Assign
Assign is a Tokyo-based career support firm specializing in young high-end professionals (20s–30s), combining AI-powered matching technology, human career agents, an enterprise ATS (PERSONA), and corporate consulting to serve both job seekers and hiring companies in Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersKasumigaseki, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Assign does
Assign is a Tokyo-headquartered, privately-held career support and recruitment technology firm founded in December 2016, specializing in serving young high-end professionals (20s–30s) in Japan. The company operates a hybrid model that combines human career agents with an AI-augmented platform, generating revenue across five streams: success-fee-based career placement (ASSIGN AGENT), freemium self-serve platform access (ASSIGN, formerly VIEW), subscription-based applicant tracking system for corporate HR departments (PERSONA), enterprise consulting and employer branding services (ASSIGN CONSULTING), and professional coaching (ASSIGN ACADEMY).
The underlying technology stack combines a proprietary career simulation/recommendation engine ("VIEW AI"), a 24-question values-based career diagnostic that classifies users into 16 career types, a ChatGPT-powered career assistant (philia), and a PERSONA ATS with predictive candidate scoring. The platform has accumulated approximately 700,000 cumulative registered users and integrates with roughly 600 Japanese job boards covering ~99% of the domestic market. Headcount grew from 250 (December 2022) to approximately 400 (April 2026), and the company claims 200%+ year-over-year revenue growth for eight consecutive years.
On the corporate side, Assign serves enterprise clients across consulting (PwC, Deloitte Tohmatsu, BayCurrent), financial services (MUFG), trading (Itochu), consumer (Suntory, Hakuhodo), and internet/tech (CyberAgent). Operations span Japan (Tokyo HQ, Osaka Kansai, Sendai) and a single international branch in Taipei, with a product portfolio extending into new graduate recruitment (ASSIGN ENTRY), media content (ASSIGN MEDIA), and a venture capital talent advisory practice. The business is founder-led by CEO Kosemura Takumi (a former consulting firm professional) and CTO Sunaga Takahiro.
Assign firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Assign
- Legal name
- 株式会社アサイン
- Website
- https://assign-inc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Assign is a Tokyo-based career support firm specializing in young high-end professionals (20s–30s), combining AI-powered matching technology, human career agents, an enterprise ATS (PERSONA), and corporate consulting to serve both job seekers and hiring companies in Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Assign industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Career Support and Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL), Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Career Services & Job Placement Platforms (Jobs, Recruiting, Employer Networks) (EDAFAMAM)
Keywords
Where Assign is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kasumigaseki
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Assign business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Career Agent / Placement Services (ASSIGN AGENT): Mid-to-senior level career placement fees; success-based fees from both job seekers and hiring companies; long-term career coaching embedded in the service.
- ASSIGN Platform Freemium (ASSIGN TECH): Free career diagnosis and job matching for job seekers; premium services (dedicated agent support) monetized through placement fees.
- PERSONA ATS Subscription: SaaS subscription for applicant tracking system; approximately 99% retention rate as of July 2025; targets corporate HR and recruiting departments.
- Corporate Consulting (ASSIGN CONSULTING): Recruitment strategy consulting, employer branding, talent management advisory, and venture capital talent advisory services for corporate clients.
- ASSIGN ACADEMY Coaching: Career coaching services with customized curriculum; professional coaching combined with practical business application support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free career diagnosis and platform access (ASSIGN app) |
| Subscription | Annual | PERSONA ATS - enterprise SaaS subscription |
| Other | Annual | CMO Candidate position salary range |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Annual | Agent compensation - results-based high income |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Assign product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Assign provides career support services for 20s-30s high-end professionals in Japan, combining a self-serve AI-powered job search platform (ASSIGN app) with a two-sided career agent service (ASSIGN AGENT). The company also offers corporate recruitment consulting, an AI-driven applicant tracking system (PERSONA ATS), career coaching (ASSIGN ACADEMY), business media (ASSIGN MEDIA), and a ChatGPT-powered AI career assistant (philia). Revenue is generated through placement fees from successful mid-career job transitions, ATS subscriptions, and recruitment consulting engagements.
