What NOVA Holdings Inc. does

NOVA Holdings Inc. is a privately held Japanese education and lifestyle holding company, headquartered at Tennozu Bay Tower in Tokyo and operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries across language instruction, tutoring, childcare, study abroad, sports, fitness, and content publishing. The Group's core franchise is the NOVA brand of station-front English-conversation schools (~302 directly managed locations) and the Gaba one-on-one English brand (~40 learning studios), supported by online services NOVA LIVE STATION and "Ochanoma Study" and three consumer apps (NOVAnavi, NOVA Listening Supplement, NOVA App). Adjacent education lines include the ITTO Individualized Tutoring Academy franchise (~992 schools, plus Miyabi, Ganbaru, and Asmo sub-brands for ~1,228 tutoring schools total), bilingual nursery and after-school programs (NOVA Bilingual, NOVA KIDS CLUB, Jibun Mirai, PlusDays), the Last Resort study-abroad agency (43 domestic + 9 overseas offices, 120,000+ cumulative travelers), and corporate training (法人語学研修) serving 3,800+ client companies including government contracts such as METI.

The Group monetizes through a mix of recurring per-lesson fees (NOVA, Gaba, corporate training), franchise royalties and brand fees (ITTO and other tutoring chains), subscription or membership fees (24/7 Workout fitness, nursery programs), and transaction- or commission-based revenue (Last Resort study-abroad). Distribution is hybrid: ~300 directly managed NOVA schools and ~40 Gaba studios are operated corporate-owned, the ITTO-family tutoring network (~1,228 schools) is run on a franchise model, and consumer acquisition is driven by TV campaigns, the NOVA Bunny mascot, social media, and a global native-English-teacher recruitment pipeline via dedicated overseas offices in London, Vancouver, Toronto, Honolulu, Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns, Auckland, and Cebu.

The portfolio has expanded materially since 2015 via acquisitions — Last Resort (2015), the Hiroshima Dragonflies professional basketball franchise (2018, subsequently B.League 2023-24 champion and East Asia Super League 2024-25 winner), Gaba (2022), 24/7 Workout partnership (2024), Iwate Grulla Morioka soccer (2024), Asahi Publishing (2025), and Manabi Aid and Free Bird Institute (Fiji) in June 2026 — alongside domestic milestones such as crossing 1,000 schools in March 2015 and 1,200 schools in February 2023. Management is led by Representative Director Masaki Inayoshi; group-wide headcount stood at 5,618 as of September 2025, and NOVA Holdings ranked No. 1 in the Nikkei MJ vocational/文化スクール sales-revenue ranking for the 10th consecutive year in 2025.

Name

NOVA Holdings Inc.

Legal name

NOVAホールディングス株式会社

Website

https://nova-holdings.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NOVA Holdings Inc. is a privately held Japanese education holding company operating the nation's largest English-conversation school network (NOVA, Gaba), the No. 2 tutoring franchise (ITTO), nursery, study-abroad (Last Resort), sports, and fitness subsidiaries serving Japanese learners from infancy through working age and over 3,800 corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Group & Class-Based Live Tutoring Platforms (EDANAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL), Virtual Tutoring & Academic Intervention (K–12) (EDAJADAH), Virtual School Course Providers (Single-Course/Part-Time Enrollment) (EDAJADAE)

Keywords

• Language education services
• English conversation schools
• Tutoring school franchises
• Study abroad services
• Corporate language training

