Cloud Partners

What Cloud Partners does

CloudPartners Group (クラウドパートナーズグループ) is a Tokyo-headquartered, founder-led professional services group that delivers tax, accounting, labor, legal, and management advisory services to Japanese SMBs, startups, and growth-stage companies through a cloud-native, AI-augmented delivery model. The group operates as multiple coordinated legal entities — a tax accountant corporation (税理士法人, est. December 2019), a labor/social-insurance corporation (社会保険労務士法人, est. February 2023), an operating consulting corporation (株式会社, est. March 2017), and a newly established AI R&D subsidiary (株式会社AIパートナーズ, est. June 2025) — alongside the original Murai Takahiro CPA/Tax-Attorney practice founded in October 2016. Service delivery is conducted entirely online via Slack, Chatwork, and Google Meet, supported by 60+ free, no-registration tax/HR/financial calculators and AI-powered document generators that drive top-of-funnel SEO acquisition. The firm holds the highest partner tier certifications from Japan's two dominant cloud accounting platforms — freee 5-Star Certified Advisor (2021) and MoneyForward Platinum Partner (2020) — and is a Japan Finance Corporation certified support institution with a stated 98% startup loan success rate.

The group serves more than 2,000 clients across seven core service lines (Tax & Accounting, Startup/Financing, Advisory/M&A, Inheritance/Business Succession, Advanced Tax, BPO/DX, and HR/Labor) and three sub-brands: ZAIMUU (financing advisory), YourCareer (accounting/finance recruiting media), and Ur Media (information media). Pricing is primarily recurring monthly subscription for core tax/labor advisory (¥20,000–¥40,000/month for SMB tax, ¥15,000/month starting for labor), supplemented by per-project BPO and bespoke advisory retainers (¥50,000–¥100,000+/month), plus a success-fee financing model (2% of disbursed loan, ¥100,000 minimum). Customer mix skews SMB/startup (65% under ¥100M revenue), with a deliberate upmarket extension into mid-market (25%, ¥100M–¥500M) and listed/IPO-prep clients (~10% combined). The client base spans IT/Web (41%), advertising/consulting (20%), services/food/retail (15%), medical/beauty/NPO (12%), and other industries (12%).

The technology stack centers on integrations with freee (72% of clients), MoneyForward (27%), SmartHR, Upsider, and Salesforce, with internal data/workflow automation built on Airtable and Google Cloud. AI capabilities are developed and operated by the in-house AI Partners subsidiary and include the AI Concierge (24/7 text+voice consultation), an AI-powered instant quote/proposal generator, an AI Financial Analysis & Tax-Saving engine, and a library of generative-AI document tools (IPO prep guide, M&A guide, tax-audit guide, inheritance guide, etc.). The group operates eight Japan offices (Tokyo Marunouchi HQ, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Yokohama, Osaka, Ehime, plus the AI Partners R&D office in Shibuya) and serves clients nationwide via its cloud-first model. CloudPartners is privately held, founder-controlled by CEO Murai Takahiro, and has not disclosed any external funding rounds.

Name

Cloud Partners

Legal name

CloudPartners Group (クラウドパートナーズグループ)

Website

https://cloudpartners.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CloudPartners Group is a Tokyo-headquartered, cloud-native Japanese professional services firm delivering tax, accounting, labor, M&A advisory, and AI-augmented BPO services to 2,000+ SMB, startup, and growth-stage clients nationwide, with subsidiary brands in financing, recruiting, and AI R&D.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Tax and Accounting Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Managed Services (M365/Azure/AWS/GCP) (BPAEABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cloud Managed Services (Operations, Monitoring, Patching) (BPAEACAF), Cloud Compliance, Audit & Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM/GRC) (HDABAHAI)

Keywords

• Tax accounting services
• Cloud accounting advisory
• Startup financing support
• Labor and HR consulting
• Business succession planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax & Accounting Advisory (税務会計顧問): Monthly subscription-based tax advisory contracts for corporations and individuals. Includes filing, cloud accounting support, and ongoing consulting. Primary revenue driver. Two plan tiers: ライト (light, ¥20,000–¥40,000/month for SMBs under ¥100M revenue) and カスタム (custom, bespoke pricing).
2. Labor & HR Services (人事労務): Monthly social insurance/labor consulting contracts and payroll processing outsourcing. Charged per employee headcount, starting at ¥15,000/month for up to 5 employees. Covers registration filings, ongoing labor law advisory, and payroll calculation.
3. Startup/Financing Support (融资・創業支援): Success-fee based financing advisory for startup loans. 0 initial fee; 2% of disbursed loan amount (minimum ¥100,000). No-win, no-fee model.
4. BPO & DX Services (BPO・DX): Per-project or recurring BPO contracts for accounting, payroll processing, and digital transformation. Fee varies by scope; full accounting outsourcing can reduce costs by ~¥2M/year.
5. Advisory & Consulting (アドバイザリー): High-value consulting engagements including M&A advisory (leverage fee structure), IPO preparation, business succession, and CFO-level management consulting. Priced via bespoke monthly retainer (¥50,000–¥100,000+) or project fee.
6. Inheritance & Succession (相続・事業継承): Estate and business succession planning services. Typically charged as percentage of estate value (0.5–1.0%) or fixed project fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CloudPartners Group is a Japanese professional services firm delivering tax, accounting, labor/HR, legal, M&A advisory, IPO preparation, business succession, BPO and DX services to corporations and startups. The group operates as a tax accountant corporation, labor/HR corporation, and consulting companies that implement cloud-based accounting software (freee, MoneyForward) and AI-powered tools (AI Concierge, AI Estimator) to deliver back-office outsourcing and advisory under monthly subscription, retainer, and success-fee pricing models.

