LIF

What LIF does

LIF株式会社 (LIF, Inc.) is an Osaka-based private Japanese startup founded in August 2012 by representative director Kiwamu Yoshihara (吉原極). The company operates the oxalis online automated reference check service, which it launched as Japan's first such offering in December 2015. LIF's core product is a self-serve SaaS platform (oxalis.lif-inc.com) that automates candidate-to-referee questionnaire workflows, elimination of phone-based coordination, and delivery of reference reports to hiring companies, with optional phone interview supplementation and free AI-based candidate personality and risk analysis (oxalis AI Diagnosis) bundled into all plans.

LIF generates revenue through per-candidate transaction fees across three tiers: A Plan (online-only, ¥15,000/person, 2-3 day delivery, 8-language support), B Plan (online + phone interview, ¥50,000/person, Japan domestic, Japanese only), and C Plan (online + phone interview, ¥70,000/person, international, Japanese/English). All plans carry no initial fees. The company also offers a separate reference letter acquisition service for individual job seekers. LIF is a privately held, founder-controlled company with no disclosed institutional funding beyond a 2013 government startup grant; its registered office is at Grand Front Osaka, Tower C, within the GVH startup ecosystem. The company has filed a patent application for its reference check evaluation system and claims 10+ years of specialized experience in Japan's foreign-talent hiring market, including Specified Skills Workers and Technical Intern Trainees.

Name

LIF

Legal name

LIF株式会社

Website

https://lif-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LIF is an Osaka-based Japanese startup operating oxalis, Japan's first online automated reference check service. It sells per-candidate transaction plans (¥15,000–70,000) to mid-to-large enterprise HR departments, with multilingual and foreign-talent hiring specialization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reference Check Service Fees (Plan-based): LIF generates revenue through per-candidate transaction fees structured in three tiers (A, B, C plans). Each plan is priced per candidate assessed, with pricing based on the scope of service (online-only vs. online+phone interview) and geographic coverage (domestic Japan vs. international). The company transitioned from campaign pricing (¥15,000/¥50,000/¥70,000 per candidate) to regular pricing as of December 2025, with the 10th anniversary campaign period ending and prices moving to standard rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LIF operates "oxalis," Japan's first online automated reference check service that enables companies to digitally conduct the entire reference check process — from candidate invitation through referee questionnaire collection to final report delivery — without physical visits or manual phone coordination. The platform supports 8 languages and offers three pricing plans covering online-only checks, online plus phone interviews, and international reference checks, with AI-powered candidate analysis included free across all plans.

Product overview

LIF operates a platform called 'oxalis' comprising multiple service plans for online reference checking — the core offering is Japan's first online automated reference check service. The product suite includes three service tiers: A Plan (online-only), B Plan (online plus phone interview, Japan domestic), and C Plan (online plus phone interview, international). All plans include the oxalis AI Diagnosis feature at no additional charge, which provides AI-powered candidate personality and risk analysis. Additionally, LIF offers a reference letter acquisition service for individual job seekers, and a multilingual support capability covering 8 languages for global hiring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• oxalis: Online automated reference check service providing multilingual candidate evaluation verification (Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Urdu, Tagalog, Portuguese). Includes AI-powered personality analysis (oxalis AI diagnosis) as a standard feature.

Products and services

• oxalis A Plan (Online Only Reference Check) Online-only reference check service where recommenders answer questions via the web platform. Supports up to 3 recommenders per candidate. Multi-language support including Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Urdu, Tagalog, and Portuguese. Delivery in 2-3 business days. Includes oxalis AI Diagnosis free. Covers both domestic Japan and international referees at the same per-candidate pricing.
• oxalis B Plan (Online + Phone Interview) Reference check combining online questionnaire responses with professional staff conducting direct phone interviews with recommenders. Includes identity verification by phone. Japanese language only. Delivery in 5 business days. Domestic Japan only. Includes oxalis AI Diagnosis free.
• oxalis C Plan (Online + Phone Interview, International) International reference check combining online questionnaire with phone interviews for overseas recommenders. Supports Japanese and English. Delivery in 5-7 business days. International coverage only. Includes oxalis AI Diagnosis free.
• oxalis Reference Letter Acquisition Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Industry-low pricing at ¥15,000/person (A Plan) vs. traditional reference check services averaging ¥200,000+ per candidate, enabling use across all hiring levels
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 中小機構 (中小機構 / Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan)minorOthers · 12 August 2013LIF was selected for the 2012 (Heisei 24) regional needs-driven entrepreneurship promotion subsidy (海外需要獲得型起業・創業) under the startup subsidy program administered by JARTO (Japan External Trade Organization). The awarded project theme was the operation of an SNS job-search platform called oxalis.
• さかい新事業創造センター (Sakai New Business Creation Center / s cube)minorOthers · 13 March 2013LIF was accepted into the Sakai New Business Creation Center (s cube), a public incubation facility managed by Sakai City, in March 2013. The company received rental subsidies for 3 years under the Sakai City Incubation Facility Occupant Support Subsidy program while developing the oxalis service. This provided LIF with affordable office space during its early startup phase.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Checkr: A modern background check platform using technology and APIs to automate employment screening. Comparable to LIF as a tech-forward alternative to traditional verification services, though Checkr is broader in scope and serves US-centric enterprise customers.
• HireRight: A global background check leader offering employment screening, identity verification, and reference-related services at enterprise scale. Comparable to LIF in addressing employer hiring risk, though broader in scope and serving multinational customers.
• Sterling: A background screening and identity verification provider serving enterprise customers globally. Overlaps with oxalis on employer-driven candidate verification, though Sterling operates as a full-service screening incumbent rather than a self-serve specialist.
• Eightfold AI: A talent intelligence platform using AI for talent acquisition, management, and matching. Adjacent to LIF in AI-powered hiring decision support, though broader in scope across the full talent lifecycle rather than focused on reference checks.
• HireVue: An enterprise hiring platform combining video interviewing, AI-driven assessment, and pre-hire evaluation. Adjacent to LIF in applying AI to hiring decisions, though HireVue's core focus is interview automation rather than reference checking specifically.

Direct peers

• SkillSurvey: A SaaS platform for automated reference checking and talent analytics, directly competing with oxalis in the digital reference check category. Both companies target HR teams seeking structured, web-based referee feedback collection and candidate evaluation.
• Checkster: An online reference check and 360-degree feedback platform focused on candidate verification through automated referee questionnaires. Closely comparable to oxalis in product mechanism (web-based referee responses) and target customer (HR and hiring managers).
• Valid8: A digital reference and verification platform serving employers with structured referee outreach and candidate validation. Comparable to LIF in offering automated, web-based reference collection as an alternative to traditional phone-based verification services.

Emerging players

• Pymetrics: An AI-based assessment platform that evaluates candidates through behavioral and cognitive data. Adjacent to LIF in applying AI to pre-hire candidate evaluation, though Pymetrics focuses on assessments rather than referee-based reference checks.

Regional players

• Wantedly: A Japan-focused recruiting and employer branding platform serving mid-career hiring. A comparable Japanese HR tech peer in customer base and domestic market focus, though Wantedly's core offering is job matching rather than reference checking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 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 LIF