What Cocopa does

Cocopa (株式会社ココパ), founded October 4, 2022, and headquartered in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, operates a B2B2C drone pilot certification e-learning platform in Japan. The platform delivers MLIT-compliant online academic training (10+ hours for beginners, 4+ hours for experienced pilots) covering 一等 and 二等 unmanned aircraft pilot certification, and is white-labeled for use by over 130 registered drone training schools (登録講習機関) across all major Japanese prefectures from Hokkaido to Kagoshima. Approximately 2,000 individual students use the platform directly, accessing video lectures, CBT-style randomized mock exams (70 questions for 一等, 50 for 二等), and digital Open Badge completion certificates through a web browser interface.

The company's technology stack centers on the CoCoPA e-learning platform, a proprietary Drone Flight Navi application (positioned as Japan's first drone-specific terrain map app with real-time flight restriction zone verification under aviation law), and a training record management system for institutional audit compliance. Core distribution and regulatory expertise come from a strategic partnership with Boundary Administrative Scrivener Corporation, which processes over 10,000 drone-related applications annually across 100+ drone schools and co-delivers the DIPS2.0 application proxy service. A complementary drone rental partnership with drone supply & control and a JAL co-marketed CRM training course (JAMOA) extend the offering.

Revenue is generated primarily through two ¥990/month subscription plans (Flight Support Plan and Drone Pilot Plan) bundled with liability insurance (¥50M corporate / ¥100M personal), supplemented by individual course sales (¥100–¥500), DIPS2.0 proxy service fees, physical textbook sales (¥3,155), and drone rental commissions. The company is privately held, led by representative director Iwafuji Tadashi (岩藤匡史), with registered capital of ¥5,000,000 and no disclosed institutional investors.

Name

Cocopa

Legal name

株式会社ココパ

Website

https://d-cocopa.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cocopa is a Japanese drone e-learning platform providing MLIT-compliant certification training to over 130 registered drone training schools and approximately 2,000 individual students nationwide, combining video courses, CBT exam preparation, and a proprietary flight restriction map application.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Pilot Certification E-Learning

NAICS

Flight Training (611512), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Drone e-learning
• Pilot certification training
• CBT exam preparation
• Drone flight mapping
• Training management system

Headquarters

HQ city

Shinjuku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription (Subscription-based e-learning): CoCoPA generates recurring revenue primarily through two subscription plans: CoCoPA Flight Support Plan (月額990円) and CoCoPA Drone Pilot Plan (月額990円), both billed monthly. Subscriptions include unlimited access to bundled video courses, Q&A chat support, and insurance. Additional revenue comes from individual course purchases priced at 500円 per video (law/regulation courses), 100円-200円 per CBT exercise session.
2. Individual Course Sales: Individual courses are sold as one-time purchases (one time/ perpetual license). Prices range from ¥100 (二等 CBT exercise) to ¥500 (individual legal courses). These courses do not include insurance or chat support and are non-subscription.
3. DIPS2.0 Application Proxy Services: Fee-based administrative services for processing DIPS2.0 applications (drone registration, flight permits, pilot certification applications) conducted in partnership with Boundary Administrative Solicitor Corporation. The service simplifies the 19-step certification procedure.
4. Textbook Sales: CoCoPA publishes and sells the textbook 'ドローン操縦士試験合格の教科書' (Drone Pilot Examination Pass Textbook) at ¥3,155 per copy (tax and shipping included), aligned with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's 4th edition教則 (teaching guidelines).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cocopa operates a web-based drone pilot certification e-learning platform (d-cocopa.co.jp) that delivers MLIT-aligned academic training, randomized CBT mock exams, video lectures, and digital Open Badge certificates to registered drone training schools and individual learners across Japan. The company supplements its core platform with two ¥990/month subscription plans (Flight Support Plan and Drone Pilot Plan), a proprietary Drone Flight Navi map app, a DIPS2.0 application proxy service through its partnership with Boundary Administrative Scrivener Corporation, drone rental services, a published certification textbook, and bundled liability insurance.

