What Proud Partners does

Proud Partners Co., Ltd. (株式会社Proud Partners) is a Tokyo-based HR agency founded in 2012 that pivoted in 2019 to specialize in recruiting, placing, and supporting foreign Specified Skilled Workers (特定技能, Tokutei Ginou) for Japanese companies. The company is dual-licensed as a Paid Recruitment Agency (permit 13-ユ-313560) and a Registered Support Organization (permit 19登-000466), enabling it to operate across the entire Specified Skills lifecycle under Japanese immigration law. It serves Japanese employers across 14 Specified Skills fields including construction, food service, caregiving, food manufacturing, and automotive transportation, drawing candidates from 19 source countries and operating across all 47 prefectures of Japan.

The service stack comprises three integrated lines: (1) recruitment and placement of Specified Skilled Workers via a direct field-sales organization split into East Japan and West Japan divisions; (2) Registered Support Organization services covering Japanese language education (operated 9 AM–1 AM daily, 13 languages), HR management consulting, translation/interpretation, and retention support including a monthly mental health check system; and (3) business consulting for Japanese companies' overseas expansion (Philippines market entry, franchise support, expo pavilion management). Supporting infrastructure includes the patented Tokuteibank (特定技能バンク) matching platform, the acquired one visa immigration application web service (under redevelopment for Specified Skills specialization, October 2025), and the Uzbekistan Proud Academy (UPA), a Japanese-style driving school in Tashkent Region with 700-student capacity launched February 2026 in partnership with the Uzbekistan government.

Revenue is generated primarily through placement transaction fees charged to Japanese client companies, supplemented by recurring Registered Support Organization service fees, Japanese language and HR consultation services, business consulting engagements, and emerging technology/SaaS revenue from the one visa platform. The company serves a broad enterprise base (1,381 client companies, 3,624 store locations) with named logos spanning construction (Kondo Demolition, Tama Tekkin, Inoue Plaster, Nagamine), logistics (Izumi Logistics, 42 automotive/logistics companies), and food service (Monogatari Corporation/Yakiniku King with ~890 stores, Hotei Foods, Masaru Sushi, Wondertable). Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales, online seminars co-hosted with partners, and a multi-language corporate website (Japanese, English, Vietnamese, Indonesian). The company is bootstrapped, privately held, and considering IPO preparation.

Name

Proud Partners

Legal name

株式会社Proud Partners

Website

https://proudcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Proud Partners is a Tokyo-based HR agency that recruits, places, and supports foreign Specified Skilled Workers for Japanese companies in construction, food service, logistics, caregiving, and manufacturing across all 47 prefectures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Worker Recruitment and Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigration, Visa & Work Permit Support (Relocation-Related) (HSAKACAH), International Student Employment & Practical Training Support (CPT/OPT/AT, work authorization guidance) (EDALANAF)

Keywords

• Foreign worker recruitment
• Specified skilled workers
• Registered support organization
• Immigration documentation software
• Overseas talent placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specified Skilled Worker Placement (有料職業紹介): Fee-based recruitment and placement service matching foreign Specified Skilled Workers with Japanese companies. The company holds a Paid Recruitment Agency Business permit (permit number 13-ユ-313560) and a Registered Support Organization permit (permit number 19登-000466). Placement fees are charged to client companies for successful introductions.
2. Registered Support Organization Services: Post-placement support services for both foreign workers and accepting organizations, including Japanese language education, HR management consulting, translation and interpretation, and retention support. Provided as a Registered Support Organization (登録支援機関) under the Specified Skills scheme.
3. Business Consulting Services: Consulting services supporting Japanese companies' overseas expansion, including market entry support, project management, and cross-border industry-government-academia collaboration facilitation. Services include restaurant expansion support, Philippine market entry, expo pavilion management, and overseas laboratory establishment support.
4. Web Platform Services (one visa): Immigration application web service acquired from one visa Inc., being redeveloped as a specialized platform for Specified Skills visa documentation. Generates revenue through subscription or usage fees for immigration document preparation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Proud Partners recruits, places, and retains foreign Specified Skilled Workers for Japanese employers in construction, food service, caregiving, food manufacturing, and automotive transportation under Paid Recruitment Agency permit 13-ユ-313560 and Registered Support Organization permit 19登-000466. The company delivers end-to-end services covering overseas candidate sourcing from 19 countries, pre-arrival training at its Uzbekistan Proud Academy, visa application support via the one visa web platform, Japanese-language and HR management support in 13 languages, and ongoing retention services achieving turnover below 8%.

