What Marketing Applications does

Marketing Applications Inc. (株式会社マーケティングアプリケーションズ) is a Tokyo-based SaaS company that operates Japan's No.1 market-share marketing research platform, anchored by three integrated core products: MApps forSurvey (a professional-grade online survey creation and distribution tool with 22-language support), MApps forAnalysis (cloud-based tabulation and reporting with weighting, significance testing, and after-coding), and MApps Panel (a consumer research panel of approximately 3.5 million dedicated members, scaled to ~6 million via the April 2023 Monitas integration). On top of this core, Surveroid — launched in 2008 as Japan's first self-service survey SaaS — provides a self-serve tier for non-specialists, serving over 600 companies and processing roughly 4,000 surveys per year with usage-based pricing from 10,000 JPY. The company generates revenue through a mix of subscriptions (forSurvey, Daily SURVEY), usage-based fees (Surveroid per-question-per-sample), panel access royalties, and BPO research services, with the newer Retail Tracker (Oct 2025) opening a GPS-verified in-store shelf-visualization service priced from 200,000 JPY/month on a patent-pending architecture.

Since a 2022 corporate spin-off and majority recapitalization by PE firm JGIA (Japan Growth Investment Alliance, with Japan Tobacco and Hakuhodo as alliance partners), the company has pursued an aggressive expansion strategy. A capital and business alliance with WOW WORLD GROUP (Jul 2023) integrated MApps Panel into WOW WORLD's WEBCAS formulator OEM platform, yielding combined group ARR of approximately 3 billion JPY. Subsequent launches have diversified the platform beyond online surveys into daily in-store automated surveys, multi-country panels (20+ countries), computer-vision-based retail store visits, AI-multi-agent survey creation (Survey Agent, Dec 2025/GA Feb 2026), qualitative online interviews, and pre-launch consumer idea validation (BRIZO). Go-to-market combines self-serve product-led growth (Surveroid), direct enterprise field sales (forSurvey, Retail Tracker), OEM distribution through WEBCAS, and BPO services; the customer base spans market research firms (Intage, Market Development Research Institute, AND-D), consumer goods manufacturers (Kibun Foods), loyalty/membership operators (Loyalty Marketing / Ponta), education (WOW WORLD university brand NPS), and advertising agencies. The company is led by Representative Director Tsukasa Takenaka (since March 2023), operates with approximately 30 employees from WeWork Link Square Shinjuku in Shibuya, Tokyo, and maintains Privacy Mark and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications.

Name

Marketing Applications

Legal name

株式会社マーケティングアプリケーションズ

Website

https://mkt-apps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tokyo-based SaaS operator of Japan's No.1 market-share marketing research platform, offering MApps forSurvey, MApps forAnalysis, the Surveroid self-serve tier, a ~6M-monitor consumer panel, and Retail Tracker in-store visualization to research firms, FMCG manufacturers, agencies, and loyalty operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Research Software

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research, Analytics & Consumer Insights (BPAFAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ), Marketing Automation Platforms & Services (BPAFAFAC)

Keywords

• Market research platform
• Consumer survey software
• Panel data analytics
• Retail shelf visualization
• Automated data aggregation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscriptions (MApps forSurvey, Surveroid): Subscription-based SaaS revenue from survey creation tools. Surveroid operates on a per-sample/per-question pricing with no monthly fee. MApps forSurvey is priced based on usage frequency and volume.
2. Panel Access Fees: Revenue from providing access to proprietary consumer panels (MApps Panel ~350万人+, Surveroid panel ~600万人) for market research surveys.
3. BPO Services: Business process outsourcing for survey creation, data collection, tabulation and analysis performed by trained research professionals.
4. Retail Tracker (Store Visualization): Store visit-based research service using GPS and app members, priced from 200,000 JPY/month. Short delivery lead time of 3 business days.
5. Pokean App Advertising/Promotion Revenue: Revenue from brands and companies using the Pokean app's check-in and survey features to collect consumer data at retail locations.
6. Daily SURVEY: Monthly subscription service (200,000 JPY/month from) for automated daily surveys at retail locations. Fixed monthly fee model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marketing Applications operates an integrated marketing research SaaS platform combining professional survey creation tools (MApps forSurvey), a self-service survey tool (Surveroid), a large proprietary consumer panel (MApps Panel with ~3.5 million dedicated respondents and Surveroid panel reach of ~6 million), and cloud-based data aggregation/reporting tools (MApps forAnalysis). The company also provides retail store visualization (Retail Tracker), GPS-verified in-store surveys (Daily SURVEY), AI-powered survey creation (Survey Agent), and BPO research services for Japanese enterprises.

