SEESAW

What SEESAW does

SEESAW is a Tokyo-based design consulting firm specializing in UI/UX design and brand strategy for new business development. Founded in March 2016 by Yohei Murakoshi (formerly an 11-year art director at Hakuhodo) and Hiroyuki Narita, the firm delivers an integrated two-track offering: a five-stage UI/UX design practice (strategy, requirements, structure, skeleton, surface) and a three-stage brand design practice (brand strategy, expression planning, production). Both disciplines are run concurrently across the full project lifecycle, which SEESAW identifies as its core differentiator versus single-discipline competitors. The firm has completed work for over 500 clients across industries including IT, entertainment, healthcare, food, fashion, manufacturing, HR, finance, and government, and has accumulated 14 or more domestic and international design awards (Cannes Lions Bronze, Good Design Best 100, SXSW Interactive Innovation Award finalist, Pentawards Bronze, ACC, Spikes Asia). Notable engagements include art direction for Onward Kashiyama's 23区 brand, Mori Trust corporate advertising, Ministry of Defense recruitment site, Hitotsubashi University 150th anniversary, KAIGI GROUP rebranding, Akatsuki's eBALLution, and FastAid's CPR TRAINING BOTTLE.

SEESAW operates a professional-services revenue model with quote-based project pricing and direct, sales-led go-to-market through its website. Standard engagements span UI/UX, branding, graphic design, website development, and video/CM production; specialized sub-products include SEESAW with Doctor (healthcare design in partnership with practicing physicians from ISHITO) and seesaw x Carat (a productized recruitment branding package starting at ¥1.9 million with a minimum 4-month delivery). The firm is headquartered at Ebisu Garden Place Tower in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, holds ISO 27001 ISMS certification, an All-ministry unified defense procurement qualification, and a Tokyo Metropolitan Government vendor qualification, and is a small team of 10–20 employees with intent to scale. In April 2026, SEESAW was fully acquired by Relic Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based business co-creation/incubation company; founder Yohei Murakoshi joined Relic as Chief Design Officer, embedding SEESAW's design capability into Relic's Biz-Tech-Creative platform for enterprise new-business development.

Name

SEESAW

Legal name

株式会社SEESAW

Website

https://seesaw-design.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Acquired

Short description

SEESAW is a Tokyo-based design consulting firm specializing in integrated UI/UX and brand design for new business development, serving over 500 enterprise, startup, government, and nonprofit clients across Japan. In April 2026 it was fully acquired by Relic Co., Ltd.

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design Consulting Services: SEESAW generates revenue through custom design consulting projects. Services span UI/UX design, branding, graphic design, web design, and video/CM production. Projects are typically enterprise engagements with quote-based pricing tailored to project scope and complexity. The company has completed over 500 client projects.
2. Recruitment Branding Package: SEESAW offers specialized recruitment branding services including recruitment site production and recruitment pitch materials. Pricing starts from 1.9 million yen with minimum delivery of 4 months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SEESAW is a Tokyo-based design consulting firm that provides UI/UX design and brand design services to support new business and service development. The firm delivers end-to-end design support spanning strategy, concept development, and implementation, serving clients across healthcare, fashion, IT, food, and government sectors. Vertical-specific sub-offerings extend the core practice into healthcare (SEESAW With Doctor) and recruitment branding (seesaw x Carat).