Product overview

Proud Partners operates a unified suite of services centered on the Specified Skills (Tokutei Ginou) visa system, comprising three interconnected pillars: (1) recruitment and placement of Specified Skilled Workers across 14 industries including construction, food service, caregiving, and automotive transport; (2) Registered Support Organization (RSO) post-employment support covering Japanese language education, HR management consulting, and multilingual translation/interpretation; and (3) Business Consulting for Japanese companies' overseas expansion. Supporting these core pillars are several named products and initiatives: 'one visa' (acquired October 2025 and being redeveloped as a Specified Skills-specialized immigration document management system), 'Tokuteibank' (a patented matching platform registered January 2026), the 'Specified Skills Consortium (TGC)' (established April 2026 to set industry standards across 16 fields), and the 'Uzbekistan Proud Academy (UPA)' (a training school in Uzbekistan opened February 2026 for training truck drivers).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Specified Skills Consortium (TGC): A consortium established by Proud Partners in April 2026, comprising four support organizations and receiving companies, aimed at visualizing the actual conditions of foreign worker acceptance across Japanese industries.
• UZBEKISTAN PROUD ACADEMY (UPA)

Products and services

• Specified Skills Worker Recruitment and Placement Recruitment and placement service matching foreign Specified Skilled Workers (Tokutei Ginou) with Japanese companies across 14 industries including construction, food service, caregiving, food manufacturing, and automotive transportation. Operates under Paid Recruitment Agency Business permit 13-ユ-313560.
• Registered Support Organization (RSO) Services Post-employment support for foreign workers and accepting organizations, including Japanese language education (online, 9 AM–1 AM daily), HR management consulting, daily living support, and translation/interpretation in 13 languages.
• Business Consulting for Overseas Expansion

