Lione
Lione Inc. (リオネ株式会社) is a Tokyo- and Sapporo-based Japanese IT services firm offering web/app development, IT staffing (SES), programming education, SNS management, digital advertising reselling, and drone photography primarily to Japanese SMBs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lione does
Lione Inc. (リオネ株式会社) is a privately held Japanese IT services company founded in 2015, headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, with a secondary engineering office in Sapporo (Maruyama). The firm operates a multi-service B2B/SMB model that bundles web and mobile-app development, commissioned custom system development, IT staffing and SES placement, programming education (including a children's school, Lione Kids), SNS operations management, digital advertising reselling, drone aerial photography (Sky Gate), nearshore development, and a freelance engineer registry (BANK). Its core "platform" is the internal loop between its programming school and its IT staffing arm, supplemented by sales-agent agreements with major Japanese ad and SNS networks (i-mobile, LINE@, Ve Japan, Hitokuse) that allow it to layer advertising commissions onto its client base.
The underlying technology stack is conventional web/mobile development (HTML/web services, iOS, Android), supplemented by managed-service primitives around third-party adtech APIs (LINE@, i-mobile's ~940 billion monthly impression network, VePanel/VeAds) and licensed drone operations with flight-permit handling. Lione holds its own General Worker Dispatch Business License (派01-301035) and Telecom Business Notification (J-30-682), enabling legal operation of staffing and certain digital services. The company has no disclosed proprietary platform product, no APIs exposed externally, no SDK, and no mobile app of its own; delivery is project- and service-based.
Lione monetizes through (i) one-time project fees for web/app development and commissioned systems work, (ii) fee-based SES and human-resource placement revenue including its in-house BANK registry, (iii) tuition from its programming schools, (iv) unit-priced drone packages (¥100K–¥300K+), (v) agency commissions on ads resold through i-mobile/LINE@/Ve Japan, and (vi) SNS management retainers. Its primary customer segment is Japanese SMBs (e.g., restaurants, salons, local enterprises) needing digital presence and IT talent, with select enterprise commissioned-development work. Founder Hiroyasu Tajima (田島 弘康) remains Representative Director; the company has grown via internal capital increases (¥10M → ¥30M → ¥50M) and is not currently funded by external venture capital or private equity.
Lione firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lione
- Legal name
- リオネ株式会社 (Lione Inc.)
- Website
- https://lione-inc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lione Inc. (リオネ株式会社) is a Tokyo- and Sapporo-based Japanese IT services firm offering web/app development, IT staffing (SES), programming education, SNS management, digital advertising reselling, and drone photography primarily to Japanese SMBs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Lione is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lione business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Entrusted Development / Web Services: Custom software development and web service creation for business applications, end-user apps, and security systems. Revenue is project-based, one-time per engagement.
- IT Staffing / SES (System Engineering Service): Introduction of IT-specialized programmers and systems engineers, connecting talent with client projects. Revenue is fee-based per placement or ongoing SES contract.
- Programming School: Programming education school offering courses in iOS, Android, Python basics, AI, and blockchain development. Revenue is tuition/registration fee based. Also used internally to develop talent for staffing services.
- SNS Management / Social Media Agency: SNS operations outsourcing service, managing Facebook, Instagram, and LINE@ for clients. Revenue is service fee based.
- Digital Advertising Services: Listing ad operations, SEO, and ad network sales agent services (i-mobile, Ve Japan products, dynamic native ads). Revenue through ad spend management fees and agency commissions.
- Drone Aerial Photography (Sky Gate): Drone aerial photography and video services for tourism promotion, commercial facilities, construction records, events, and infrastructure inspection. Package pricing from ¥100,000 to ¥300,000+.
- Near-shore Development Services: Near-shore (ニアショア) development services providing regional IT development capacity, leveraging local talent.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Drone still photography only: starting from ¥100,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Drone video shooting only: starting from ¥200,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Drone video shooting with editing: starting from ¥300,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Lione product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lione is a Japanese IT services company that provides integrated web homepage and iOS/Android application development, custom commissioned system development, IT staffing (SES), digital advertising agency services, drone aerial photography (Sky Gate), SNS operations management, and programming education. The company operates its own programming schools (including Lione Kids for children) under its own employment placement license, creating a closed-loop pipeline of trained engineers that it supplies to client projects.
Product overview
Lione is a diversified IT services company offering a portfolio of services centered on web/app development and IT human resources. Its core offerings span homepage creation and iOS/Android app development, commissioned custom system development, and IT staffing/SES placement. Adjacent services include a proprietary programming school (with Python, AI, and Blockchain courses), the Lione Kids children's programming school, the Sky Gate drone aerial photography service, nearshoring development, freelance engineer talent registration (BANK), and SNS operations management. The company operates a multi-service model rather than a unified platform-plus-modules architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sky Gate (スカイゲート): Drone aerial photography and videography service offering still image, video, and video with editing packages starting from 100,000 JPY.
Products and services
- Homepage and Mobile App Development Comprehensive web homepage creation and iOS/Android mobile app development services covering the full lifecycle from planning and design to development and post-launch support, for Japanese businesses seeking digital presence.
- Commissioned Custom System Development (受託開発・WEBサービス) Custom system development including business applications, end-user applications, and security systems across diverse domains, where Lione engineers propose and deliver solutions against client specifications.
- IT Talent Placement and SES (人材紹介・SES) IT talent placement and System Engineering Service (SES) contracts, staffing programmers and systems engineers—many trained through Lione's own programming school—to fill client project needs on a nationwide basis.
- Lione Programming School (リオネ) Programming education school offering courses in iPhone/Android app development, web production, Python basics, AI, and blockchain, operated under Lione's employment placement license and serving both external students and its internal talent pipeline.