Product overview

Marketing Applications operates a multi-product marketing research platform architecture centered on its Research Platform (リサーチプラットフォーム) business. The core platform consists of three integrated products: MApps forSurvey (professional survey tool), MApps forAnalysis (cloud aggregation and reporting), and MApps Panel (350+ million-strong consumer research panel). Adjacent to this, the self-service Surveroid tool serves light/quick research needs and integrates with the same panel and analysis engine. The company has expanded into zero-party data collection (Zero Party Data Connection), daily automated in-store survey (Daily SURVEY), GPS/camera-based shelf visualization (Retail Tracker), multi-AI conversational survey creation (Survey Agent), and online interview services — all leveraging the shared underlying panel and technology infrastructure. A consumer-facing POI app (Pokean) provides a separate revenue and data channel, while BRIZO targets pre-launch idea validation. The portfolio is unified by shared panel assets, common aggregation tools, and the Surveroid brand for non-expert access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MApps forSurvey: Professional survey tool (online survey system) with the top share in Japan's research industry, featuring high customization and advanced functionality.
• MApps forAnalysis
• MApps Panel
• Surveroid
• Daily SURVEY
• リテールトラッカー (Retail Tracker)
• ポケアン (PokEan/Pocket An to Kete)
• BRIZO
• MApps BPO Services
• Survey Agent