Headquarters

HQ city

Higashi-shinagawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. English Language Instruction (NOVA & Gaba): Per-lesson fees for in-person and online English conversation lessons. Gaba charges per lesson; NOVA operates on membership/session models. This is the group's flagship revenue driver.
2. Tutoring School Franchises (ITTO et al.): Royalty and franchise fees from the ITTO Individualized Tutoring Academy and related brands, with over 1,200 franchise locations across Japan generating recurring franchise income.
3. Study Abroad Services (Last Resort): Last Resort operates as a study abroad agent with zero brokerage fees for basic services, generating revenue from school commissions, service fees on premium programs, and group program fees.
4. Corporate Language Training: B2B language training and ALT dispatch services to 3,800+ enterprise clients, including interpretation and translation services, billed per contract or per participant.
5. Fitness & Sports Club (24/7 Workout): Personal training gym memberships and fees, operated as a subsidiary under NOVA Holdings Group, generating recurring membership revenue.
6. Nursery & Childcare Services: Fees from NOVA Bilingual Nurseries, Jibun Mirai Nurseries, and after-school programs (NOVA Kids Club, Plus Days).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NOVA Holdings operates Japan's largest English conversation school network (~300 NOVA, ~40 Gaba, and 542 NOVA Bilingual KIDS schools) and the country's No. 2 tutoring school franchise network (~1,228 ITTO-affiliated schools), delivered through a combination of directly managed schools, franchise operators, online live-streaming platforms (NOVA LIVE STATION), and mobile apps. The group also runs a study abroad agency (Last Resort, 52 offices), corporate language training to 3,800+ enterprises, nursery/childcare services, professional sports teams (Hiroshima Dragonflies), and fitness clubs, creating a full-lifecycle education platform from early childhood through professional English training.

Product overview

NOVA Holdings Inc. is an education-focused holding company operating a diversified portfolio of language learning, tutoring, childcare, study abroad, sports, and content services. The company is organized as a platform of distinct brands and business units: the core English language school business includes 駅前留学NOVA (302 schools), Gaba one-on-one English lessons (40 studios), and online services such as 新・お茶の間留学 and NOVA LIVE STATION; the education/tutoring business is anchored by ITTO個別学院 (992 schools) and みやび個別学院 (201 schools) under the ITTO group; child development services include NOVAバイリンガルKIDS, NOVA KIDS CLUB, nursery schools, and PlusDays disability support; the study abroad business operates through ラストリゾート with 52 total locations; sports operations include Hiroshima Dragonflies professional basketball and Dortmund Soccer Academy; and additional businesses encompass fitness (24/7 workout/pilates), publishing (朝日出版社), and corporate training. With 2,147 total school locations as of December 2025, NOVA Holdings maintains industry leadership in English conversation schools (#1) and individual tutoring schools (#2).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 駅前留学NOVA: English conversation school brand offering face-to-face lessons at locations near train stations
• Gabaマンツーマン英会話を
• ITTO個別学院
• みやび個別学院
• ラストリゾート
• 広島ドラゴンフライズ
• ドルトムント・サッカーアカデミー
• 24/7 Workout
• Plus+days
• 朝日出版社
• NOVAうさぎ
• NOVA LIVE STATION
• 新・お茶の間留学
• じぶんみらい保育園
• NOVAバイリンガル保育園
• NOVA KIDS CLUB
• アスモacademy
• English Lab

