What Borderless Japan does

Borderless Japan is a Fukuoka-headquartered social business platform company founded in 2007 by CEO Taguchi Kazunari and COO Suzuki Masataka, operating approximately 45 distinct social businesses across 15 countries. The company recruits, trains, and supports social entrepreneurs through its Borderless Academy program (500+ cumulative alumni producing 130 launched businesses) and runs a diversified portfolio spanning ethical leather goods (LIB, JOGGO, Ethical Factory, Business Leather Factory), maternal and baby wellness (AMOMA, distributed through 1,350+ Japanese hospitals and clinics), ethical fashion and PC refurbishment (Haruulala organic, ZERO PC), AI data annotation services (AnnoSapo), agriculture and food systems (BORDERLESS FARM, Alphajiri, Okaraokara, Borderless Myanmar Fertilizer, LFC Local Food Cycling), multicultural co-living (Borderless House), renewable energy (Hachidori Denryoku), and various impact-driven service brands. The group employed approximately 273 direct employees as of February 2026, with a substantially larger workforce in Bangladesh and other operating countries (Ethical Factory alone reports 333 workers in Bangladesh).

The company's business model is a hybrid of consumer retail, B2B services, and platform-mediated social entrepreneurship. Consumer revenue flows through 21 LIB retail stores, direct e-commerce sites, the Rakuten marketplace, and hospital/clinic channels; B2B revenue comes from AI annotation services (AnnoSapo), ethical leather OEM manufacturing (Ethical Factory), and enterprise IT/recycling services (Peopleport); platform revenue is generated through entrepreneur training programs (Borderless Academy), corporate partnerships (AnyReach/AnyGift, eumo community currency), and a crowdfunding-style furusato tax donation platform (for Good). Three go-to-market motions operate in parallel: community-led venture incubation, direct-to-consumer retail, and sales-led B2B services. The company has projected 10 billion yen (~USD 66M) in sales for fiscal 2024, though this figure is a forecast rather than an audited disclosure. The company is privately held, founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional funding rounds.

Name

Borderless Japan

Legal name

株式会社ボーダレス・ジャパン

Website

https://borderless-japan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Borderless Japan is a Fukuoka-based social business platform that recruits and supports social entrepreneurs to operate ~45 impact-driven businesses across 15 countries, spanning ethical fashion, maternal wellness, AI data annotation, agriculture, and multicultural services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Business Platform

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cross-border Digital Goods & Services Commerce (CRAFAJAL)

Keywords

• Social business platform
• Ethical fashion brands
• Maternal wellness products
• AI data annotation services
• Sustainable consumer goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Consumer Brands): Revenue from selling consumer products across multiple sectors including fashion (ZERO PC upcycled clothing), maternal/baby products (AMOMA), eco-friendly products (Haruulala), and food/beverage. Products sold through own e-commerce sites and physical retail stores.
2. Service Fees (AI & IT Solutions): Fees from AI data annotation services (AnnoSaber) and IT solutions provided to enterprise clients. Revenue generated through service contracts and project-based engagements.
3. Business Development Services: Consulting and support services for social entrepreneurs and partner organizations, including business model development and operational support.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Borderless Japan is a social business platform company that develops and operates approximately 45 independent social businesses across 15 countries, transforming societal challenges such as poverty, climate change, and discrimination into sustainable business opportunities. It recruits, trains, and supports social entrepreneurs through Borderless Academy while operating consumer brands (LIB ethical leather, AMOMA maternal care, ZERO PC, Haruulala organic clothing), B2B services (AnnoSapo AI annotation, Ethical Factory OEM manufacturing, IT solutions), and global subsidiaries producing food, fertilizer, and recycled products.

Product overview

Borderless Japan operates a multi-brand social business ecosystem consisting of approximately 45 independent social businesses across 15 countries unified by a shared purpose of transforming societal challenges into hope. The portfolio spans diverse sectors including renewable energy (Hachidori Denryoku), ethical fashion and leather goods (LIB, JOGGO, Business Leather Factory, Ethical Factory, Haruulala organic), food systems (Local Food Cycling, Okaraokara, Borderless Farm, Alphajiri, AMOMA natural care), employment and human rights (Zero PC/Peopleport, AnnoSapo, UNROOF), education (WOW/Muchu Kyoshitsu, LUNA sanitary products), environment (Wildlife Ventures, Borderless Myanmar Fertilizer), and civic engagement (Furusato for Good, Borderless House). The ecosystem is complemented by Borderless Academy for entrepreneur development and various social business support programs across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador, Guatemala, Philippines, Senegal, and Burkina Faso.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIB (リブ): Ethical leather goods brand (business cards, bags, accessories) manufactured in Bangladesh under fair trade principles, sold through physical stores and online in Japan.
• Haruulala organic
• ZERO PC
• JOGGO
• AMOMA natural care
• Okaraokara
• ハチドリ電力 (Hachidori Denryoku)
• ボーダレス・グリーンズ (Borderless Greens)
• ボーダレスアカデミー (Borderless Academy)
• LFCコンポスト / Local Food Cycling
• UNROOF
• POST&POST
• ボーダレスハウス (Borderless House)
• ボーダレスビジット (Borderless Visit)
• むすびば (Musubiba)
• いえとしごと (Ie to Shigoto)
• 夢中教室 (Wonder Full / WOW)
• 小さな森の学童 (Chiisana Mori Gakudo)
• RICEメディア (RICE Media)
• コシツ (Koshitsu)
• アノサポ (Anosapo)
• African Shea Butter
• Ethical Factory
• LUNA sanitary products
• Wildlife Ventures
• Alphajiri
• BORDERLESS FARM
• Healtea
• AYUMI Jabón facial
• TAO's NATIVE CHICKEN
• BRIMARI
• Borderless Link
• MAYSOL
• Borderless Myanmar Fertilizer
• For Good / ふるさと納税 for Good

