DeSC Healthcare

What DeSC Healthcare does

DeSC Healthcare, Inc. (DeSCヘルスケア株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered medical-technology company established on March 4, 2015 as a joint venture between DeNA Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Corporation, structured to combine DeNA's consumer engagement and platform expertise with Sumitomo Corporation's corporate and government distribution networks for the Japanese healthcare market. The company sells the kencom mobile application as a B2B2C health management subscription to approximately 80 health insurance associations and multiple municipal governments, where end users (~3 million registered) can view health checkup and claims data, receive personalized daily health content, and earn points through gamified events; the service is positioned within Japan's national Data Health Plan framework and is integrated with the My Number Portal. The second business line is the DeSC Database, an anonymized real-world data (RWD) platform combining claims, health checkup, life-log, and survey data, monetized through an annual research public offering and direct partnerships with academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies (notably co-sponsored with Medical Data Vision/MDV and incorporating IQVIA-sourced data). The third business line is data provision services including OMOP-transformed data and an AI model for predicting health checkup attendance; the company also holds a Privacy Mark certification and has accumulated multiple Japanese and international academic awards (ISPOR, Japan Clinical Pharmacology Society, EVIDENCE AWARDS) for its RWE research outputs.

Name

DeSC Healthcare

Legal name

DeSCヘルスケア株式会社

Website

https://desc-hc.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DeSC Healthcare operates the kencom health-management mobile app and a large anonymized real-world health database, sold B2B to roughly 80 Japanese health insurance associations and multiple municipal governments, with RWD licensing to pharmaceutical and academic researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Health Platform

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Submissions & Clinical Content Management (eCTD/Publishing) (HLACAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remote Diagnostics & Point-of-Care (Connected Testing, Home Lab Devices) (HLACAPAK)

Keywords

• Health management platform
• Real-world evidence
• Healthcare data analytics
• Digital health engagement
• Preventive health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. kencom B2B SaaS Subscription: DeSC Healthcare operates kencom as a B2B service sold to health insurance associations and municipal governments. Health insurance associations and municipalities pay subscription fees for the platform to support their members' health management. The service is positioned within Japan's national Data Health Plan (データヘルス計画) framework, aligning with government health policy goals.
2. Real-World Data / Database Licensing: DeSC Healthcare monetizes its anonymized health big data (DeSC Database) by providing it to academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies for real-world evidence (RWE) studies. Data includes claims data (レセプトデータ), health checkup data, life logs (step counts, weight, blood pressure), and survey data. Data provision is conducted through structured research public offerings and direct research partnerships.
3. Data Provision Services: Services providing OMOP-transformed data and expansion estimation functions to research institutions and pharmaceutical companies, generating fees for processed and standardized data delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DeSC Healthcare operates "kencom," a B2B healthcare entertainment app sold to Japanese health insurance associations and municipal governments, giving members personalized health checkup data viewing, daily health content, and gamified events/points. The company also licenses anonymized real-world health data (the DeSC Database) to academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies for epidemiological and pharmacoeconomic studies.

Product overview

DeSC Healthcare operates a portfolio of three distinct offerings: (1) kencom — a B2B2C healthcare entertainment app distributed through health insurance associations and municipalities that lets users view health checkup results, receive personalized daily health content, and engage through events and a points system; (2) the DeSC Database — a large-scale real-world data (RWD) platform of anonymized claims, health checkup, life-log, and survey data used by researchers for epidemiological studies; and (3) a Research Grant Program — an annual competitive program that provides free access to the DeSC Database to academic and private-sector researchers. The company was established in 2015 as a joint venture between DeNA and Sumitomo Corporation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• kencom: Healthcare entertainment app that provides health data viewing, personalized health information, and gamified wellness events with points for health insurance associations and municipalities

Products and services

• kencom Healthcare entertainment app providing personalized health management tools, including health checkup result viewing, daily tailored health content, and gamified engagement via events and a points system. Delivered as a B2B2C service to health insurance associations and municipal governments in Japan.
• DeSC Database A large-scale anonymized real-world data (RWD) platform combining insurance claims, health checkup, life-log (steps, weight, blood pressure), and survey (QOL/WPAI) data from health insurance associations, National Health Insurance, and Late-Stage Elderly medical systems. Used by academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies for epidemiological, pharmacoeconomic, and drug safety studies.
• OMOP Transformed Data Service Service providing OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) common data model-formatted data to research institutions and pharmaceutical companies, enabling standardized real-world evidence research across geographies.
• AI Model for Health Checkup Attendance Prediction AI model that predicts the probability of health checkup attendance, used by health insurance associations and municipalities to identify and target non-respondents to improve health examination participation rates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% average monthly return rate (sustained user engagement)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor, major and core.

• Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd. (MDV) (株式会社 MEDICAL・DATA・VISION)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026DeSC Healthcare and MDV co-sponsor an annual research public offering (研究公募) providing combined access to DeSC's insurer database and MDV's medical institution database. The co-sponsored research public offering allows researchers to apply for combined access to both datasets. This partnership creates Japan's largest-scale real-world data offering by combining insurer/household-level data with medical institution/hospital-level data.
• Novo Nordisk Pharma Co., Ltd. (Novo Nordisk Pharma株式会社)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2025DeSC Healthcare and Novo Nordisk Pharma began joint development of an AI-powered medical information service model. This partnership combines DeSC Healthcare's health big data and app platform capabilities with Novo Nordisk's pharmaceutical expertise to develop personalized medical information delivery.
• Yokohama City University (横浜市立大学)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025DeSC Healthcare and Yokohama City University collaborate on data science initiatives including data son (データソン) events where students compete in data-driven solutions to social challenges. This partnership supports next-generation data scientist development.
• Hirosaki University / Hiroshima University COI-NEXTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2025DeSC Healthcare participates in the Hirosaki University COI-NEXT program, which received the highest 'S' rating in its first mid-term evaluation. The program focuses on health innovation and lifestyle disease prevention.
• MeDiCU Inc. (株式会社MeDiCU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025DeSC Healthcare entered a business partnership with MeDiCU to pursue health promotion and medical cost optimization goals. MeDiCU specializes in medical data utilization support services. The companies co-host webinars such as 'The Frontier of RWD Research Opened by Health Examination Data' to promote joint initiatives.
• DeNA Co., Ltd. (株式会社ディー・エヌ・エー)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2015DeNA and Sumitomo Corporation co-founded DeSC Healthcare as a joint venture in March 2015. DeNA contributes technology, platform development capabilities, and engagement science expertise to the partnership. DeNA is the parent company and primary technology partner of DeSC Healthcare, holding a stake in the joint venture.
• Sumitomo Corporation (住友商事株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2015Sumitomo Corporation and DeNA co-founded DeSC Healthcare as a joint venture in March 2015. Sumitomo Corporation contributes its extensive corporate network, business development capabilities, and trade/commercial expertise. Sumitomo Corporation is a major Japanese trading company providing corporate relationship networks across industries including healthcare and insurance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CureApp: Japanese digital therapeutics company developing prescription digital therapeutics for nicotine dependence, hypertension, and other conditions. Comparable as a Japanese digital health company working with health insurance associations, though focused on software-based therapeutics rather than data platforms.
• MICIN Inc. Japanese digital health company offering online medical care, remote health guidance, and life log apps to health insurance associations and providers. Comparable as a Japanese digital health platform serving the same institutional buyers, though focused on telemedicine rather than data licensing.

Broad incumbents

• Optum (UnitedHealth Group): Global health services and innovation company with a major RWD/RWE analytics business serving pharma, payers, and providers. Comparable in selling data-driven population health management at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• IQVIA: Global leader in real-world evidence and health data analytics. IQVIA already provides data integrated into DeSC's database, but at much larger scale across multiple geographies including Japan — making it a broad incumbent competing in overlapping RWE services.
• Philips Health: Global health technology company with population health management, remote monitoring, and connected health offerings. Comparable in providing technology solutions for chronic disease management and consumer health engagement, though at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Sompo Holdings: Major Japanese insurance group with significant healthcare and wellness businesses including health management services for insured members. Comparable as a Japanese insurance/health conglomerate operating population health management services that compete for similar institutional budgets.

Direct peers

• JMDC Inc. Japan's leading health insurance claims database and healthcare data analytics company. Both operate large-scale Japanese real-world health data platforms serving health insurance associations, pharma, and academic researchers with claims, checkup, and DPC data — making JMDC DeSC's closest direct comparable in the Japanese RWD market.
• Health Catalyst: US-based healthcare data and analytics platform serving health systems and payers with population health management and RWD solutions. Comparable in business model of selling data-driven health management SaaS to institutional healthcare buyers.
• Medical Data Vision (MDV): Japanese medical institution database company providing hospital-based real-world data to pharma and researchers. MDV is also a co-sponsor of DeSC's research public offerings, making it both a partner and a direct peer in Japanese RWD commercialization.
• Linkage Inc. Japanese healthcare data analytics and consulting company serving health insurers and life insurers with claims data analytics and BI tools. Directly comparable as a data-driven health management services vendor to Japanese health insurance associations.

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

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about DeSC Healthcare