What ARKNET does

ARKNET (株式会社アークネット) is a privately held Japanese independent software vendor founded in October 1988 and headquartered in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. The company develops and sells a suite of on-premise enterprise software products targeted at the retail distribution industry (流通小売業), including APEX-II for POS data analysis with category-based and private-brand analytics, POP no Tatsujin w.10 for POP/promotional material creation with Unicode, QR code and Excel integration, Kerberos for shift-based attendance and labor productivity management, and FSP for customer purchase-pattern analysis. Its technology stack is predominantly Windows-based, deployed on-premise with server-license architecture for multi-store retail chains, and integrates with third-party POS hardware, host/back-end systems, and Excel data sources.

ARKNET monetizes through a hybrid revenue model: one-time perpetual software licenses bundled with mandatory multi-year support fees for its package products (APEX-II, Kerberos, FSP), subscription/server-license rental for POP software aimed at multi-terminal retail chains and seasonal/small users, custom web application development and hardware sales. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales (website inquiries, in-house sales team) with channel partners led by Toshiba Solution and Toshiba Tec at the national tier, supplemented by regional system integrators such as Aomori Kyodo Computing Center, Echna, Kanri System and Brain in the Tohoku market. Its customer base spans supermarkets, drug chains, electronics retailers, DIY chains and cooperatives, including listed companies such as Aoki Super and Nojima, with the most notable POP deployment covering a 45-store drug chain.

The company positions itself as a domain-specialist serving day-to-day retail operations — labor cost control, frequent promotional POP output, and merchandising analysis — rather than as a horizontal enterprise software platform. It carries only an IPA SecurityAction two-star self-declaration (2018) and has no public listing, no disclosed external funding, and no subsidiaries or M&A activity on record.

Name

ARKNET

Legal name

株式会社アークネット

Website

https://ark-nets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ARKNET is a privately held Japanese independent software vendor founded in 1988, selling on-premise retail software (POS analysis, POP creation, attendance management, customer analysis) primarily to supermarkets, drug chains, and electronics retailers in Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Distribution Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Shelf & Content Syndication Services (CRAOAOAH)

Keywords

• Retail management software
• POS data analysis
• Workforce management
• POP creation software
• Retail distribution systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Morioka-shi

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. Package Software Sales: Sales of proprietary software packages including POS analysis, POP creation, attendance management, and customer management systems. Products sold as on-premise licenses with annual support fees.
2. Software Rental/Subscription: Server license rental model for POP software - stores can use from any terminal with fixed costs. Monthly/annual subscription for small businesses and seasonal producers.
3. Custom Software Development: Custom application development services for client-specific needs. Includes web application development and website construction.
4. Computer Hardware Sales: Sales of computer systems and terminal equipment as part of comprehensive IT solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ARKNET develops and sells proprietary packaged software for retail distribution businesses in Japan. Its core offerings are APEX-II (POS data analysis for category/PB/price optimization), POP no Tatsujin w.10 (Windows-based POP/price-tag creation with Excel integration), Kerberos (time and attendance management for shift-heavy retail operations), and FSP (journal-data customer segmentation). Products are delivered as on-premise licenses or server-license subscriptions, with custom software development and computer hardware bundled as ancillary offerings.

Product overview

ARKNET provides a suite of retail management software products centered on three core systems: APEX-II for POS data analysis, POPの達人w.10 for POP/price tag creation, and Kerberos for time and attendance scheduling. The portfolio also includes FSP for customer purchase behavior analysis. All products target the retail distribution industry and are designed to work both independently and through data integration (POS data flows into APEX-II for analysis, while POP and scheduling systems share product master data).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-PEX（APEX-II）: POSデータ分析システム。お店の売上情報を活かす店舗営業支援システムで、カテゴリー分析、PB商品分析、特売実績分析等功能を持つ。
• POPの達人w.10
• KERBEROS（ケルベロス）
• FSP

Products and services

• APEX-II (POS Analysis System) POS data analysis system for retail stores providing category-based sales analysis, PB/private brand and priority product analysis, special sale price optimization, and store performance benchmarking; integrates sales data from various POS hardware/software systems.
• POP no Tatsujin w.10

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual cost reduction of several million yen through proper attendance management and shift planning
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 東芝ソリューション株式会社 (Toshiba Solution)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor system integrator partner for distributing ARKNET software products. Provides enterprise-level implementation and support services.
• 東芝テック株式会社 (Toshiba Tec)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor POS and office equipment company distributing ARKNET software. Provides hardware integration and channel access to retail customers.
• 株式会社青森共同計算センター (Aomori Kyodo Computing Center)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional system integration partner serving the Aomori region. Provides local support and implementation services.
• エクナ株式会社 (Echna)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales agent providing system integration and support services.
• 株式会社管理システム (Kanri System)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent partner providing system integration services.
• 株式会社ブレイン (Brain)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent partner providing implementation and support services.
• ドラッグチェーン (Drug Chain - 45 stores)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor customer using POP no Tatsujin w.10 system across 45 store locations. Example of enterprise-level deployment.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NEC Corporation: Large Japanese IT conglomerate with a retail solutions division offering POS, store operations, and analytics software; competes with ARKNET for enterprise retail accounts and represents the scale benchmark in Japan.
• NTT Data Corporation: Large Japanese systems integrator with retail and distribution IT practices; competes for the same large retail chain customers that ARKNET serves with its Toshiba-channeled suite.
• Fujitsu Limited: Major Japanese IT vendor whose GLOVIA suite covers ERP, HR, and retail operations; comparable to ARKNET at the enterprise end of the Japanese retail software market where Fujitsu's broader portfolio overlaps ARKNET's vertical offerings.
• Toshiba Tec Corporation: Major Japanese POS hardware and retail IT solutions provider; serves the same retail customers with broader portfolio of POS registers and retail software, and is also a channel partner for ARKNET.

Direct peers

• Works Applications Co., Ltd. Japanese enterprise software vendor with HUE HR/ERP suite targeting large Japanese employers including retail; competes with ARKNET on attendance/scheduling (vs. Kerberos) and on broader enterprise software footprint in the same customer base.
• OBC (Oh Business Consulting Co., Ltd.): Long-established Japanese SMB accounting and ERP software publisher with strong penetration among retail and distribution SMBs; comparable to ARKNET in serving the back-office software needs of Japanese retail SMBs.
• Plus Alpha Consulting Co., Ltd. Japanese SaaS vendor specializing in HR/attendance management software for SMB and mid-market employers; competes directly with ARKNET's Kerberos product in the shift-based workforce management category for retail and service operators.

Others

• Cybozu, Inc. Japanese SMB software platform vendor (Kintone, Cybozu Office) used by small retailers for workflow and basic operations; not a direct retail-vertical competitor but represents the cloud-native, low-cost alternative that threatens legacy on-premise retail software vendors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

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 ARKNET