Product overview

CloudPartners Group operates as a next-generation professional firm combining accounting, tax, labor law, and management consulting expertise with technology capabilities. The core service portfolio includes seven main service lines: Tax & Accounting Services, Startup & Financing Support, Advisory Services, Inheritance & Business Succession, Advanced Tax Services, BPO & DX Services, and HR & Labor Services. The group also operates subsidiary brands including ZAIMUU for financing support, YourCareer for HR recruiting, Ur Media for information services, and AI Concierge for AI-powered consultation. The product architecture combines human expertise with AI-powered automation tools, featuring an AI Concierge for 24/7 consultation, AI financial analysis services, and a suite of 50+ business management calculators and simulators for tax, insurance, and financial planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZAIMUU: Financing support service offering startup loans, additional financing, and comprehensive fundraising advisory. Operates on a fully success-based fee model (no upfront fee) with support from certified advisors.
• ユアキャリア
• Ur Media

Products and services

• Tax & Accounting Services (税務会計サービス) Comprehensive tax and accounting services for corporations and individuals, including tax advisory, financial statement preparation, cloud accounting implementation (freee/MoneyForward), tax audit response, and tax-saving planning. Available via monthly subscription (Light: ¥20,000-40,000/month) or custom plans.
• Startup & Financing Support (融資・創業支援サービス) Company incorporation, startup financing support, permits and licenses acquisition, and comprehensive funding support for businesses from establishment through growth. Operates as a Japan Finance Corporation certified support institution with a 98% loan success rate. Includes ZAIMUU sub-brand for success-fee-based financing advisory (2% of disbursed loan amount, minimum ¥100,000).
• Advisory Services (アドバイザリーサービス) Management consulting, M&A advisory, due diligence, IPO preparation support, capital policy planning, and business succession consulting for sustainable corporate growth. Priced via bespoke monthly retainer (¥50,000-¥100,000+) or project fee.
• Inheritance & Business Succession (相続・事業承継サービス) Inheritance tax filing, gift tax planning, estate division support, and business succession consulting including stock valuation and inheritance tax planning. Typically charged as percentage of estate value (0.5-1.0%) or fixed project fee.
• Advanced Tax Services (専門税務サービス) Specialized tax services including international tax, group tax consolidation, cryptocurrency taxation, medical corporation tax, and advanced tax audit response for complex multi-entity or specialized situations.
• BPO & DX Services (BPO・DXサービス) Business process outsourcing for accounting and payroll, digital transformation consulting, AI implementation support, and cloud accounting software integration services. Full accounting outsourcing can reduce annual costs by ~¥2M.
• HR & Labor Services (人事労務サービス) Social insurance procedures, payroll calculation, employment rules development, personnel evaluation systems, and grant application support for HR compliance and engagement. Pricing starts at ¥15,000/month for up to 5 employees.
• ZAIMUU (Financing Support Service) Standalone financing support service for startup loans and additional financing, providing business plan development and financial institution consultation support on a success-fee basis (0 upfront, 2% of disbursed loan, minimum ¥100,000). Operates as a standalone platform at zaimuu.jp.
• YourCareer (ユアキャリア / Recruiting Media) Recruitment media and placement service specializing in accounting and finance professionals, offering direct recruiting and career matching for accounting firms and corporate finance positions across entry-level to experienced and licensed professionals.
• Ur Media (ユアメディア / Information Media) Information media platform providing tax, accounting, and finance news, career information, learning resources, and accounting office practical guides for business owners, career seekers, and industry professionals.
• AI Concierge (AIコンシェルジュ) AI-powered conversational consultation service for tax, labor, and legal inquiries, available 24/7 via text and voice interaction with expert-reviewed knowledge base. Provides instant service quotes, pricing explanations, and preliminary professional guidance.
• AI Financial Analysis & Tax-Saving Proposal (AI決算分析・節税提案) AI-powered financial statement analysis and tax-saving recommendation service that processes financial data (PL, BS) to suggest optimal tax strategies and business improvements. Includes cash flow prediction and business risk forecasting.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SmartHRcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025SmartHR is the recommended HRIS/payroll platform for CloudPartners' labor and HR service clients. Integrated via API with freee for seamless payroll → accounting data flow. Used for employment contract management, attendance tracking, and HR digitalization.
• 株式会社AIパートナーズ (AI Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Wholly-owned subsidiary established June 2025. Develops proprietary AI systems (AI Concierge, AI estimator) trained on CloudPartners' domain expertise. Builds internal automation pipelines, RAG-based knowledge systems, and custom SaaS integrations using Airtable, Google Cloud, and LLM technologies.
• freee株式会社 (freee)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Freee is the primary cloud accounting platform for CloudPartners' service delivery. The firm holds freee's top-tier 5-star certified advisor status (2021) and previously ranked #1 in 2018. Services include freee implementation, migration, API integration with POS/payroll systems, and automated bookkeeping. 72% of CloudPartners clients use freee.
• 株式会社マネーフォワード (MoneyForward)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020MoneyForward is the secondary cloud accounting platform. CloudPartners holds Platinum Partner status (top tier, 2020). 27% of clients use MoneyForward. Supports API integration for bank feeds, expense automation, and consolidated financial reporting.
• Slack / Chatwork / Google MeetcoreTechnology or IntegrationStandardized communication and collaboration platforms used for all client-facing and internal work. Slack and Chatwork serve as primary async communication channels for client advisory; Google Meet is used for video consultations. Enables fully online, geographically unconstrained service delivery.
• 日本政策金融公庫 (Japan Finance Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCloudPartners operates as an officially certified support institution (認定支援機関) for JFC startup loan applications. Assists clients in preparing business plans, coaching for JFC interviews, and navigating the loan application process. 98% success rate.
• ユアクラウド会計事務所 (Your Cloud Accounting Firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated accounting firm within the CloudPartners ecosystem. The group's original practice founded in October 2016 by Murai Takahiro. Now part of the group's multi-entity structure serving as a satellite or specialty practice.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• freee K.K. freee is Japan's leading cloud accounting and HR/payroll platform serving SMBs. While CloudPartners is a top certified advisor implementing freee, freee itself increasingly offers direct advisory features and partner marketplaces, positioning it as both partner and incumbent competitor in the cloud-accounting services space.
• Money Forward, Inc. Money Forward is a major Japanese fintech offering cloud accounting, payroll, HR, and business banking via a SaaS platform. Comparable target customer (Japanese SMBs) and cloud-first delivery model; CloudPartners holds MoneyForward Platinum Partner status while MoneyForward's own services compete with the advisory layer.
• Deloitte Tohmatsu Group (Japan): Deloitte Tohmatsu is one of Japan's largest professional services firms providing audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory. Comparable in offering cloud-enabled tax, advisory, and IPO-prep services for mid-market and listed Japanese companies, operating as a broader portfolio incumbent.

