Adept Group
Adept Group is a Tokyo-based executive search firm founded in 2004 that places executives exclusively for emerging-technology companies across Japan and Asia, offering contingency and retained search plus startup market-entry consulting via bilingual consultants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Adept Group does
Adept Group (アデプト・グループ) is a Tokyo-headquartered executive search and staffing firm founded in October 2004 that provides placement solutions for executives and emerging-technology companies across Japan and Asia. The company self-positions as the only Japanese firm specializing exclusively in the emerging-technology vertical and operates with a small team (11–50 employees) of bilingual consultants who are long-term Japan residents. Its core offering is built around two engagement models: a Contingency Search where clients pay only on successful placement (typically four pre-screened candidates delivered within 48 hours), and a Retained Search offering exclusivity, dedicated consultant direction, and pre-payment for time-intensive mandates. A proprietary four-stage Adept Methodology — Assess and Define, Educate and Consult, Source and Respond, Support and Follow Up — structures every engagement, and complementary services include Startup Consulting (entity setup, taxation, visa, labor law, office location for foreign tech firms entering Japan) and a candidate-facing suite (Career Support, Resume Coaching, Best Interview prep, and an online Candidate Registration portal).
Adept Group holds a formal recruitment agency license from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (License Number 13-ユ-300936), which is the regulatory prerequisite for paid placement activity in the country. The business is privately held with no disclosed parent company, investors, or funding rounds, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. GTM is purely relationship-based and direct: the firm engages enterprise clients through its Tokyo headquarters with no intermediary distribution, while candidate acquisition combines proactive outreach to passive talent with a self-service online registration funnel. All services are delivered in-house by bilingual consultants, with no proprietary software platform, AI tooling, or technology integrations in evidence — the competitive advantage rests on consultant relationships, vertical specialization, and process methodology rather than on technology. Geographically, mandates are accepted across 12 Asian markets (Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, India), though operations remain centralized in Tokyo.
The revenue model is a mix of success-based transaction fees (contingency placements), upfront retained fees for exclusive mandates, and project-based professional services fees for Startup Consulting, with all pricing quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer segmentation spans emerging-technology companies as the primary use-case segment, foreign startups entering Japan as a secondary use-case, and individual career professionals as a persona segment served through the candidate-facing services. The firm maintains a bilingual Japanese/English web presence as its primary marketing surface, with active hiring indicated by a public "Join Us" page and an operating-status website carrying a 2026 copyright.
Adept Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Adept Group
- Legal name
- Adept Group
- Website
- https://adept-grp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Adept Group is a Tokyo-based executive search firm founded in 2004 that places executives exclusively for emerging-technology companies across Japan and Asia, offering contingency and retained search plus startup market-entry consulting via bilingual consultants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Adept Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)
Keywords
Where Adept Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Adept Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Contingency Search: Fee-based executive search service where clients pay upon successful placement of a candidate. The company identifies and presents pre-screened candidates within 48 hours of search initiation.
- Retained Search: Exclusive, retained engagement where clients pay upfront for dedicated search services. Includes consolidated search process management, full resume screening, and first-round interview applications under dedicated consultant direction.
- Startup Consulting: Supplementary advisory services for companies entering the Japanese market, including corporate entity setup, taxation guidance, visa support, labor law consultation, and office location assistance.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Adept Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Adept Group is a Tokyo-based executive search and recruitment firm founded in October 2004, specialising exclusively in senior and executive-level hiring for emerging technology companies operating in Japan and across Asia. Its core services comprise Contingency Search (pay-on-placement executive recruitment), Retained Search (exclusive, contracted executive search engagements), and Startup Consulting (advisory support for technology startups entering the Japanese market). All services are delivered by bilingual consultants and operate under a Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare licence.
