Kimini English Conversation

What Kimini English Conversation does

Kimini English Conversation is an online English-language learning service operated by Glats Inc., a subsidiary of Gakken Group, one of Japan's longest-standing education conglomerates (70+ year history). The platform delivers 25-minute live, one-on-one lessons with 2,000+ foreign instructors, primarily based in the Philippines and managed through the wholly-owned offshore subsidiary Glats Cebu, Inc. It serves three customer segments: individual consumers (children through adults) seeking exam preparation for Eiken and TOEIC or general conversation practice, corporate clients purchasing employee English training, and 200+ public and private educational institutions using the platform as supplementary curriculum. The offering combines live human instruction with a structured three-step learning methodology (Kimini Circle 3): skill-specific self-study via mobile, AI-powered output practice through Kimini AI, and live human conversation. The product surface includes 110+ specialized courses spanning beginner to advanced levels.

The business model is subscription-based, with monthly plans ranging from ¥3,300 to ¥6,800 depending on lesson frequency and access level, plus a pay-as-you-go speaking test. Free trials of 10-30 days drive consumer acquisition, with a June 2026 promotional campaign extending to 30 days plus up to 80% off. Enterprise contracts are sold via a dedicated B2B motion with group management dashboards and Japanese-language support. Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth for individual consumers through self-serve website/app, community-led growth via a friend referral program and Gakken Group cross-promotion (ShikakuPass, Gakken Book Up bundles), and field sales for enterprise and institutional clients. Marketing channels span content (blog, YouTube), social (Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook), LINE messaging, podcast (Voicy), and paid digital campaigns. Distribution is Japan-only, with the platform accessible via web and mobile app.

Technology stack centers on a proprietary synchronous video conferencing platform for live lessons, integrated with an AI-assisted learning management system covering curriculum delivery, adaptive content recommendations based on pre-lesson assessment data, real-time chat, and lesson recording. The company holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for information security management. No public revenue figures, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed; Kimini operates as a privately held subsidiary within Gakken Group, led by President Satoshi Sugihara.

Name

Kimini English Conversation

Legal name

株式会社Glats

Website

https://kimini.online

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kimini English Conversation is a Gakken Group-operated online English learning platform offering live one-on-one lessons with 2,000+ instructors, AI conversation practice, and 110+ courses to Japanese consumers, corporations, and 200+ schools via subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online English Language Learning

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Language Schools (61163), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

