XID
xID Inc. is a Japanese GovTech startup that builds My Number Card-based digital identity, authentication, electronic signature, and digital notification (SmartPOST) infrastructure serving Japanese municipal governments, fintech/insurance firms, and SI partners across 413 of 1,741 municipalities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What XID does
xID Inc. (xID株式会社 / Cross-ID) is a Japanese GovTech startup founded in May 2012 by Co-Founder/CEO Hikaru Kusaka and Co-Founder/CTO Kusa Nagasawa, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The company operates a digital identity platform purpose-built around Japan's My Number Card public key infrastructure (JPKI), delivering its capabilities through three coordinated modules: a free consumer-facing xID App that reads the My Number Card via smartphone NFC to issue a digital ID enabling passwordless biometric login, eKYC, and electronic signatures; a developer-facing xID API (OAuth2.0 / OpenID Connect compliant REST API) with end-to-end encrypted My Number delivery via public-key cryptography for enterprise and partner integrations; and SmartPOST, a digital postal service for municipalities and corporates that delivers verified notifications to individuals' digital mailboxes with LGWAN compatibility and paper/digital parity. The xID for Government bundle packages these modules for national agencies and municipal DX programs.
xID monetizes primarily through B2B/B2G channels: subscription-style enterprise API and integration fees, managed-service SaaS fees for SmartPOST, and professional services for co-development with municipalities and partners, while the consumer xID app is provided free of charge to drive adoption. Its customer base skews heavily toward Japanese municipal governments (deployed in 413 of 1,741 municipalities, with all 1,741 municipalities supported for the hikkoshi one-stop service), supplemented by fintech/insurance and SI partners routed through a three-tier Technology / Solution / Industry partner ecosystem that includes NTT Data, Dai Nippon Printing, Ryobi Systems, Monster Lab, Seven Bank, Aioi Nissay Dowa, and others. The company is venture-backed, with disclosed rounds led by DG Incubation (2023, 2024) and strategic capital from SMBC, Resona Capital, Saison Ventures, Dai Nippon Printing, and, most recently in 2026, Japan Post Capital and Toho Gas CVC.
xID's competitive positioning rests on a regulatory and standards-aligned moat: eKYC under Article 6-1 of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds, party-type electronic signatures compliant with the Electronic Signature Act, LGWAN-compatible municipal deployments, and a privacy-by-design architecture (on-device encryption, no ad tracking, no data sale). Forward strategy is evidenced by recent moves including SmartPOST certification under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Trial Procurement Certification System (April 2026), a Japan Post Capital capital partnership (May 2026), a Toho Gas CVC-backed push into energy and public-sector notification/billing/payment infrastructure (June 2026), a Mirairo alliance for inclusive disability-aware notifications (June 2026), and a Public Service Mesh PoC connecting private SaaS to core government systems (May 2026). No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the company's differentiation is cryptographic and regulatory rather than model-based.
XID firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- XID
- Legal name
- xID株式会社
- Website
- https://xid.inc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- xID Inc. is a Japanese GovTech startup that builds My Number Card-based digital identity, authentication, electronic signature, and digital notification (SmartPOST) infrastructure serving Japanese municipal governments, fintech/insurance firms, and SI partners across 413 of 1,741 municipalities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where XID is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
XID business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- xID API developer / enterprise integration fees: Monetization via API and integration services sold to enterprises and developers seeking to embed My Number Card-based identity, authentication, e-signature, and My Number retrieval functions. Free test environment provided; production/commercial usage is a paid engagement (quote-based).
- xID App — freemium consumer digital ID: The xID consumer app is free for end users; revenue is generated indirectly from the enterprises and government services that consume the app for authentication/KYC rather than from the app users themselves.
- SmartPOST municipal digital postal service fees: Subscription/SaaS-style service revenue from local governments and other organizations for digital postal/notification delivery, with paper-and-digital unified creation and delivery, dashboards for delivery/open status, and LGWAN compatibility.
- Professional services / co-development with partners: Advisory and co-development services (e.g., paid advisory services such as those described for the Omaezaki City Digital Support Campaign), and joint solutions with municipalities and partners to design and implement digital identity deployments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | — | xID App — free for end users |
| Subscription | — | xID API — free test environment; paid production usage |
| Other | — | SmartPOST — quote-based municipal SaaS |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
XID product offering
Product offeringCore offering
xID builds a digital identity platform atop Japan's My Number Card public key infrastructure (JPKI), providing eKYC, passwordless biometric authentication, party-type electronic signatures, and end-to-end encrypted My Number retrieval through three coordinated products: the consumer-facing xID App, the xID for Developers REST API (OAuth2.0 / OpenID Connect compliant), and SmartPOST — a digital postal service for municipalities. The platform is sold to Japanese local governments, financial institutions, and enterprises via direct sales, a multi-tier partner ecosystem of system integrators and resellers, and self-serve developer onboarding.