Products and services

• LIB (Ethical Leather Brand) Ethical leather brand offering business accessories, bags, and shoes manufactured in Bangladesh under fair trade principles. Sold through physical retail stores and online channels in Japan.
• AMOMA natural care Maternal and baby wellness brand offering herbal tea products for breastfeeding support, distributed through over 1,350 partner obstetric hospitals and postpartum care facilities across Japan.
• ZERO PC (Peopleport) Ethical computer refurbishment and recycling service creating employment for refugees in Japan while reducing environmental impact. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified.
• AnnoSapo (AI Data Annotation) B2B AI data annotation and labeling service for machine learning model training (text, image, video). Provides high-quality training data for AI development companies and educational institutions while employing parents of stateless children.
• Ethical Factory Ethical OEM leather manufacturing providing stable employment for over 333 workers in Bangladesh, prioritizing those unable to work due to lack of education or disabilities. Serves corporate clients with leather product manufacturing.
• Haruulala organic Organic cotton baby and children's clothing brand with pass-down name tags, creating employment for workers in Bangladesh to break the cycle of child labor and poverty.
• JOGGO Leather products brand creating employment for impoverished workers in Bangladesh through high-value-added manufacturing using local resources. Products sold in Japan.
• Borderless Academy Social business school offering entrepreneur programs with 500+ cumulative graduates and 130 social businesses launched across multiple programs.
• Furusato for Good

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 social businesses operating across 15 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kansai UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansai University SDGs Partner System affiliation, supporting sustainable development goals initiatives and educational programs
• Fukuoka CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized by Fukuoka City as part of their 'Specific Startup Support Project', providing legitimacy and access to municipal support programs

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Appen: Global AI data annotation and dataset services provider serving machine-learning pipelines — direct comparable to AnnoSapo on the AI data-labeling service line, though Appen operates at vastly larger scale and without the social-employment overlay.
• NESsT: Operates a portfolio of social enterprises across emerging markets (Latin America, Central/Eastern Europe, Asia) and provides accelerator-style support, capital, and consulting — same hybrid accelerator-plus-portfolio operating model as Borderless Japan.
• Yunus Social Business (YSB): Global social business platform founded in the lineage of Muhammad Yunus, supporting social entrepreneurs in emerging markets to launch and scale businesses addressing poverty and social challenges — directly comparable mission and portfolio-company model to Borderless Japan.
• People Tree: Japan-headquartered pioneer in fair trade and ethical fashion manufacturing across Asia, operating a portfolio of ethical apparel and lifestyle brands — direct comparable on the LIB / JOGGO / Haruulala consumer-brand side of Borderless Japan.

Regional players

• ETIC (Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities): Japan-based NPO supporting social entrepreneurs with incubation programs, funding, and community building — directly comparable to Borderless Academy within the Japan market and operating in the same Japanese-language social-innovation ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows) with mentorship, peer networks, and ecosystem support; comparable in mission and entrepreneur-development focus, though Ashoka operates as a non-profit rather than for-profit holding company.
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship and seed-fund organization that identifies, funds, and supports emerging social entrepreneurs — parallel to Borderless Academy's entrepreneur-development function and the group's pipeline-of-founders approach.
• Acumen: Impact-investment organization that invests patient capital and provides business support to social enterprises addressing poverty in South Asia, East Africa, and Latin America — overlapping portfolio-company support model with Borderless Japan's emerging-market subsidiaries.
• PlaNet Finance: International development organization supporting microfinance and social entrepreneurship in emerging markets; overlapping mission and emerging-market operating geography with Borderless Japan's Bangladesh, Africa, and Southeast Asia subsidiaries.

Emerging players

• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working spaces and incubator programs supporting purpose-driven entrepreneurs across 100+ locations; comparable entrepreneur-incubation layer of Borderless Japan's ecosystem, though not a for-profit holding structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/borderlessjapan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BORDERLESSJAPAN
• Facebookfacebook.com/borderlessjapan
• Instagraminstagram.com/borderless_japan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/borderless-japan-co-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries20 records

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 Borderless Japan