- Sky Gate (スカイゲート) Drone Aerial Photography Service Drone aerial photography agency service handling video shooting, editing, and Japanese flight permit applications for tourism promotion, commercial facilities, construction records, events, and infrastructure inspection clients.
- Nearshore Development Service (ニアショア開発) Nearshore development service enabling regional/local IT development capacity to support client projects, leveraging talent outside major metropolitan areas.
- BANK Freelance Engineer Registration Service Free talent registration service for freelance IT engineers providing SES-focused IT project introductions between registered engineers and client companies.
- SNS Operations Management (SNS運用代行) Social media management service operating Facebook, Instagram, and LINE@ accounts on behalf of client businesses, including campaign strategy, content creation, and account management to drive customer acquisition.
- Lione Kids (リオネキッズ) Children's Programming School Children's programming school covering grades 1-6, with robotics, programming, puzzle, and experiential learning courses designed in anticipation of Japan's 2020 mandatory programming curriculum.
- Dynamic Native Ad Service Dynamic native advertising service that converts smartphone web display ad slots into native-format ads in partnership with Hitokuse Inc.
Quantifiable outcome
- SNS marketing can achieve ~20% customer conversion rate from social media engagement, compared to 1-2% for direct mail/flyer distribution
Companies that use Lione
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lione technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Lione partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.
- 一般社団法人はん滴状チェーン北海道イノベーションプログラム（BHIP）minorLione became a member of the General Incorporated Association Blockchain Hokkaido Innovation Program (BHIP), reflecting interest in blockchain technology alongside their Python/AI programming school offerings.
- テックジム (Tech Gym)moderateLione joined Tech Gym as a member to offer programming school courses including Python basics, AI, and blockchain tracks, expanding their education service curriculum.
- 、一般社団法人日本ドローンビジネスサポート協会「aotori」minorLione joined the General Incorporated Association Japan Drone Business Support Association 'aotori' to engage with the growing drone-related business sector, aligning with their Sky Gate drone aerial photography service.
- 株式会社アウトサイドminorLione took over and continued the sharing service business from Corporation Outside through a business transfer and succession agreement.
- 株式会社アイモバイル (i-mobile)moderateLione entered a sales agent agreement with i-mobile, a major Japanese ad network with approximately 940 billion monthly ad impressions across 182,000 mobile and 102,000 PC media sites. Lione resells i-mobile's advertising inventory to its client base.
- LINE株式会社moderateLione became a LINE@ sales partner, focusing on promotional activities for LINE@ services targeting small and medium enterprises. Lione also offers SNS management services leveraging LINE.
- Ve Japan株式会社moderateLione entered a sales agent agreement with Ve Japan株式会社 for digital advertising products including VePanel (site exit suppression service for EC sites) and VeAds (digital advertising delivery for customer acquisition).
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lione competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Will Group: Japanese staffing group with a dedicated digital/SES division (Will Smart) that places IT engineers — directly overlapping with Lione's IT staffing/SES arm, including the school-to-staffing model.
- WDB Holdings: Japan-based staffing and human-resources services group with significant IT/SES exposure, comparable to Lione in customer base (Japanese SMBs and enterprises) and engineer-placement model.
- Tech Academy (by Udemy): Online programming school offering iOS/Android/Python/AI curricula — directly comparable to Lione's adult programming school and Lione Kids offerings, and a competing funnel into Japanese engineer talent.
- Geniee: Japan-focused ad-tech / digital advertising company with ad-network and SSP products — competes in the same programmatic/dynamic-ad resale space where Lione partners with i-mobile and Hitokuse.
- Terra Drone: Leading Japanese commercial drone services company covering inspection, surveying, and aerial photography — directly overlapping with Lione's Sky Gate drone service in Japan.
- Progate: Japanese online programming education platform offering beginner-to-intermediate developer courses — competes with Lione's programming-school courses for the same aspiring-developer persona.
- FREENANCE: Japan-focused freelance engineer matching and SES platform — directly comparable to Lione's BANK freelance engineer registration and SES staffing business.
Broad incumbents
- Septeni Holdings: Established Japanese digital advertising agency group with much broader portfolio; directly comparable to Lione's digital ad agency, listing-ad, and SEO service lines at far greater scale.
- BrainPad: Japanese digital marketing and data analytics agency with offerings across web analytics, ad operations, and SEO — overlaps with Lione's listing-ad/SEO and web analytics services for mid-market clients.
- Digital Garage: Diversified Japanese internet/fintech/ad-tech group with digital advertising and developer-education adjacencies — comparable as a broad incumbent across several of Lione's service lines.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lione social profiles
Digital presenceLione financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lione leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lione funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lione 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 Lione
What does Lione do?
Lione is a Japanese IT services company that provides integrated web homepage and iOS/Android application development, custom commissioned system development, IT staffing (SES), digital advertising agency services, drone aerial photography (Sky Gate), SNS operations management, and programming education. The company operates its own programming schools (including Lione Kids for children) under its own employment placement license, creating a closed-loop pipeline of trained engineers that it supplies to client projects.
Is Lione a public or private company?
Lione is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lione founded?
Lione was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lione based?
Lione is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Lione make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Entrusted Development / Web Services are the primary driver. The others are IT Staffing / SES (System Engineering Service), programming School, SNS Management / Social Media Agency, digital Advertising Services, drone Aerial Photography (Sky Gate) and near-shore Development Services.
Who are Lione's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Will Group, WDB Holdings, Tech Academy (by Udemy), Geniee, Terra Drone, Progate and FREENANCE. Broad incumbents are Septeni Holdings, BrainPad and Digital Garage.
Does Lione have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lione.