Product overview
ASSIGN operates as a multi-product career platform serving 20-30 year old high-end professionals across the full career lifecycle. The core offering consists of ASSIGN (the job search platform) and ASSIGN AGENT (the career agent service), which are complemented by ASSIGN MEDIA (career content), ASSIGN ENTRY (fresh graduate job search), and ASSIGN CONSULTING (corporate services). Supporting products include PERSONA (ATS), ASSIGN ACADEMY (coaching), philia (AI assistant), and Career Strategy. The platform leverages AI through its proprietary VIEW AI engine for career diagnosis and recommendations, ChatGPT integration in philia, and predictive analytics in PERSONA. The portfolio expanded from a single job placement service (2016) into a comprehensive career lifecycle ecosystem serving over 700,000 cumulative users as of April 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ASSIGN AGENT: 若手ハイエンドの転職エージェントサービス。価値観を基にした中长期的なキャリア戦略の策定と転職支援を提供。
- ASSIGN（転職サイト）
- ASSIGN MEDIA
- ASSIGN CONSULTING
- ASSIGN ENTRY / ASSIGN新股
- ASSIGN ACADEMY
- PERSONA
- philia（フィリア）
Products and services
- ASSIGN AGENT Dual-sided career agent service placing mid-career professionals (20s-30s high-end talent) at client companies. Agents deliver individualized 7-component career plans covering future vision, required experience, skills, career direction, market strengths, growth methods, recommended books, and role models, with semi-annual post-placement follow-up consultations.
- ASSIGN (Job Search Platform) Mobile and web platform for mid-career job seekers targeting 20s-30s high-end professionals, offering AI-powered career diagnostic (24-question assessment classifying users into 16 career types), personalized job recommendations based on career type matching, agent matchmaking, and direct company scout functionality.
- ASSIGN ENTRY (Assign 新株) Fresh graduate employment platform providing AI-based value diagnosis and job search support using a 400,000-person career dataset. Offers interview preparation seminars and career planning tailored to new graduates from top Japanese universities.
- ASSIGN CONSULTING Corporate consulting division providing four service lines: recruitment consulting (talent requirement definition, strategy development, post-hire training), branding support (brand concept formulation, media branding), applicant tracking system PERSONA, and venture capital/talent advisory for startups.
- PERSONA (Applicant Tracking System) Recruitment management SaaS system with AI-powered candidate personality assessment from application documents, screening evaluation support, candidate attraction recommendations, automatic integration with 600 job boards covering 99% of market, and AI-based candidate success rate/appeal-point prediction.
- ASSIGN ACADEMY Coaching service for career development targeting young professionals, providing customized curriculum and practical business-focused coaching sessions with industry professionals, addressing both long-term career goals and short-term outcomes.
- philia (AI Assistant) ChatGPT-powered AI career assistant providing smartphone-based AI chat for career research, schedule management, and life activity support. Positioned as 'another partner for living your life.'
- ASSIGN MEDIA Business media platform delivering career strategy content, industry analysis, and career column articles targeting young professionals. Features expert-authored content on AI-era marketing, consulting career paths, and value-based career design.
- Career Strategy Career strategy formulation service providing personalized career plans based on individual values and career intentions rather than job-focused matching, addressing mid-career strategy formulation before job transitions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 700,000+ cumulative platform users
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Assign
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Assign technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Assign partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hagakure (株式会社Hagakure)coreBusiness and capital partnership with Hagakure, operator of digital marketing school 'DigiPro'. Enables co-development of marketing talent and provides ASSIGN customers access to digital marketing training content. Supports the company's employer branding and corporate consulting services.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves15 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Assign competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BizReach: Japan's leading direct recruit / high-end professional placement platform operated by BizReach, Inc. Closely comparable to Assign AGENT and ASSIGN platform in targeting experienced Japanese professionals and running the JAPAN HEADHUNTER AWARDS, making it Assign's most direct domestic competitor for both candidates and corporate clients.