Product overview

CoCoPA (ココパ) operates as a comprehensive drone e-learning platform providing certification-aligned theoretical training for Japan's unmanned aircraft pilot system (一等・二等无人航空機操縦士). The core platform delivers online academic courses through registered training institutions (130+ drone schools nationwide). Two subscription plans extend the offering: Flight Support Plan (¥990/month) adds legal/regulatory video content, admin chat support with Boundary Administrative Scrivener Office, CBT exam prep, and bundled liability insurance; Drone Pilot Plan (¥990/month) bundles the Drone Flight Navi map app with CBT prep and insurance. Additional paid services include DIPS2.0 application proxy, drone rental, administrative scripner partnership services, JAMOA CRM training with Japan Airlines, and a certification exam textbook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CoCoPA Drone E-Learning Platform (eラーニング【CoCoPA】) Main drone pilot certification e-learning platform providing MLIT-compliant online academic courses (10+ hours for beginners, 4+ hours for experienced pilots), randomized CBT practice tests, video lectures, progress tracking, and digital Open Badge completion certificates for Japan's 一等・二等 unmanned aircraft operator certification. Delivered via web browser to registered training institutions (white-labeled) and individual learners.
• CoCoPA Flight Support Plan (CoCoPA飛行サポートプラン) Subscription service priced at ¥990/month (tax included) providing unlimited access to legal/regulatory video courses (drone law, aircraft registration, flight permit applications), unlimited open chat Q&A with Boundary Administrative Scrivener Corporation (responses weekdays 10:00-17:00), CBT exam preparation courses, and bundled liability insurance. Targeted at drone operators seeking post-certification operational support.
• CoCoPA Drone Pilot Plan (CoCoPAドローンパイロットプラン) Subscription service priced at ¥990/month (tax included) including the Drone Flight Navi map app (ad-free, Geospatial Information Authority base map access), CBT exam preparation courses, and bundled liability insurance. Designed for practicing drone pilots needing flight restriction verification tools. Excludes Q&A chat support.
• Drone Flight Navi (ドローンフライトナビ) Japan's first drone-specific map application showing real-time flight restriction zones based on aviation law and the Small Unmanned Aircraft Flight Prohibition Act, with GPS-based flight zone verification and Geospatial Information Authority (国土地理院) base map. Available as standalone subscription at ¥330/month (tax included) with ad-free experience and full base map access.
• DIPS2.0 Application Proxy Service (DIPS2.0申請代行サービス) Administrative procedure proxy service for DIPS2.0 (Drone Information Platform System 2.0) processes including aircraft registration, flight permits, skill certification applications, and training institution registration. Conducted with administrative scrivener support from Boundary Administrative Scrivener Corporation to simplify the otherwise complex 19-step certification procedure.
• Drone Rental Service (ドローンレンタルサービス) Drone equipment rental service offered in partnership with drone supply & control (ドロサツ社), providing DJI Air3 Basic Set, DJI Mavic 3 Classic, and school sets (ATTI mode + dual control) to registered training institutions and individual students. Available as 1泊2日 short-term rentals or monthly plans, including batteries and controllers.
• Administrative Scrivener Partnership Services (行政書士提携サービス) Full-service support for complex drone certification procedures (DIPS2.0, ClassNK) provided through partnership with Boundary Administrative Scrivener Office. Includes advisory services, body authentication support, and Level 3/3.5 flight permit applications, with fees tailored to the client's current application status.
• Drone Pilot Exam Textbook (ドローン操縦士試験合格の教科書) Physical textbook (B5 format, 279 pages) priced at ¥3,155 per copy (tax and shipping included), compliant with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's 4th edition teaching guidelines. Covers both 一等 and 二等 pilot exam preparation including oral and practical exam content.
• JAMOA CRM Training (JAL Air Mobility Operation Academy) Crew Resource Management training developed with Japan Airlines, teaching safety and quality operational achievement through effective management of human resources, hardware, and information. A 3-hour in-person course at JAL headquarters targeting professional drone operators and teams. Offered at ¥33,000 (tax excluded) with a CoCoPA-exclusive discount code (COCOPA_JAMOA).
• Individual Courses (Legal/Regulatory Videos, CBT Exercises, Chat Help Desk) Standalone individual courses sold outside of subscription plans. Legal/regulatory video lectures (e.g., drone law basics, aircraft registration basics, flight permit applications) at ¥500 each with 1-month access. CBT exercise sessions for 二等 at ¥100 per 2-day access (randomized 50-question tests) and 一等 at ¥200 per 2-day access (randomized 70-question tests). Standalone Chat Help Desk access at ¥990/month for unlimited Q&A for 30 days. Does not include insurance.
• Training Record Management System (講習管理システム) Online training record management system for registered training institutions (登録講習機関) to maintain audit-ready documentation of student course completion and attendance, required for annual Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism audits. Provided as part of the white-labeled B2B platform to schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully supports the academic training requirement of 10+ hours (beginners) and 4+ hours (experienced) mandated by MLIT's new drone pilot certification system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• drone supply & control (ドロサツ社) / 株式会社drone supply & controlminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2022CoCoPA partners with drone supply & control (operating the 'ドロサツ!!' drone rental service) to provide drone rental options to registered training institutions and individual students. The partnership enables short-term (1泊2日) and monthly drone rentals (DJI Air3, DJI Mavic 3 Classic, and school sets) through CoCoPA's platform. This addresses the demand from students who need to practice for practical exams but do not own drones.
• Boundary Administrative Solicitor Corporation (バウンダリ依法行政법인)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoCoPA and Boundary Administrative Solicitor Corporation operate a strategic co-development and co-marketing partnership. Boundary provides administrative legal expertise for drone-related procedures (DIPS2.0 applications, flight permits, aircraft registration) while CoCoPA provides the e-learning platform and student acquisition channel. Together they offer the DIPS2.0 application proxy service at dips.d-cocopa.co.jp. Boundary handles over 10,000 drone-related applications annually across more than 100 drone schools, making it one of Japan's top drone law practices.
• Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (日本航空株式会社)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoCoPA cross-promotes Japan Airlines' JAMOA (JAL Air Mobility Operation Academy) CRM training program to its user base. JAL provides a 3-hour in-person training course on non-technical skills (Crew Resource Management) for drone operators at JAL headquarters. CoCoPA provides an exclusive discount code (COCOPA_JAMOA) to its users, offering the program at a reduced price. This is a referral-style GTM partnership that broadens CoCoPA's service offering without direct revenue sharing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• AirMap: AirMap is a drone airspace management platform providing airspace authorization, flight planning, and UTM services for drone operators. Comparable to CoCoPA's Drone Flight Navi map application as part of the broader drone airspace/restriction service ecosystem, serving similar end-users (certified pilots).
• Coursera: Coursera is a global online education platform that partners with universities to offer courses including drone-related specialization content. Comparable to CoCoPA as a subscription-based e-learning platform with professional training content, though Coursera targets a much broader professional development audience.
• Udemy: Udemy is a global marketplace for online courses including drone certification prep (Part 107, etc.) and aviation training content. Comparable to CoCoPA as a subscription/pay-per-course e-learning platform, though Udemy operates as a broad content marketplace rather than a drone-specialized vertical.
• DroneDeploy: DroneDeploy is a US-based drone data platform offering mapping, inspection, and analytics software for commercial drone operators. While not a training provider, it is comparable to CoCoPA as part of the broader commercial drone software ecosystem serving certified pilots and drone-using enterprises in Japan.
• Aloft (formerly AirHub): Aloft is a US drone airspace management and UTM platform providing LAANC authorization, fleet management, and airspace tools for drone operators. Comparable to CoCoPA's Drone Flight Navi as a flight restriction and airspace awareness tool, though Aloft operates at a more enterprise/government scale.