Product overview
xID (xID株式会社 / Cross-ID) is a Japanese Govtech startup that operates a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) public personal authentication. The unified digital identity foundation is delivered through three coordinated modules: the consumer-facing xID App (free digital ID app for end users) acts as the identity wallet; xID for Developers / xID API provides the B2B integration surface so partners and municipalities can embed eKYC, authentication, and electronic signatures into their services; and SmartPOST is a digital postal/notifications module built on top of the same trust layer to deliver government and corporate notifications directly to citizens. The xID for Government offering packages these modules for national agencies and municipalities, supported by partnerships with technology, solution, and industry partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- xIDアプリ: Consumer-facing My Number Card-linked digital ID app for identity verification, passwordless login, and electronic signatures.
- xID API / xID for Developers
- SmartPOST (スマートポスト)
Products and services
- xID App (xIDアプリ) Free consumer-facing digital ID smartphone app that uses the My Number Card public personal authentication (JPKI) to create a digital ID, enabling passwordless biometric login, electronic signatures, automatic form filling with verified personal attributes, and digital notifications for online and in-person identity verification.
- xID for Developers / xID API Developer-facing REST API compliant with OAuth2.0 / OpenID Connect that enables websites and apps to implement My Number Card-based online identity verification (eKYC), authentication/authorization, party-type electronic signatures compliant with the Electronic Signature Act, passwordless login, and end-to-end encrypted My Number submission. Includes a free test environment and enterprise integrations with Azure AD B2C, R-Cloud Auth, and SELMID.
- SmartPOST (スマートポスト) Digital postal service that uses My Number Card-based identity verification as its trust foundation to deliver important notifications directly from municipalities and companies to individual recipients; combines paper and digital notification workflows via a single operational mechanism, supports LGWAN, and provides dashboards for delivery/open status.
- xID for Government (政府機関・自治体向け) Govtech solution bundle for Japanese national agencies and municipal governments that packages the xID App, xID API, and SmartPOST products to support municipal DX use cases including electronic administrative applications, online voting/signatures, online facility reservations, e-library IDs, online furusato nozei applications, e-resident / relationship-population creation, and common IDs for data linkage.
Quantifiable outcome
- Deployed in 413 of 1,741 Japanese municipalities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use XID
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
XID technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature8 records
XID partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
33 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and flagship.
- Mirairo, Inc. (ミライロ)strategicBusiness alliance announced June 2026 to co-develop an inclusive government-oriented digital notification service that integrates Mirairo's digital disability ID "Mirairo ID," aiming for a notification infrastructure that leaves no one behind.
- NTT Data (NTTデータ)strategicListed partner in xID's partner ecosystem, indicating technology/integration collaboration for xID-based services.
- Dai Nippon Printing (大日本印刷)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem with a major printing/communications group, supporting document and notification workflows that complement SmartPOST.
- Ryobi Systems (両備システムズ)strategicSystem integrator partner; quoted that xID's authentication infrastructure is indispensable for realizing smart cities and that the two companies will co-create services using each other's cloud platforms to advance social DX. (Quote by Representative Director Vice President Yoshitaka Onoda.)
- Monster Lab (モンスターラボ)strategicDigital transformation services partner; cited value of providing personal authentication / digital ID to Monster Lab's client base and users. (Quote by CEO Kanji Osada.)
- SOMPO Light Vortex (SOMPO Light Vortex)strategicListed partner in the xID ecosystem, aligned with insurance/fintech industry co-creation.
- Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (あいおいニッセイ同和損害保険)strategicListed insurance industry partner in the xID partner ecosystem.
- Seven Bank (セブン銀行)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, aligned with banking/ATM and identity use cases.
- Giftee (ギフティ)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting digital coupon/point integrations.
- BOLDLYstrategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, aligned with mobility/smart-city use cases.
- DataSignstrategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting privacy/identity-related integrations.
- Trustbank (トラストバンク)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, aligned with local government/furusato nozei integrations.
- SCALAstrategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- VOTE FORstrategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting voting/online signature use cases.
- SocioFuturestrategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- Egg (エッグ)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- SBS Information System (ＳＢＳ情報システム)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, functioning as a system integrator for enterprise deployments.
- Space Market (スペースマーケット)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting online facility reservation use cases.
- Kyocera Mirai Envision (京セラみらいエンビジョン)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- Institute of Construction Technology (建設技術研究所)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- Shizuoka Information Processing Center (静岡情報処理センター)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, a prefectural information processing / SI organization.
- Odawara Equipment (小田原機器)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- Boshi-mo (母子モ)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting maternal/child health-related municipal services.
- Mediado (メディアドゥ)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, supporting digital content/distribution use cases.
- Motion Picture (モーションピクチャー)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem.
- Nihon Computer (日本コンピューター)strategicListed partner in xID's ecosystem, a system integrator.
- OpenID Foundation JapanstrategicListed association membership (加盟団体), aligning xID with OpenID Connect and other identity standards bodies.