- HRMOS: HRMOS is a Japanese HR Tech suite (ATS, onboarding, HR management) that competes head-to-head with Assign's PERSONA ATS for corporate HR and recruiting departments. Both target Japanese employers seeking modern applicant tracking with AI-assisted screening and integrations with job boards.
- Talentio: Talentio is a Japanese SaaS ATS provider focused on mid-market and enterprise recruiting teams. Comparable to PERSONA ATS in target buyer (corporate HR), deployment model (SaaS), and emphasis on candidate experience and analytics.
- HRBrain: HRBrain is a Japanese HR Tech company offering talent management, evaluation, and ATS software for SMB to mid-market employers. Directly overlaps with Assign's PERSONA ATS and ASSIGN CONSULTING in serving corporate HR functions.
- ギークリー (Geekly): Geekly is a Tokyo-based recruitment agency specializing in IT engineers and digital professionals, similar in size and segment focus to Assign AGENT. Both compete for high-end Japanese tech talent and run direct agent placement businesses, though Geekly is more IT-engineer specific.
Broad incumbents
- Recruit Holdings (doda / リクルート): Recruit is the largest Japanese HR and recruitment conglomerate, operating doda for mid-career placement and broader job platforms. Assign competes for similar job-seekers and corporate clients, but Recruit offers significantly broader services (new grad, part-time, housing, etc.) and far greater brand and capital scale.
- LinkedIn (Japan operations): LinkedIn is the dominant global professional network with strong adoption in Japan's mid-to-senior white-collar segment. Overlaps with Assign in targeting experienced Japanese professionals and offering recruiter/ATS tooling, but LinkedIn is a broad incumbent platform rather than a specialized agent.
Emerging players
- LAPRAS: LAPRAS is a Japanese tech-career matching platform that uses algorithms and developer portfolios to connect engineers with employers. Comparable to ASSIGN's algorithm-driven matching and new-graduate tech focus, though narrower in scope (engineers only).
- YOUTRUST: YOUTRUST is a Japanese referral-based career community targeting young professionals, similar in demographic focus to Assign's 20s–30s high-end segment. Uses community/network effects rather than direct agents but overlaps meaningfully in candidate pool.
Regional players
- CareerCross: CareerCross is a bilingual Japanese/English job platform for bilingual professionals seeking foreign-affiliated or international roles in Japan. Overlaps with Assign's foreign-company placement work (Liiga Best Agent award) and the Taiwan cross-border angle, but is more bilingual-niche.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Assign social profiles
Digital presenceAssign financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Assign leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Assign funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Assign 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 Assign
What does Assign do?
Assign provides career support services for 20s-30s high-end professionals in Japan, combining a self-serve AI-powered job search platform (ASSIGN app) with a two-sided career agent service (ASSIGN AGENT). The company also offers corporate recruitment consulting, an AI-driven applicant tracking system (PERSONA ATS), career coaching (ASSIGN ACADEMY), business media (ASSIGN MEDIA), and a ChatGPT-powered AI career assistant (philia). Revenue is generated through placement fees from successful mid-career job transitions, ATS subscriptions, and recruitment consulting engagements.
Is Assign a public or private company?
Assign is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Assign founded?
Assign was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Assign based?
Assign is headquartered in Kasumigaseki, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Assign make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Career Agent / Placement Services (ASSIGN AGENT) is the primary driver. The others are ASSIGN Platform Freemium (ASSIGN TECH), PERSONA ATS Subscription, corporate Consulting (ASSIGN CONSULTING) and ASSIGN ACADEMY Coaching.
Who are Assign's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BizReach, HRMOS, Talentio, HRBrain and ギークリー (Geekly). Broad incumbents are Recruit Holdings (doda / リクルート) and LinkedIn (Japan operations). Emerging players are LAPRAS and YOUTRUST. CareerCross is listed as a regional player.
Does Assign have an API?
No public API is recorded for Assign.
What industry is Assign in?
Assign's product category is Career Support and Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS), with a secondary code of EDAAAOAL, Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.