Direct peers

• UAV Coach: UAV Coach is a leading US-based online drone training platform offering Part 107 certification prep courses, flight planning tools, and pilot education resources. It is comparable to CoCoPA as a drone-specific e-learning platform that monetizes through online courses and subscription content targeting aspiring certified drone pilots.
• Drone Launch Academy: Drone Launch Academy is a US drone training company offering online Part 107 test prep, FAA drone certification courses, and tutorial content for drone pilots. Closely comparable to CoCoPA in business model: online-first drone certification training sold via course subscription and individual course purchases.

Broad incumbents

• Skydio: Skydio is a major US drone manufacturer focused on autonomous flight technology for inspection, public safety, and enterprise applications. Comparable to CoCoPA as an enterprise drone ecosystem player, though Skydio's offering is hardware-centric versus CoCoPA's training and certification focus.
• JUIDA (Japan UAS Industrial Development Association): JUIDA is Japan's leading drone industry association that previously operated an independent drone pilot certification and training program before MLIT's mandatory certification took effect. Comparable to CoCoPA as a Japan-based drone training and certification body, though it now serves more as an industry body than a direct training provider.
• DJI (DJI Academy): DJI is the world's largest drone manufacturer and operates DJI Academy training programs for its enterprise and consumer drone operators globally. Comparable to CoCoPA as a drone training provider, though DJI Academy is bundled with hardware sales and not focused on regulatory exam preparation in a single market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 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 Cocopa