IMPROVIDE

What IMPROVIDE does

IMPROVIDE (株式会社インプロバイド) is a privately held design and branding consultancy founded in 2007 and headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. The firm operates with three internal teams — Director, Design, and Web Design — and serves a clientele of regional Hokkaido enterprises, local governments, food and agriculture producers, and B2B companies across Japan. Its service portfolio spans graphic design, web/EC design, creative direction, copywriting, illustration/character design, and motion graphics, anchored by a proprietary methodology called Statement Design®, which is registered as a trademark and operated as a standalone brand via statementdesign.jp.

The firm's commercial model is project-based professional services, with no public pricing disclosed. Revenue is generated from corporate clients such as JR Freight Hokkaido (continuous engagement since 2016, 42+ published newspaper ads), Calbee (branding for CRAFT Calbee, Fukkurinko, Potato Deluxe, miino), and Sapporo-based food producers, alongside government and municipal clients including Muroran City, the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Sapporo Industry Promotion Foundation. Notable client outcomes include a 20M+ social media view campaign for JR Freight, a 1.3x traffic and 1.5x applicant increase for AGENDA's recruitment website, and a Kids Design Award 2022 for the Fukkurinko JAPON packaging.

IMPROVIDE uses a multi-channel go-to-market including its website, an Instagram account (@improvide_jp), the Yoriyoku thought-leadership journal, and the Creative Lecture Series SIGN events. The company runs Spring/Summer/3DAYS internship programs and online company information sessions supporting its new-graduate recruitment. It is privately owned, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity, and operates an ecosystem of sub-brands and project-specific sites (e.g., RE HOKKAIDO, OUR BEST FOODS FROM SAPPORO, Zanshinmen, Sanposaki) that reflect its focus on regional food, tourism, and social-good branding.

Name

IMPROVIDE

Legal name

株式会社インプロバイド

Website

https://improvide.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMPROVIDE is a privately held Sapporo-based design and branding consultancy serving Hokkaido and Japanese enterprises, municipalities, and food/agriculture producers, with project-based services spanning branding, graphic design, web design, creative direction, and copywriting anchored by its proprietary Statement Design® methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Design & Consulting Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental & Experiential Brand Design (Retail/Exhibit/Signage) (MPAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Brand design services
• Creative direction
• Corporate branding
• Web design services
• Copywriting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chuo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Creative and Design Services: Professional services revenue from branding, graphic design, web design, creative direction, and copywriting for corporate clients, local governments, and organizations. Project-based engagements with clients including JR Freight, Calbee, local Hokkaido producers, and regional governments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMPROVIDE is a Sapporo-based design and branding consultancy that provides integrated creative services — brand strategy, graphic design, web/EC design, creative direction, copywriting, illustration, and motion graphics — under its proprietary Statement Design® methodology. The firm sells these as bundled or à-la-carte design engagements to companies, consumer brands, and government/municipal clients in Japan.

Product overview

IMPROVIDE is a design and branding consultancy based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, specializing in local and regional creative work. The company offers a comprehensive suite of design services including Statement Design® (a proprietary brand messaging methodology), branding strategy, creative/art direction, graphic design, web/EC design, UI/UX design, copywriting, illustration, and motion graphics. Their services are applied across diverse project types including regional branding for municipalities, corporate identity development, newspaper advertising campaigns, recruitment platforms, and product packaging. The company emphasizes their 'design thinking' approach that addresses both external presentation and internal organizational mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Statement Design® (Brand Strategy Consulting) Proprietary consulting methodology that defines a brand's positioning/statement and links it to design execution; sold as a strategic engagement to corporate, consumer-brand, and municipal clients seeking integrated brand development.
• Graphic Design Services Visual identity, logo, print, and editorial design services delivered to corporate and institutional clients as standalone or bundled engagements.
• Web/EC Design Services Website and e-commerce design and front-end production services for corporate, brand, and public-sector clients.
• Creative Direction Services Senior creative oversight and direction of brand and design projects, typically bundled with other design services but available as a standalone engagement.
• Copywriting Services Messaging, tagline, and editorial copywriting services for brand, web, and campaign work; sold to corporate, consumer-brand, and municipal clients.
• Illustration / Character Design Services Custom illustration and character design services supporting brand, editorial, and campaign deliverables.
• Movie / Motion Graphics Services Video and motion graphics production services for brand, campaign, and digital communications work.

Quantifiable outcome

• JR Freight newspaper ad campaign running continuously since 2016 with 42+ published advertisements, generating social media buzz and recruiting interest from job applicants citing the advertising.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TRIPATH PRODUCTS (トリパス)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Collaboration with metal processing company TRIPATH PRODUCTS to create co-branded products leveraging their metal processing technology. IMPROVIDE provides design and branding for the collaboration. Products include limited edition 'Iron Horse' (functional art piece humans can ride) and 'Bookend-2026 Uma-' (horse-themed bookends). Products sold through TRIPATH PRODUCTS online store from December 13, 2025.
• Statement Design (ステートメントデザイン)coreTechnology or IntegrationIMPROVIDE operates the Statement Design website (statementdesign.jp) which may be a related entity or sister brand focused on the Statement Design methodology.
• Aaron Seymour (University of Technology Sydney)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign academic from University of Technology Sydney was invited as lecturer for overseas expansion seminar (Australia edition) for the OUR BEST FOODS FROM SAPPORO project. Provided insights on Australian food market and how to create stories for overseas audiences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• nendo: Japan-based design studio founded by Oki Sato, working across branding, product, and graphic design. Closely comparable as a Japanese design firm with a methodology-led approach and broad client portfolio.
• btrax: Japan/US branding and design agency working with B2B and consumer clients. Comparable in service mix (branding, design, localization) and in serving cross-border Japan-rooted engagements.
• WOW inc. Tokyo-based visual design studio specializing in branding, graphics, and motion. Closely comparable boutique creative firm with similar service offerings and brand-led positioning.
• Loftwork: Japan-based creative platform operating design, community, and content services. Comparable in combining client branding work with thought-leadership programs and community events.
• TAKT: Tokyo-based branding and design consultancy focused on corporate identity and brand strategy. Comparable methodology-led, design-thinking positioning serving enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Hakuhodo: One of Japan's largest advertising agencies with deep corporate and government client relationships. Competes for branding and creative mandates where IMPROVIDE also operates.
• amana inc. Large Japanese creative agency offering branding, advertising, and visual communications. Comparable service mix but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach than IMPROVIDE.
• Dentsu: Japan's largest advertising and communications group, with integrated branding and creative capabilities. Represents the scale-end competitive threat for enterprise accounts IMPROVIDE pursues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/improvide_jp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/improvide-co-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 IMPROVIDE