AI-Powered Language Tutors, Chatbots & Speaking Practice Tools (EDAFAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Tutoring, Conversation Exchange & Language Coaching Platforms (EDAFAOAB), General Language Tutoring (Conversation & Fluency) (EDANACAA), Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Online English lessons
• English conversation platform
• AI English practice
• Corporate English training
• Eiken test preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Online Live Lessons: Monthly subscription plans for access to live one-on-one lessons with foreign teachers. Plans vary by lesson frequency (daily, weekday-only, or monthly allocation) and access level (full course access vs. limited). Core recurring revenue stream.
2. AI & Skill Training Add-ons: Kimini AI conversation practice and skill-specific training included in premium plans; standalone speaking test available as single-use ticket (¥550 for paid members, ¥1,100 for free members).
3. Corporate / B2B Training Contracts: Enterprise licensing for employee English training. Priced per-employee with group management tools, progress tracking, and Japanese-language support. Optional family pricing for employee dependents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Kimini English Conversation is an online English conversation subscription service operated by 株式会社Glats under Gakken Group. It delivers live 25-minute one-on-one video lessons with 2,000+ foreign instructors alongside Kimini AI-powered practice, skill-specific mobile training, and a structured 110+ course curriculum covering Eiken, TOEIC, business English, children's English, and travel English. The service also offers dedicated corporate English training and educational institution licensing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kimini Online English Conversation Lessons (subscription plans: Standard Plus, Standard, Weekday Plus, Weekday, Monthly 8, Monthly 6) Live one-on-one 25-minute online English lessons delivered via video with 2,000+ foreign instructors, scheduled 6:00–24:00 JST (weekday plans 9:00–16:00), available to individual Japanese learners across beginner through advanced levels.
• Kimini Plus Course (Kimini Plus コース) AI-powered structured English course spanning multiple levels (released up to Level 10 in June 2026), bundled inside Standard Plus and other premium subscription plans for Japanese learners.
• Kimini AI Conversation Practice (Kimini AI) AI-powered conversation and translation practice tool for Japanese learners to rehearse English output at their own pace, included in premium subscription plans such as Standard Plus and Standard.
• Skill-Specific Training (スキル別トレーニング) Mobile-friendly self-study units covering six skills (vocabulary, listening, reading, grammar, pronunciation, quick response) of about 10 minutes each, included in premium subscription plans.
• Kimini Speaking Test (Kimini スピーキングテスト) Standardized speaking assessment for measuring learner progress; included monthly in Standard Plus and Standard plans, or available as a pay-as-you-go single-use ticket (¥550 for paid members, ¥1,100 for free members).
• Kimini Corporate English Training (法人向け Kimini 英会話) B2B English training program for Japanese corporations, offering group enrollment, per-employee pricing, progress tracking dashboard, Japanese-language onboarding, optional family pricing, and adoption by named clients including Sharp, Fujitsu General, and JFE Steel.
• Kimini for Educational Institutions (教育機関向け Kimini 英会話) Institutional program for Japanese public and private schools adopting Kimini as supplementary English curriculum or after-school English program; includes group management features and has been adopted by 200+ institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of students achieve noticeable English improvement within 3 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gakken Group (学研グループ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimini is operated by株式会社Glats under the Gakken Group umbrella. Gakken provides brand heritage (70 years in education), curriculum development expertise, and cross-promotional distribution through affiliated services including ShikakuPass and Gakken Book Up. The partnership enables bundled offerings and access to Gakken's established educational customer base.
• Glats Cebu, Inc.coreOthersOffshore operational subsidiary of株式会社Glats based in Cebu, Philippines. Handles instructor recruitment, training, and management for the 2,000+ teacher workforce. Critical operational partnership for service delivery quality.
• 地球の歩き方 (Arukikata)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner link on Kimini's website footer. Travel guide publisher with complementary content for travel English courses. Cross-promotional relationship.
• 株式会社トアス (Toasu Gakken)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGakken Group affiliated company linked on Kimini's footer. Likely a distribution or content partnership within the Gakken ecosystem.
• ShikakuPass (資格学習サービス)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGakken Group qualification learning service offered as a bundle benefit (学研グループ特典) for Kimini subscribers. Cross-selling arrangement between Gakken Group companies.
• Gakken Book Up (学研ブックアップ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGakken's e-book flat-rate subscription service offered as a bundle benefit for Kimini subscribers. Cross-selling arrangement between Gakken Group companies.
• CCレッスン (Online Chinese Lessons)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferral partnership with CCレッスン online Chinese language school. Listed in Kimini's partner footer with referral attribution.
• 学研英検®ゼミminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGakken Eiken exam preparation service cross-promoted on Kimini's platform. Complementary service for students preparing for Eiken qualification exams.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bizmates (ビズメイツ): Bizmates is a Japan-focused online English conversation service specializing in business English for working professionals, with instructors who are trained business professionals. It overlaps with Kimini's corporate segment and business English courses.
• italki: italki is a global marketplace for online language tutors, including English, with both professional teachers and community tutors. It competes with Kimini for Japanese adult learners seeking flexible, affordable English conversation practice.
• NativeCamp: NativeCamp offers unlimited online English lessons on a subscription basis with Filipino and other international instructors, targeting Japanese learners. Its unlimited-lesson model and aggressive pricing compete head-to-head with Kimini's tiered subscription plans.
• Cambly: Cambly is a global online English tutoring platform connecting learners with native English-speaking tutors on demand. It targets Japanese learners and competes on flexibility and native-speaker access, similar to Kimini's on-demand lesson booking.
• EF English Live: EF English Live is a global online English school with group classes, private lessons, and AI-powered practice, sold in Japan as well as worldwide. It competes with Kimini in both consumer and corporate English training segments.
• DMM英会話: DMM Eikaiwa is a major Japanese online English conversation service operated by DMM.com with a large instructor pool from the Philippines and other countries. It competes directly with Kimini on price, course breadth, and 24/7 availability for Japanese learners.
• RareJob (株式会社レアジョブ): RareJob is the leading online English conversation service in Japan, offering online lessons with Filipino instructors to individuals and corporations. It directly competes with Kimini in the same B2C and B2B segments, with a similar Philippine-based instructor model and subscription pricing.

Emerging players

• Speak (English-speaking AI app): Speak is an AI-powered English-speaking practice app with strong traction in Korea that is expanding into Japan. It directly challenges the AI-practice component of Kimini's Circle 3 methodology with a lower-priced, mobile-first AI tutor.
• ELSA Speak: ELSA Speak is an AI-driven English pronunciation and speaking coach app popular in Asia. It is comparable to Kimini's Kimini AI skill-specific training on the AI practice side, and represents emerging AI-native competition for the conversational AI practice layer.

Others

• Gakken Group (学研グループ): Gakken is the parent conglomerate that operates Kimini and provides brand, curriculum expertise, and cross-promotional distribution. Included as a comparable because parent company strategy and brand equity directly shape Kimini's trajectory, and Gakken's broader education portfolio (ShikakuPass, Gakken Book Up) bundles with Kimini's offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kiminiJp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChtOycNECrTSwW9i06Dggog
• Facebookfacebook.com/kimini.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/kimini.jp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Kimini English Conversation