Products and services

• MApps forSurvey Professional-grade online survey creation and distribution tool for research experts, supporting advanced skip logic, multi-language surveys (22 languages), and integration with MApps Panel and third-party systems. Holds the No.1 share in Japan's marketing research industry.
• MApps forAnalysis Cloud-based survey data aggregation and reporting tool with GT/cross-tabulation, weightback, significance testing, after-coding, and automated Excel/PowerPoint/Web report export, used by professional research teams.
• MApps Panel High-quality consumer research panel of 3.5+ million members (scaled to ~6 million via partnerships including Monitas) with rigorous quality controls, offering panel routing to surveys via MApps forSurvey, Surveroid, or third-party systems like WEBCAS formulator.
• Surveroid Self-service online survey tool for non-specialist users and businesses, enabling survey creation, panel distribution (~350–600k+ panelists), and data aggregation from 10,000 JPY per survey. Includes AI features (Survey Agent, simple aggregation) and global survey capabilities across 25+ countries.
• Daily SURVEY Fully automated asking data platform delivering daily in-store consumer surveys to retail store visitors; results delivered as dashboards with daily/weekly trends on a fixed monthly fee starting at 200,000 JPY, representing up to 90% cost reduction versus ad-hoc research.
• Retail Tracker In-store shelf visualization and store-visit research service using GPS and camera-enabled smartphone surveys. Leverages Pokean's ~100,000 app members to photograph shelves and answer in-store questionnaires at retail locations; reports delivered in as few as 3 business days from 200,000 JPY. Covered by a filed patent.
• BPO Services End-to-end research business process outsourcing covering survey creation, data collection, aggregation, and report writing, delivered by trained researchers using MApps forSurvey. Covers marketing, finance, and healthcare sectors.
• Online Interview Investigation Service Self-service qualitative online interview service using Surveroid's ~300,000 consumer panel. Interviews delivered via video call, starting at 20,000 JPY per 30-minute session, with minimum 3-day lead time. Available to corporate members.
• Zero Party Data Connection Service Platform for collecting zero-party data (customer-declared information) via customizable web survey forms, with real-time data synchronization to Customer Data Platforms and marketing automation tools for triggered personalized communications.
• BRIZO User feedback platform for new business idea validation, matching entrepreneurs with 'almost-certain users' from a ~100,000 consumer network. Allows repeated interviews with the same respondents to co-develop products.
• Pokean Point-collection mobile app (iOS and Android) where users earn points by answering surveys and checking in at retail locations (GPS-verified). Used by brands as a channel for in-store research and by consumers as a POI activity app. 100,000+ registered users; includes patent-pending check-in feature.
• Survey Agent Multi-AI-agent conversational survey creation feature within Surveroid. Users input product/service name, business challenge, and data usage purpose; AI agents auto-generate research hypotheses, survey questions, aggregation logic, and data utilization guidance without manual survey design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 70% cost reduction compared to traditional mystery shopping/field surveys for retail store visualization
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• 株式会社モンスターラボジャパン (Monstar Lab Japan Inc.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 September 2025Co-hosted free webinar on hypothesis validation and new business strategy. Monstar Lab Japan provides digital consulting; MApps provides rapid consumer insight collection through Surveroid. Joint seminar targeting new business development professionals.
• WOW WORLD GROUPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2023Capital and business partnership. WOW WORLD GROUP invested through its funds, making Marketing Applications part of the group. Jointly developed CX solutions (WOW engage CX Score) and integrated MApps Panel with WEBCAS formulator. Combined ARR approximately 3 billion JPY. WOW WORLD GROUP provides multi-channel communication SaaS; MApps provides asking data collection through surveys.
• 株式会社モニタス (Monitas Inc.)majorTechnology or Integration · 18 April 2023Panel partnership linking Monitas 24 million member panel network with MApps forSurvey and Surveroid survey platforms. Increased maximum daily survey responses to approximately 600,000, creating one of Japan's largest survey environments.
• 株式会社プロダクトフォース (Product Force Inc.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint market intelligence partnership. Co-publish annual self-research market surveys, cosmo maps (2024: 37 services, 2025: 45 services), and trend reports. Joint webinars and market education initiatives. Product Force operates Unii Research (interview platform). Both companies share mission of making research more accessible.
• 株式会社インテージ (Intage Inc.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic business partnership established 2016. Intage implemented MApps forSurvey to replace legacy systems, enabling business process optimization and efficient outsourcing of operational work. Ongoing co-development of new services and industry-standard solutions.
• 株式会社WOW WORLD (WEBCAS formulator integration)majorTechnology or IntegrationMApps Panel (approximately 6 million members) integrated into WOW WORLD's WEBCAS formulator platform, enabling businesses using WEBCAS to directly access MApps Panel respondents without separate panel recruitment.
• 株式会社ニューストリーム (Newstream Inc.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup company within WOW WORLD GROUP. Jointly conducted Soununkyo hot spring regional revitalization project using NPS surveys. Co-developed CX Score university brand survey with MApps Panel data.
• 日本マーケティングリサーチ協会 (JMRA)coreOthersMember of Japan Marketing Research Association since early operations. Member No. 20217. Industry-standard body providing legitimacy and network within Japanese research community.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Qualtrics: Global leader in experience management and survey/research platforms with strong enterprise presence. Directly comparable to MApps forSurvey/Surveroid but at a much larger global scale and broader CX/EX suite.
• SurveyMonkey: Major self-serve online survey platform globally; comparable to Surveroid's PLG self-serve motion and broader SMB targeting, though with weaker Japan-specific panel depth.
• Kantar: Global market research and insights giant. While broader than MApps, competes for the same enterprise research budgets at large Japanese FMCG manufacturers and could leverage global scale to localize panels in Japan.

Direct peers

• Macromill: Japanese online market research firm operating proprietary consumer panels and research services. Directly competes with MApps Panel and Surveroid for the same Japanese enterprise research budgets.
• Toluna: Global online survey and panel provider with significant presence in Japan. Directly comparable to Surveroid's self-serve global survey offering and to MApps Panel for cross-country research.
• Cross Marketing: Japanese digital market research firm with DIY research platform and consumer panel. Comparable to MApps' research platform and Surveroid for SMB/enterprise research buyers.
• Quest (Questant): Macromill's self-serve online survey service in Japan. Closest direct competitor to Surveroid in the Japanese SMB self-serve market research segment.
• GMO Research: Operates large Asian consumer panels (GMO Research & AI) with self-serve DIY research platform. Comparable to Surveroid in self-serve survey delivery and to MApps Panel in panel breadth, with stronger pan-Asia footprint.
• Rakuten Insight: Rakuten Group's research panel business with millions of panelists in Japan and Asia. Directly comparable to MApps Panel for Japanese and APAC consumer research, with potential cross-leverage from Rakuten's broader e-commerce data.
• Intage: Japan's largest market research firm and an MApps customer/partner. Operates adjacent panels and research services while relying on MApps forSurvey infrastructure — direct competitor in research services, indirect channel partner on the platform side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mapps_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzT0D9jDbsqXZLElKE0aJ0A
• Instagraminstagram.com/pokean_app_official

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 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 Marketing Applications