and private booths, with optional add-ons such as 24-hour access, address/registration use, and locker rental.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ cumulative registered members achieved
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Connecting The Dots
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Connecting The Dots technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Connecting The Dots partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- bento.jpminorFast delivery food service (20-minute delivery) partnered with Dots for opening events and member food services. Provided opening event catering for 4F opening celebration in 2014.
- minikura (寺田倉庫)minorStorage service partnership offering Dots monthly members exclusive discounts on minikura MONO (¥250/month) and minikura HAKO (¥200/month) storage services. Special promotional boxes offered to new Dots members.
- ADDressminorCo-hosted events with ADDress (nationwide fixed-price housing subscription service) including property viewing trips and workcation programs. Jointly organized information sessions about rural-urban work lifestyle.
- COMMOCminorDesigner furniture brand partnership where Dots 4F cafe space serves as a permanent showroom for COMMOC products. Members receive special pricing on furniture purchases.
- 株式会社GOAL (行政書士法人GOAL)corePartnership with specialized startup support administrative scrivener firm to help Dots members access Tokyo government telework subsidies up to ¥2.5 million (50% subsidy rate). Provides application support and employment rule preparation services.
- 株式会社インクルードデザインcoreParent company providing design services including branding, web design, interior design, and promotional materials. Operates under the theme 'work x design'.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Connecting The Dots competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WeWork (Japan): Operated shared office and coworking spaces in central Tokyo, including Shibuya. Closest direct comparable on flexible-workspace product offering and target customer base of startups and freelancers, though at significantly larger scale.
- Spaces (IWG): IWG's design-led coworking brand competing for the same creative-professional and startup segment in Tokyo. Highly comparable on community-driven, design-forward positioning in central Tokyo.
- Business Airport (JR East): Station-based shared office operator inside JR East stations including Shibuya and Shinjuku. Directly competes for the same commuter and remote-worker customer base leveraging Tokyo station real estate.
- TKP: Japanese listed operator of rental meeting rooms, coworking, and event spaces. Closely comparable on the meeting-room and event-space revenue streams that were central to Connecting The Dots' product mix.
- fabbit: Japan-focused coworking operator serving startups and SMEs with subsidized programs. Comparable customer base (early-stage companies) and similar community-oriented operating model.
- Impact Hub Tokyo: Community-led coworking and innovation hub in Tokyo targeting social entrepreneurs and purpose-driven startups. Highly comparable on community-driven GTM motion and small-scale, design-forward positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Regus / IWG Japan: Global flexible-workspace incumbent with a large Tokyo footprint offering office rentals, meeting rooms, and virtual offices. Comparable on core workspace rental and business-address services but operates at much broader scale across many cities.
Emerging players
- theDock: Tokyo-based coworking space targeting entrepreneurs and small teams. Comparable on target customer segment (early-stage founders, freelancers) and central-Tokyo location strategy.
- TUNNEL TOKYO: Independent Tokyo coworking operator with a creative and entrepreneurial member community. Comparable on community programming and small-footprint, design-led positioning.
Regional players
- JustCo (Japan): Asia-Pacific flexible-workspace operator that expanded into Tokyo offering coworking and enterprise office solutions. Comparable on flexible workspace product and target startup/SME customer base, though headquartered outside Japan.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Connecting The Dots social profiles
Digital presenceConnecting The Dots financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Connecting The Dots leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Connecting The Dots funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Connecting The Dots 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 Connecting The Dots
What does Connecting The Dots do?
Connecting The Dots operated shared office and co-working facilities in Tokyo's Shibuya and Yoyogi districts, offering flexible workspace access through day passes and monthly subscriptions, along with meeting rooms, event spaces, and business registration address services for freelancers, startups, and remote workers. The business combined physical workspace infrastructure with a member networking directory and community events to foster connections between members.
Is Connecting The Dots a public or private company?
Connecting The Dots is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Connecting The Dots founded?
Connecting The Dots was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Connecting The Dots based?
Connecting The Dots is headquartered in Shibuya, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Connecting The Dots make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Day Pass (1日プラン) is the primary driver. The others are monthly Plan (月額プラン), meeting Room Rental (会議室), event Space Rental, add-on Services and dots Card (回数券).
Who are Connecting The Dots's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WeWork (Japan), Spaces (IWG), Business Airport (JR East), TKP, fabbit and Impact Hub Tokyo. Regus / IWG Japan is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are theDock and TUNNEL TOKYO. JustCo (Japan) is listed as a regional player.
Does Connecting The Dots have an API?
No public API is recorded for Connecting The Dots.
What industry is Connecting The Dots in?
Connecting The Dots's product category is Co-working and Shared Office Space. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAFAH, Hybrid Work Enablement & Desk/Room Booking Operations, with a secondary code of IMAIALAK, Workplace Technology & Smart Office Support (Room Booking Systems, IT/AV Liaison). Its NAICS code is 561210 and its SIC code is 8744.