KIC

What KIC does

KIC (株式会社ケイ・アイ・シー) is a privately held Japanese services firm headquartered in Nagoya, founded in 2001 by Kishimoto Hideo, operating two distinct business lines. First, the company is a licensed IT staffing/dispatch provider (General Worker Dispatch Permit 派23-301505), placing IT engineers (SE, CE), programmers, network engineers, sales engineers, and web designers at enterprise client sites across the Tokai region (Aichi, Gifu, Mie) and Tokyo under monthly or hourly billing (starting ¥300,000/month or ¥1,500/hour). Second, KIC provides overseas expansion consulting services for Japanese SMEs and manufacturers entering Southeast Asia (Thailand), Taiwan, and the US, including market research, competitor analysis, supplier sourcing, on-site accompaniment, and local marketing/PR support.

The company's overseas business is built on a network of local partnerships formed between 2008 and 2017 with Finehouse Co.Ltd. and FIDEA Co.Ltd. (Bangkok), 富士育豊電路有限公司 (Taipei), and EPC Co.Ltd. (San Francisco), supported by an owned Bangkok office opened in April 2014. The firm has no disclosed proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no software products; services are delivered through direct enterprise sales and consulting engagements. Revenue, valuation, and customer counts are not publicly disclosed; registered capital is ¥16M and headcount stood at 32 employees as of March 2025. The firm filed its 22nd fiscal year report on May 31, 2025, and disclosed a FY2024 staffing margin rate of 29.8% nominal / 3.9% effective.

KIC's go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no paid marketing channels and minimal outbound distribution beyond its corporate website (kic-clutch.co.jp) and organic social media posts covering conference attendance. The company has demonstrated unusually high activity in 2025 attending international medical and scientific conferences (ENDO, ASM, APIC, CROI, SXSW, SPIE), suggesting exploration of new verticals beyond its traditional manufacturing and IT staffing base. The combination of low disclosed capital, modest headcount, no external funding, and project-based consulting revenue places KIC firmly in the small-services-firm category with limited scale but multi-country operational reach.

Name

KIC

Legal name

株式会社ケイ・アイ・シー

Website

http://www.kic-clutch.co.jp/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KIC is a Nagoya-based Japanese services firm that provides licensed IT staffing and overseas expansion consulting for Japanese SMEs and manufacturers entering Thailand, Taiwan, and the US, operating with 32 employees and a Bangkok office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Staffing and Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330)

SIC

Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)

akta.pro primary industry

End-User Computing Outsourcing (EUC / Desktop Services) (BPAEAMAE)

Keywords

• IT staffing services
• Overseas expansion consulting
• IT maintenance support
• Engineer dispatch
• Market entry support

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Worker Dispatch Services (人材派遣): General labor dispatch services licensed under permit number 派23-301505, covering IT and engineering personnel. Revenue is generated through hourly or monthly billing for dispatched workers. Margin rate disclosed as 29.8% (actual margin rate 3.9%) for fiscal year 2024.
2. Overseas Expansion Support Services (海外事業): Market research, marketing, on-site support, supplier sourcing, and business trip accompaniment for Japanese companies expanding abroad, particularly to Southeast Asia and the US.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KIC is a Nagoya-based IT services company that provides IT engineer dispatch (SE, CE, programmers, network engineers), end-user equipment installation/removal, 24-hour maintenance and help desk support, and overseas business expansion consulting (market research, competitor analysis, supplier sourcing) for Japanese companies entering Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and the US. Operations are anchored by a Bangkok office and partner networks in Taipei and San Francisco.

Product overview

KIC (株式会社ケイ・アイ・シー) is an IT services company offering a portfolio of interrelated service offerings rather than a unified software product platform. The core offerings include: (1) 海外事業サービス (Overseas Business Services) — a comprehensive package for Japanese companies expanding overseas, covering market research, competitor analysis, and procurement support; (2) 機器設置・撤去サービス (Equipment Installation/Removal Services) — end-user hardware deployment and kit assembly; (3) 保守・メンテナンスサービス (Maintenance/Support Services) — 24-hour help desk and on-site troubleshooting; and (4) 人材派遣サービス (Staffing/Personnel Dispatch Services) — supplying IT professionals (SE, CE, programmers, network engineers, sales engineers, web designers) to client organizations. These services are designed to complement each other, enabling KIC to support clients across the full lifecycle of IT system deployment, from staffing and installation through ongoing maintenance and overseas expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FIDEA Co.Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2017Business partnership established in May 2017 for Bangkok-based operations. Expands KIC's local partner network in Thailand for Japanese client support services.
• EPC Co.Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016Business partnership established in August 2016 for San Francisco-based operations. Provides local market intelligence and support for Japanese companies entering the US market.
• 富士育豊電路有限公司 (Fujian Yufeng Circuit Co.Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2010Business partnership established in September 2010 for Taipei-based operations. Provides circuit manufacturing network access and local support for Japanese clients sourcing from Taiwan.
• Finehouse Co.Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2008Business partnership established in May 2008 for Bangkok-based operations support. Finehouse Co.Ltd. provides local business support and market access for Japanese companies entering Thailand.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Meitec (メイテック): Japan's leading engineer dispatch specialist, providing SE/CE/programmer staffing to manufacturers under labor dispatch permits — directly comparable to KIC's IT staffing business model and target customer (Tokai manufacturers).
• Pasona Group: Major Japanese staffing group with IT engineer dispatch, overseas subsidiary support, and BPO services — closest broad-based peer overlapping both KIC's staffing and overseas expansion offerings.
• Tempstaff (Temp Holdings): One of Japan's largest general staffing firms with IT, engineer, and overseas placement services — directly comparable in the dispatch and cross-border HR services category.
• Adecco Japan: Global staffing leader operating in Japan with IT/engineer dispatch and global mobility services — overlaps KIC's dual staffing + international services positioning.
• Robert Half Japan: Specialist in IT, finance, and engineering professional staffing in Japan — directly comparable to KIC's SE/CE/programmer dispatch offering.
• JAC Recruitment: Japan-focused recruitment firm specializing in mid-career professionals across IT, manufacturing, and international roles — overlaps KIC's professional services recruitment focus.
• ManpowerGroup Japan: Global staffing and workforce solutions provider with Japan operations in IT and engineering dispatch — comparable professional services staffing peer.

Broad incumbents

• Recruit Holdings: Largest Japanese HR/staffing conglomerate with Indeed and multiple global subsidiaries — a broad incumbent whose portfolio spans staffing and HR services that compete with KIC at the high end.

Others

• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Government-affiliated organization providing market intelligence, consulting, and partner-matching services to Japanese companies expanding overseas — adjacent ecosystem participant in KIC's overseas expansion niche.
• ABeam Consulting: Major Japanese-origin consulting firm with cross-border expansion and supply chain advisory practices — adjacent competitor in the overseas expansion consulting space where KIC operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 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 KIC