Products and services

• Station-front Study Abroad NOVA (駅前留学NOVA) Flagship English conversation school brand offering face-to-face lessons at station-front locations nationwide (302 schools), marketed with the 'study abroad at your station' concept for individual learners of all ages.
• Gaba One-on-One English Conversation (Gabaマンツーマン英会話) One-on-one dedicated English conversation service for working adults and professionals, offered through 40 learning studios across Japan with proprietary curriculum and 30+ years of method development.
• ITTO Individualized Tutoring Academy (ITTO個別学院) Japan's largest individual tutoring school franchise with 992 franchised school locations nationwide, ranked No. 2 in Japan's tutoring industry by school count and providing customized academic instruction to K-12 students.
• Miyabi Individualized Tutoring Academy (みやび個別学院) Individual tutoring school brand offering personalized academic instruction at 201 locations nationwide as part of the ITTO group.
• Asmo Academy (アスモacademy) Premium individual tutoring academy brand offering high-end academic instruction, including the MY STUDY BASE new format with self-directed learning spaces (as of October 2025 in Kitasenju).
• Last Resort Study Abroad Agency (ラストリゾート) Study abroad agency operating 43 domestic and 9 overseas offices (total 52 locations), offering basic services with zero brokerage fees and earning from school commissions and premium program fees. Has supported over 120,000 study abroad travelers as of January 2024.
• Online Ochanoma Study (新・お茶の間留学) Online English conversation service delivering the same lesson quality as NOVA's physical schools via PC and tablet devices, leveraging the group's accumulated teaching expertise.
• NOVA LIVE STATION LIVE streaming English lesson service featuring popular foreign instructors delivering real-time remote lessons to subscribers, launched in July 2020 as a COVID-19 response.
• NOVA Junior High English Specialty (NOVA中学英語専科) Junior high school English specialized service launched in January 2025 with customized curriculum developed to address entrance exam reforms in Japan.
• NOVA Bilingual KIDS (NOVAバイリンガルKIDS) Bilingual English education program for children operating at 542 locations nationwide, providing English-focused instruction to young learners.
• NOVA KIDS CLUB English after-school club program for children from kindergarten to elementary 6th grade, operated at 4 schools within the group.
• Jibun Mirai Nursery Schools (じぶんみらい保育園) Early childhood education and daycare services operating 16 nursery schools, serving working parents across Japan.
• NOVA Bilingual Nursery (NOVAバイリンガル保育園) Bilingual nursery school service providing English-focused early childhood education at 8 schools, including Tsukuba Nishi-Hiratsuka and Inzai Higashi-no-Hara.
• PlusDays (Plus+days) Child development support and after-school daycare service for children with disabilities, operating 7 schools across Japan.
• Hiroshima Dragonflies Professional Basketball (広島ドラゴンフライズ) Professional men's basketball team in B.League B1 division; won the 2023-24 B.League season championship (first-ever) and the East Asia Super League 2024-25 international championship.
• Dortmund Soccer Academy (ドルトムント・サッカーアカデミー) Soccer school program operated in partnership with Borussia Dortmund (Germany), offering short-term study abroad programs coached by BVB-certified instructors for Japanese youth soccer development and international exchange.
• 24/7 Workout Personal Training Gym Personal training gym chain operating across multiple locations under a '3-meals-a-day diet' program concept, offering fully private training and monthly membership subscriptions.
• 24/7 Pilates Pilates studio brand operating within the 24/7 sports club framework, offering Pilates training as part of the group's fitness services.
• Asahi Publishing Co., Ltd. (朝日出版社) Long-established publishing company producing language learning materials, textbooks, and related educational content; joined the group in February 2025.
• English Lab (Integrated Language School) Integrated language learning facility combining NOVA, Gaba, and Last Resort services under one roof; 10 locations as of 2025 offering seamless access to multiple learning formats.
• Corporate Language Training (法人語学研修) B2B corporate language training service with over 3,800 company clients, providing original textbook development and customized研修 programs, interpreter services (e.g., METI FY2026), and ALT dispatch services.
• CNN ENGLISH EXPRESS Special Curriculum Special English curriculum co-developed with Asahi Publishing featuring CNN English Express materials, distributed through NOVA and Gaba channels from July 2025.
• NOVA App Study Abroad (NOVAアプリ留学) English learning app providing study abroad-style lessons via mobile application, launched in February 2021.
• NOVA Listening Supplement (NOVAリスニングサプリ) Listening supplement application for English language study, providing supplementary listening skill development content to complement classroom learning.
• NOVAnavi (NOVA App) Comprehensive NOVA English learning app serving as a school management and lesson booking platform, released April 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• NOVA students accounted for 20%+ of all English conversation learners in Japan (as of September 2018 METI survey)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Free Bird Institute Limited (フィジー共和国)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026NOVA Holdings acquired Free Bird Institute Limited (Fiji) as a subsidiary in June 2026, expanding its international education footprint to Fiji.
• Himeji Eaglets (姫路イーグレッツ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Hiroshima Dragonflies acquired all shares of women's basketball team Himeji Eaglets (W-League) in February 2026, expanding the group's professional basketball presence to women's sports.
• Manabi Aid (株式会社学びエイド)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025NOVA Holdings entered a business partnership with Manabi Aid in May 2025, followed by full subsidiary acquisition in June 2025, expanding the group's educational content and technology offerings.
• Asahi Publishing (株式会社朝日出版社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025NOVA Holdings acquired 100% of Asahi Publishing's shares in February 2025, bringing long-established educational textbook and book publishing capabilities in-house. In July 2025, Asahi Publishing and NOVA/Gaba launched a special CNN English Express curriculum.
• Iwate Grulla Morioka (いわてグルージャ盛岡)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024NOVA Holdings made Iwate Grulla Morioka (J3 league soccer club) a subsidiary in November 2024 via the acquisition of Iwate Athlete Club shares. The club achieved J2 promotion in 2021.
• 24/7 Workout (株式会社トゥエンティーフォーセブン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024NOVA Holdings entered a business partnership with 24/7 Workout in April 2024. The partnership connects NOVA's education ecosystem with fitness services, cross-selling between education customers and fitness members, and leveraging NOVA's FC network for 24/7 Workout franchise expansion.
• Gaba (株式会社GABA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022NOVA Holdings acquired 100% of Gaba Man-to-Man English Conversation's shares in July 2022, making it a subsidiary. Gaba operates ~40 learning studios and has served corporate clients for over 30 years as a core brand within the group.
• H.I.S. (株式会社エイチ・アイ・エス)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2020NOVA Holdings signed a customer referral contract with travel agency giant H.I.S. in November 2020, enabling cross-referrals between NOVA's English education services and H.I.S.'s travel and study abroad offerings.
• Hiroshima Kakegakuin (学校法人広島加計学園)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020NOVA Holdings entered an industry-academia partnership with Hiroshima Kakegakuin in November 2020, supporting educational initiatives and student development programs.
• T-League (卓球T联赛)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020NOVA Holdings signed an official sponsorship contract with the T-League (table tennis professional league) in September 2020 as part of its sports business expansion.
• Hiroshima Dragonflies (広島ドラゴンフライズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018NOVA Holdings made the Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.League professional basketball team) a subsidiary in December 2018. The team has since won the B.League 2023-24 season championship and the East Asia Super League 2024-25, generating significant brand value and sports entertainment revenue for the group.
• Borussia Dortmund (ドイツ代表ボールシア・ドルトムント)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2017NOVA Holdings entered a business partnership with German professional soccer club Borussia Dortmund in July 2017. The partnership led to the establishment of the 'Dortmund Soccer Academy' in Japan, offering short-term study abroad programs coached by BVB-certified instructors. This sports education partnership supports youth soccer development and international exchange through the NOVA Group's education platform.
• Last Resort (株式会社ラストリゾート)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2015Last Resort became a subsidiary of NOVA Holdings in August 2015. It operates as the group's study abroad agency arm with zero basic service fees and the largest network of domestic and overseas offices in the industry (43 domestic + 9 overseas).