Emerging players

• SmartHR, Inc. SmartHR is a leading cloud-native HR and labor management platform for Japanese SMBs. Comparable cloud-first delivery model and target SMB customer base; CloudPartners integrates SmartHR into its labor/HR service offering, making it both a partner and adjacent competitor in cloud-enabled workforce services.
• Rakus Co., Ltd. (ラクス): Rakus provides cloud SaaS solutions for Japanese SMB back-office functions (expense management, payroll, invoicing). Comparable in cloud-first delivery to Japanese SMBs and in addressing back-office operational pain points with subscription-based SaaS models.

Direct peers

• Yayoi Co., Ltd. (弥生株式会社): Yayoi is the dominant Japanese accounting software and SMB back-office services provider, serving hundreds of thousands of SMBs and freelancers. Comparable in target market (Japanese SMBs, individual business owners) and in combining cloud software with adjacent professional services and content.
• Nihon M&A Center (日本M&Aセンター): Nihon M&A Center is Japan's largest SME-focused M&A intermediary, specializing in business succession transactions. Comparable as a competitor in CloudPartners' advisory/services segment, particularly for business succession and M&A advisory services.
• A-SaaS Inc. (formerly PCA Hyperhub): A-SaaS is a Japanese cloud accounting platform serving accounting firms and their SMB clients. Comparable in providing cloud-based tax/accounting infrastructure to Japanese professional firms and SMBs, and increasingly bundling advisory services.
• TKC Corporation: TKC is Japan's largest national tax/accounting services group, offering TKC Cloud as an integrated platform for tax filing, bookkeeping, and advisory to accounting firms and their SMB clients. Comparable as a multi-entity professional services group with cloud-native delivery and similar target market (SMBs to listed companies).
• Tsuji-Hongyo Tax Corporation (辻・本郷税理士法人): One of Japan's largest tax accounting firms with national coverage, providing corporate tax, M&A, international tax, and business succession services. Comparable multi-disciplinary professional services structure serving mid-market and listed Japanese companies with similar service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Cloud Partners