Product overview
Adept Group is a Full-Service Executive Solutions firm offering a unified portfolio of executive search and recruitment services. The core offerings consist of Contingency Search (standard placement service with success-based fees) and Retained Search (exclusive, dedicated consultant service with pre-payment options). These are supported by the proprietary Adept Methodology framework and complemented by Startup Consulting for market entry support. For candidates, the company provides Career Support, Resume Coaching, and Best Interview preparation services. All services are delivered by bilingual consultants specializing in the emerging technology sector across Japan and Asia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contingency Search Success-fee-based executive search service for technology companies in Japan and Asia hiring senior leadership; the firm is paid upon successful placement of a candidate.
- Retained Search Exclusive, contracted executive search engagement for technology clients with mission-critical or confidential senior hires; an upfront retainer secures dedicated consultant focus.
- Startup Consulting Advisory and consulting service that supports technology startups — particularly those entering Japan from overseas — with market-entry guidance and related hiring strategy.
- Career Support Candidate-facing career advisory service that supports professionals exploring opportunities in the technology sector, including guidance on career direction and job-search strategy.
- Resume Coaching Coaching service that helps candidates prepare, refine, and position their resumes for technology-sector roles sourced through Adept's search mandates.
- Best Interview Interview-preparation service offered to candidates that helps them perform effectively in technology-sector executive interviews managed by Adept Group.
Quantifiable outcome
- Four pre-screened candidates typically presented within 48 hours of search initiation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Adept Group
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Adept Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Adept Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Adept Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hays Japan: Global specialist recruiter with a Tokyo office focused on technology, digital, and life sciences placements; competes for the same bilingual talent pool serving Japanese and international tech clients.
- JAC Recruitment: Japan-headquartered international recruitment firm placing bilingual professionals in technology, manufacturing, and consumer sectors; a direct domestic competitor with similar cross-border tech search positioning.
- Michael Page Japan: Global recruitment firm with significant Japan operations placing professionals in technology, sales, and finance; direct competitor for permanent placement mandates with emerging technology companies in Japan.
- Robert Half Japan: Global staffing and recruitment firm with a Tokyo office focused on finance, technology, and office support hiring; offers a similar mix of permanent and contract placement to corporate clients.
- Robert Walters Japan: Established international recruitment firm with a strong Tokyo office placing mid-to-senior professionals across technology and other sectors; competes head-on with Adept for English-Japanese bilingual tech talent mandates.
Regional players
- RGF Professional Recruitment Japan: Japanese arm of Recruit Holdings focused on mid-to-senior professional placement across technology, consumer, and finance; one of the largest domestic search competitors for Japanese tech clients.
Broad incumbents
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with Tokyo presence focused on board director, CEO, and senior technology leadership; competes for top-tier retained search mandates in the same emerging technology category.
- Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting leader; competes for senior-level technology and startup leadership mandates across Asia, with broader service portfolio including assessment and RPO.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with Asia-Pacific offices focused on CEO, board, and senior technology leadership; competes for high-end retained executive search mandates from large Japan-based corporates.
- Boyden Japan: Global executive search firm with Asia-Pacific offices specializing in technology, industrial, and consumer leadership; competing for retained search mandates from growth-stage technology companies.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Adept Group social profiles
Digital presenceAdept Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Adept Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Adept Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Adept Group 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 Adept Group
What does Adept Group do?
Adept Group is a Tokyo-based executive search and recruitment firm founded in October 2004, specialising exclusively in senior and executive-level hiring for emerging technology companies operating in Japan and across Asia. Its core services comprise Contingency Search (pay-on-placement executive recruitment), Retained Search (exclusive, contracted executive search engagements), and Startup Consulting (advisory support for technology startups entering the Japanese market). All services are delivered by bilingual consultants and operate under a Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare licence.
Is Adept Group a public or private company?
Adept Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Adept Group founded?
Adept Group was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Adept Group based?
Adept Group is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Adept Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Contingency Search is the primary driver. The others are retained Search and startup Consulting.
Who are Adept Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hays Japan, JAC Recruitment, Michael Page Japan, Robert Half Japan and Robert Walters Japan. RGF Professional Recruitment Japan is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles and Boyden Japan.
Does Adept Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Adept Group.
What industry is Adept Group in?
Adept Group's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAC, Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare), with a secondary code of BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.