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AEON (イーオン): AEON is one of Japan's largest English conversation school chains, directly competing with NOVA in the consumer eikaiwa market with similar classroom-based lesson models and franchise/company-owned school structures across Japan.
• ECC (ECC外語学院): ECC is a major Japanese language school operator offering English conversation and other language programs through directly operated schools nationwide, competing head-to-head with NOVA and Gaba for adult learners and corporate clients.
• Berlitz Japan: Berlitz operates one-on-one and small-group English language instruction in Japan under the global Berlitz brand, comparable to Gaba's premium one-on-one model within the NOVA Holdings portfolio.
• Waseda Academia (早稲田アカデミー): Waseda Academia is a leading Japanese K-12 tutoring/juku chain, directly comparable to NOVA's ITTO and Miyabi franchise networks for the school exam preparation and supplementary tutoring market.

Emerging players

• RareJob: RareJob is a leading online English conversation platform connecting Japanese learners with Filipino instructors via subscription, representing the online/low-cost segment that pressures NOVA's brick-and-mortar eikaiwa economics.
• Interac: Interac is one of Japan's largest providers of Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) dispatch services to public schools, competing with NOVA's corporate training and ALT dispatch business for similar B2B and government contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Benesse Corporation: Benesse is a large Japanese education and publishing conglomerate offering K-12 correspondence courses, language programs, and senior care services, overlapping with NOVA's kids education, tutoring, and publishing (Asahi) verticals.
• Human Holdings (Human Academy): Human Holdings operates Human Academy, a diversified Japanese education group spanning language schools, tutoring, vocational training, and lifestyle schools, competing with NOVA across multiple education categories simultaneously.
• Wall Street English: Wall Street English operates premium English language schools globally including Japan, with a blended online + in-person model comparable to NOVA's English Lab integrated facilities and online hybrid offerings.
• EF Education First: EF Education First is a global language education and study abroad operator offering English programs, study abroad placements, and online learning, comparable to NOVA's combined adult English, Last Resort study abroad, and online platform businesses at international scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hiroshimadflies
• Facebookfacebook.com/novaholdings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nova-holdings-co-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NOVA Holdings Inc.