What MCA does

MCA (株式会社MCA) is a Tokyo-based, privately held Japanese market research firm founded in 1993 that has operated in the mobile telecommunications and IT sectors for over two decades. The company produces and sells syndicated research reports (Marketing Reports / IT Forecast Reports) covering Japan's mobile carriers — including NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile — as well as mobile base station infrastructure, network equipment markets, Open RAN/vRAN adoption trends, and enterprise IT security spending across 18 industries for mid-size companies (300–999 employees). Reports are delivered as PDF downloads, priced individually between approximately ¥180,000 and ¥400,000 depending on tier (standard versus intra-company license), and distributed exclusively through MCA's own e-commerce site with credit card and bank transfer payment options.

The firm operates two core product lines: pre-packaged syndicated IT Forecast Reports and Custom Projects (個別受託プロジェクト), bespoke research engagements for enterprise clients. Distribution relies on MCA's website (mca.co.jp), an irregular free email newsletter (mail news) for registered subscribers, and the Mobile Business Communication (mca-mbiz.jp) editorial site covering mobile business news and industry events. MCA also co-programs seminars with New Shakai System General Research Institute (SSK) on topics including Beyond 5G/6G and AI society technology strategy.

MCA generates revenue through one-time report licensing and professional services custom research, targeting Japanese mobile carriers, network equipment vendors, telecommunications engineering firms, system integrators, and mid-size enterprises. The firm maintains a very small team (1–10 employees), publishes flagship quantitative outputs such as the FY2024 vRAN market estimate (~¥330B), Open RAN market estimate (~¥150B), and domestic carrier investment figure (~¥2.3 trillion), and is privately held with no disclosed external investment or parent company.

Name

MCA

Legal name

株式会社MCA

Website

https://mca.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MCA is a Tokyo-based market research firm that sells syndicated reports and bespoke research projects on Japan's mobile telecommunications, network infrastructure, and enterprise IT security markets to carriers, equipment vendors, and mid-size enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Market Research Reports (IT Forecast Report): MCA sells published market research reports focused on Japan's mobile telecommunications and IT sectors. Reports are sold as PDF downloads with tiered pricing (standard and intra-company versions). Examples include the mobile base station market report at 220,000 yen and the 18-industry IT security report at 180,000 yen (tax excluded).
2. Custom Research Projects (個別受託プロジェクト): MCA conducts bespoke custom research projects for enterprise clients, providing tailored market intelligence and consulting services based on specific client needs in the mobile/IT domain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MCA is a Japanese market research firm that sells syndicated research reports (IT Forecast Reports) and bespoke custom research projects focused on Japan's mobile telecommunications and IT markets. The company's reports cover mobile carrier strategies, base station infrastructure markets, vRAN/Open RAN adoption, network investment trends, and IT security investment across 18 industries, priced at 180,000 to 400,000 yen per report and delivered as downloadable PDFs.