- Smart City Institute (スマートシティ・インスティテュート)strategicListed association membership, supporting xID's smart-city positioning.
- Fintech Association of Japan (Fintech協会)strategicListed association membership, supporting xID's fintech ecosystem engagement.
- Govtech Association of Japan (一般社団法人Govtech協会)flagshipListed association membership; xID is a member of this industry body for government technology.
- Microsoft Azure AD B2CstrategicListed enterprise integration partner for the xID API offering, enabling xID to be used within Azure AD B2C-based identity stacks.
- R-Cloud AuthstrategicListed enterprise integration partner for the xID API offering, complementing IDaaS capabilities.
- SELMIDstrategicListed enterprise integration partner for the xID API offering.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
XID competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NEC Corporation: Large Japanese IT and government systems vendor with significant presence in national e-government, biometric ID, and public-sector digital identity. Comparable as a broad incumbent that can deliver identity and authentication solutions to Japanese government and large enterprises, though not specialized in My Number Card-based consumer digital ID.
- NTT Data: Japan's largest IT services vendor and a listed xID partner; competes broadly in government digital transformation, identity, and authentication systems. Comparable as a broad incumbent that can deliver Govtech identity solutions to municipalities and central agencies.
- LINE Yahoo: Operator of LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN, which together run one of the largest consumer login/identity footprints in Japan. Comparable as a consumer digital identity incumbent that competes with xID App for default identity-wallet status with Japanese consumers.
- Toppan: Japanese secure-document and identity-solutions provider involved in ID cards, passports, and authentication infrastructure. Adjacent competitor to xID in the secure-identity and public-sector document space in Japan.
- KDDI / au: Major Japanese telco operating the au ID digital identity and authentication platform used across telecom, fintech, and consumer services. Comparable as a consumer-scale Japanese digital ID player that xID competes or integrates with for eKYC and authentication.
Direct peers
- ID.me: US-based digital identity network providing identity verification and group affiliation services to both government agencies and commercial enterprises. Highly comparable business model to xID's combination of public-sector identity and commercial eKYC, though operating in a different geography.
- TRUSTDOCK: Japanese eKYC/identity verification specialist serving banks, fintechs, and online services with KYC and AML compliance. Directly comparable to xID's enterprise eKYC and authentication offering for the Japanese market.
- Liquid: Japan-based biometric and digital identity verification provider offering eKYC and authentication APIs. Closely comparable to xID on the developer-facing identity verification / eKYC axis in the Japanese market.
- Onfido (Entrust): Global identity verification / eKYC platform used by financial services and online businesses. Comparable to xID's API-driven eKYC and authentication offering, with established presence in Japan serving fintech and enterprise customers.
Emerging players
- Mirairo: Japanese startup operating the Mirairo ID digital disability certificate. Already a xID business alliance partner (June 2026) for inclusive digital notification, and an emerging identity player targeting accessibility-focused government services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
XID social profiles
Digital presenceXID financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
XID leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
XID subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
XID funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
XID 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 XID
What does XID do?
xID builds a digital identity platform atop Japan's My Number Card public key infrastructure (JPKI), providing eKYC, passwordless biometric authentication, party-type electronic signatures, and end-to-end encrypted My Number retrieval through three coordinated products: the consumer-facing xID App, the xID for Developers REST API (OAuth2.0 / OpenID Connect compliant), and SmartPOST — a digital postal service for municipalities. The platform is sold to Japanese local governments, financial institutions, and enterprises via direct sales, a multi-tier partner ecosystem of system integrators and resellers, and self-serve developer onboarding.
Is XID a public or private company?
XID is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was XID founded?
XID was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is XID based?
XID is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does XID make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. xID API developer / enterprise integration fees are the primary driver. The others are xID App — freemium consumer digital ID, smartPOST municipal digital postal service fees and professional services / co-development with partners.
Who are XID's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NEC Corporation, NTT Data, LINE Yahoo, Toppan and KDDI / au. Direct peers are ID.me, TRUSTDOCK, Liquid and Onfido (Entrust). Mirairo is listed as an emerging player.
Does XID have an API?
Yes. xID API enables developers to easily implement online identity verification, authentication, and electronic signature functions powered by Japan's My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) public personal authentication infrastructure into their websites and apps. It is a REST API conforming to international standards including OAuth2.0 and OpenID Connect. Capabilities include: receiving accurate 4 basic personal information fields (name, gender, DOB, address), eKYC without ID photo capture or visual verification compliant with Article 6, Paragraph 1, Item 1, sub-item 'ワ' of the revised Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds, party-type electronic signatures compliant with the Electronic Signature Act, passwordless authentication using the user's smartphone as a secure authenticator, and end-to-end encrypted submission of My Number via public-key cryptography. A free test/sandbox environment is offered in addition to production, with setup available within a few business days of inquiry. Technical support is provided by the xID Tech team. Developer documentation is at document.x-id.me.