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnover rate maintained below 8% for placed workers through monthly retention support
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Izumi Logistics Co., Ltd. (イズミ物流株式会社)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 June 2026Co-hosted online seminar for logistics company executives on Specified Skills driver acceptance on June 17, 2026, titled 'Automotive Transport Sector: Learning from 42 Acceptances! Specified Skills and Foreign Driver Acceptance Seminar.'
• Specified Skills Consortium (TGC) — Member OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026The Specified Skills Consortium (TGC), led by Proud Partners, officially commenced operations on June 15, 2026 with four registered support organizations as founding members: NINAITE Inc. (Hokkaido), Funtoco Inc. (Osaka), LivCo Inc. (Tokyo), and Proud Partners. The consortium has cumulatively supported over 12,000 foreign workers and aims to visualize actual conditions and define best practices for Specified Skills employment in Japan.
• Karakalpakstan National University (カラカルパク国立大学)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Cross-border industry-government-academia partnership for training Uzbek students as Specified Skilled Workers for Japan's food service industry. The first such bilateral initiative in the food service sector between Uzbekistan and Japan. Training covers Japanese language, hospitality skills, and cultural adaptation.
• Government of Uzbekistan (ウズベキスタン共和国)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Government-to-business partnership for cross-border labor migration. The Uzbekistan government facilitates immigration processes, provides training facilities and dormitories, and supports candidate recruitment for Proud Partners' Specified Skills worker training programs in transportation, food service, and construction.
• Izumi Logistics Co., Ltd. (イズミ物流株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Joint driver training program with Izumi Logistics for the Uzbekistan Proud Academy (UPA). Izumi Logistics, a logistics company handling delivery to convenience stores, supermarkets, and medical facilities, provides Japanese-style driving instruction and safety standards education to Uzbek trainee drivers in coordination with Proud Partners. The partnership aims to produce job-ready Specified Skills truck drivers.
• one visa Inc. (株式会社one visa)coreTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2025Proud Partners acquired the one visa immigration application support business from one visa Inc. in October 2025. This includes the web-based immigration application support service with over 2,000 client companies. Proud Partners plans to redevelop the platform as a specialized Specified Skills visa document system, contributing to industry standardization.
• Government of Uzbekistan — Immigration Agency (ウズベキスタン共和国 内閣直属移民庁)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025International labor agreement signed in September 2025 to train Uzbek nationals as Specified Skilled Workers for Japan's transportation industry. The Uzbekistan government handles candidate recruitment, facility provision, and training site management, while Proud Partners provides Japanese language and driving skills education. The government also provides dormitories for trainees.
• SukeTachi Inc. (株式会社助太刀)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2025Co-hosted seminar for the construction industry addressing labor shortage solutions. Partnership aimed at connecting construction companies with Proud Partners' Specified Skills placement services.
• Nippon Kaiji Kyokai / Maritime Association (海事協会)coreTechnology or Integration · 9 January 2025Japan's first joint holding of a skills test for foreign truck drivers with the Maritime Association (ClassNK). Proud Partners and the Maritime Association jointly administer the driving skills examination required for Specified Skills (automotive transport) visa.
• Nippon Kaiji Kyokai / Maritime Association (海事協会)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 January 2024First in Japan to jointly hold skills tests for foreign truck drivers with ClassNK. Proud Partners and ClassNK collaborated as exam administrators, with Proud Partners providing candidate support and ClassNK providing examination standards.
• AIDMA Holdings Inc. (株式会社アイドマ・ホールディングス)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023Capital and business partnership for expanding support services for foreign human resources. The partnership strengthens both companies' capabilities in supporting foreign workers and Japanese companies.
• National Construction Subcontractors Association (全国建設請負業協会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2023Business partnership for expanding employment of foreign workers in Japan's construction industry. The association holds a rare construction business paid recruitment agency permit. Proud Partners provides post-employment support and consulting while the association handles introductions to member companies.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JAC Recruitment: JAC is a Japan- and Asia-headquartered mid-career recruitment firm placing professionals across borders; while its focus is more on white-collar roles, it overlaps with Proud Partners' mid-skill multilingual placement into Japanese companies.
• Pasona Group: Pasona is one of Japan's largest staffing and HR services groups with broad coverage across temporary staffing, permanent placement, and global talent; it competes with Proud Partners for foreign-worker placements and RSO-type support, but at much larger scale and across many more verticals.
• Persol Holdings: Persol is a major Japanese staffing group operating Temp Staff, Persol Career, and overseas placement arms; its global talent and engineering staffing units compete with Proud Partners for cross-border placements into Japan.
• Recruit Holdings: Recruit operates Indeed, Rikunabi, and other HR platforms globally with a major Japan staffing footprint through Recruit Agent and Staff Service; it represents the broad HR marketplace against which niche specialist players like Proud Partners compete for placement share.

Others

• H.I.S. Co., Ltd. H.I.S. is a Japanese travel and overseas-services group whose HR and overseas-worker placement initiatives (e.g., H.I.S. foreign-talent operations) intersect thematically with Proud Partners' international recruitment and migration-support services.
• Akabei (Asobi System / Sankyu): Sankyu and adjacent Japanese staffing firms supply blue-collar foreign and domestic workers into logistics, construction, and manufacturing; they operate as ecosystem competitors to Proud Partners in the Specified Skills construction and trucking channels.

Direct peers

• Leverages Inc. Leverages is a Japan-based staffing and HR services group that places foreign workers with Japanese employers, including Specified Skills and Technical Intern Trainees, overlapping directly with Proud Partners' core recruitment and Registered Support Organization services.
• Yumeshima / BORDERLESS JAPAN: Borderless Japan specializes in placing foreign professionals and skilled workers with Japanese companies, including support for visa sponsorship and bilingual talent matching, competing head-to-head with Proud Partners in the foreign-worker recruitment space.
• Daijob.com (Human Holdings): Daijob is a bilingual recruitment platform focused on connecting foreign professionals with Japanese employers, operating in an overlapping use-case to Proud Partners' multilingual direct-hire placements, particularly for skilled white-collar and bilingual roles in Japan.

Regional players

• TMS (Technical Intern Training / Supervising Organizations): TMS is a Japanese supervising organization that brokers Technical Intern Training Program placements, serving as an adjacent pipeline-feeding channel into Specified Skills; it overlaps operationally with Proud Partners' RSO and candidate-sourcing work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Proud Partners