Product overview

MCA is a market research company specializing in Japan's mobile and IT sectors. It operates two core offerings: IT Forecast Reports (調査レポート) and Custom Projects (個別受託プロジェクト). The IT Forecast Reports are pre-packaged syndicated research reports covering telecommunications infrastructure, mobile carrier strategies, base station markets, and related topics. The Custom Projects provide bespoke research services tailored to specific client needs. MCA's report portfolio includes studies on mobile carrier strategies (NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile), base station infrastructure markets, Open RAN/vRAN trends, network investment strategies, and industry-specific IT security investments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IT Forecast Report (調査レポート) Pre-packaged syndicated market research reports covering Japan's mobile/IT sector including carrier strategies, base station markets, network infrastructure, and vertical-specific IT investments. Reports are sold as downloadable PDFs with prices ranging from 180,000 to 400,000 yen, targeted at mobile carriers, network equipment vendors, and system integrators.
• Custom Project (個別受託プロジェクト) Bespoke custom research services providing tailored market intelligence for specific client requirements in the mobile/IT domain. Delivered on a professional services basis to enterprise clients needing market intelligence that is not covered by the syndicated catalog.
• Mobile Base Station and Peripheral Materials Market Report 2025 (携帯電話基地局及び周辺部材市場) Comprehensive analysis of Japan's mobile base station market covering carrier investment strategies, equipment vendors, antenna, cable, power supply, and battery markets, plus engineering company shares and forecasts through 2028.
• vRAN/Open RAN Market Report 2025 Analysis of virtualized RAN and Open RAN adoption trends across Japan, US, and Europe, including market sizing, carrier deployment patterns, and TCO reduction estimates of 10-30% versus traditional RAN architectures.
• IT Security Investment Survey for 18 Industries (18業界別中堅企業のITセキュリティ投資) Survey report covering IT security investment budgets and zero-trust adoption rates across 18 industries for mid-sized Japanese enterprises (300-999 employees), priced at 180,000 yen tax excluded.
• Mobile Carrier Network Investment Strategy Report (主要キャリアのネットワーク投資戦略) Annual reports analyzing network investment strategies of major Japanese mobile carriers including NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile.
• Mobile Carrier Strategy Analysis (モバイルキャリアの戦略分析) Company-specific strategic analysis reports examining mobile carrier business strategies, service applications, terminals, and network infrastructure for individual Japanese mobile carriers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published 2024 global vRAN market size estimated at approximately 330 billion yen and Open RAN market at approximately 150 billion yen
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• New Shakai System General Research Institute (SSK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCA collaborates with SSK on organizing and promoting industry seminars and conferences covering topics such as AI society technology strategy, 5G evolution and 6G, Beyond 5G/6G research, and mobile business trends. SSK is the primary organizer while MCA contributes analysts and research perspectives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ITR: ITR is a Japanese market research firm specializing in enterprise IT markets, including software, security, and cloud. Comparable to MCA's enterprise IT security research line in target customer base and Japan-domestic syndicated report delivery.
• Fuji Chimera Research Institute: 富士キメラ総研 publishes syndicated market research reports on Japan's electronics, IT, and telecommunications sectors. Closely comparable to MCA in Japan-domestic coverage, syndicated PDF report model, and focus on IT/telecom market sizing.
• Yano Research Institute: 矢野経済研究所 is a long-established Japanese market research firm covering multiple verticals including IT, telecommunications, and industrial markets. Directly comparable in syndicated report model, Japan-domestic focus, and tiered enterprise pricing.
• Fuji Keizai Group: 富士経済グループ is a Japanese market research and consulting firm covering electronics, IT, automotive, and industrial sectors. Comparable to MCA in syndicated Japanese-language reports, B2B enterprise sales model, and long-tail vertical coverage.
• MM Research Institute: MM総研 is a Japan-based market research firm focused on ICT, mobile, and IT industries. Directly comparable to MCA in geographic scope (Japan-only), target customer base (carriers and IT vendors), and product format (syndicated Japanese-language research reports).
• Seed Planning: シード・プランニング is a Japan-focused ICT and digital market research publisher with a similar syndicated report model to MCA. Overlapping coverage of mobile networks, IT services, and digital infrastructure in the Japanese market.

Broad incumbents

• Gartner Japan: Gartner Japan provides global IT research, advisory, and consulting services with Japan-specific deliverables. Competes with MCA for enterprise IT buyer wallet but offers subscription-based research and analyst advisory — a structurally different but adjacent offering.
• Nomura Research Institute: NRI (野村総合研究所) is one of Japan's largest consulting and IT research organizations. Overlaps with MCA on IT/telecom market intelligence but operates as a much broader diversified incumbent spanning consulting, systems integration, and research.
• Mitsubishi Research Institute: 三菱総合研究所 (MRI) is a major Japanese think tank and consulting firm producing market research and policy analysis. Comparable in market intelligence output but operates at much larger scale with broader topics than MCA's mobile/IT niche.
• IDC Japan: IDC Japan is the Japanese arm of global IT market research firm IDC. Overlaps with MCA in IT and telecom market intelligence but operates a broader subscription-based model with global coverage — a larger incumbent competitor in MCA's core categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MCA