Product overview

SEESAW is a design consulting firm specializing in new business development and branding, offering two integrated core service areas: UI/UX design and brand design. The UI/UX design practice covers five sequential phases (strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, surface), while brand design covers three phases (brand strategy, expression planning, production). Both service areas are delivered simultaneously across all project phases, which SEESAW identifies as a key differentiator in the Japanese market. The firm also offers specialized sub-products including SEESAW With Doctor (healthcare/medtech service development combining design with physician expertise) and seesaw x Carat (recruitment advertising package). Additional services span graphic design, video/CM production, website development, and corporate branding workshops. The company serves over 500 clients across industries including IT, entertainment, healthcare, food, fashion, manufacturing, HR, and finance. In April 2026, SEESAW was fully acquired by Relic Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based business co-creation company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEESAW With Doctor: Healthcare and medical service development combining design consulting with physician expertise to support healthcare service development.
• seesaw x Carat

Products and services

• UI/UX Design Service A five-stage UI/UX design consulting service for enterprises, startups, and government clients developing new digital products or services. Covers strategy, concept, design, and implementation support.
• Brand Design Service A three-stage brand design consulting service for organizations launching or refreshing brands for new businesses, products, or services. Includes strategy, identity development, and implementation.
• SEESAW With Doctor A healthcare-focused UI/UX design service for medical and healthcare organizations needing specialized interface and service design.
• seesaw x Carat A recruitment and employer branding service for companies needing to design or refresh their hiring brand identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500社以上の制作/開発実績 (500+ client design and development projects completed)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Relic Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Relic Inc., a Tokyo-based business co-creation/incubation technology company, fully acquired SEESAW in April 2026. Yohei Murakoshi, SEESAW's representative director, joined Relic as Chief Design Officer (CDO) effective April 1, 2026. The acquisition combines Relic's business production capabilities with SEESAW's design expertise to strengthen Relic's BTC (Biz, Tech, Creative) management structure and accelerate co-creation and new business development in Japan.
• ISHITO (イシト)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISHITO is a team of practicing physicians that partners with SEESAW for the SEESAW with Doctor healthcare consulting service. The partnership provides medical expertise, user research participation, usability testing, and medical knowledge support for healthcare service development projects. SEESAW handles design thinking and project management while ISHITO provides clinical insights.
• Scaler Inc. (スピーカーを通じて)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEESAW partnered with Scalar Inc. (スピーカーを通じて) for the 耳で聴かない音楽会 (Concert for the Deaf) accessibility initiative, developing SOUND HUG and ORCHESTRA JACKET devices that convert sound to light and vibration for hearing-impaired concert attendees.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy known for human-centered design methodology. SEESAW's 5-stage UI/UX process echoes IDEO's approach, making it a global benchmark and competitor for multinational clients.
• Hakuhodo: One of Japan's largest advertising agencies and the former employer of SEESAW's founders. Operates at much larger scale across advertising, branding, and digital, providing the senior talent pool SEESAW draws from.
• Dentsu: Japan's largest advertising and PR network with global reach. Competes for the same enterprise branding and digital transformation budgets as SEESAW but at a vastly different scale and breadth.
• Landor: Global branding consultancy specializing in brand strategy and identity design. Comparable to SEESAW's brand design service line, with a much larger international footprint and broader enterprise client base.

Direct peers

• Takram: Tokyo-based design engineering and innovation firm combining design thinking, technology, and strategy. Direct competitor in the Japanese market for integrated UI/UX and brand strategy consulting.
• PARTY: Tokyo-based creative agency focused on branding, communication design, and new business creation. Closely comparable to SEESAW's positioning around integrated branding and UX for new venture development.
• nendo: Tokyo-headquartered multi-disciplinary design studio led by Oki Sato, working across product, brand, and interior design. Comparable to SEESAW as a similarly sized Japan-based boutique offering integrated design services to enterprise clients.
• Good Design Company: Tokyo design studio founded by Kenya Hara, focused on branding, graphic, and exhibition design. Comparable boutique Japanese design firm with similar methodology-driven approach and award profile.
• BULLET GROUP: Japanese creative firm offering branding, advertising, and digital production services. Competes directly with SEESAW for enterprise clients seeking integrated brand and digital design engagements in Japan.

Others

• Relic: Tokyo-based business co-creation and incubation technology company that fully acquired SEESAW in April 2026. Now functions as SEESAW's parent and strategic channel, combining business production with design capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/murakoshishi

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about SEESAW