Woonerf

What Woonerf does

Woonerf Inc. (株式会社ヴォンエルフ) is a Tokyo-headquartered sustainability and green building consulting firm founded in 2006 by CEO Hiroki Hiramatsu. The firm operates three service lines — Certification Consulting, Sustainability Consulting, and Research and Advisory — supporting Japanese property owners, developers, REITs, corporate occupiers, and government bodies in achieving international green building certifications (LEED, WELL, SITES, BREEAM, Fitwel, Living Building Challenge, Just, CASBEE, EarthCheck, ABINC, TSUNAG) and related ESG performance targets. As of December 2025, Woonerf accounts for 33.3% of domestic LEED certifications, 40.0% of domestic WELL certifications, and 66.6% of domestic SITES certifications in Japan, derived from 124, 32, and 6 completed projects respectively.

The firm's underlying technical platform combines in-house engineering capabilities — Life Cycle Assessment, energy simulation, energy auditing, and commissioning — with proprietary ecosystem assets: a one-third co-investment in Arc Japan (the exclusive Japanese distributor of the Arc ESG benchmarking platform, used on 1,000+ Japanese properties over the past 2.5 years) and a 2025 joint venture, QW Energy Solutions, with U.S.-based Quest Energy Group for energy modeling and commissioning. Differentiating credentials include AA1000 Licensed Assurance Provider status (June 2025), BREEAM International New Construction Licensed Assessor Organization status (May 2023, first in Japan), SBTi SME certification, and a team anchored by a LEED Fellow CEO and 20+ WELL APs.

Woonerf's go-to-market is enterprise-direct consulting on project-based, multi-year contracts with no public pricing disclosure. Customer concentration is diversified across 20+ named enterprise logos spanning real estate (Mori Building, GLP, Kajima, Daiwa House, Tokyu), logistics (Daiwa House REIT, Tokyo Nunshusai), banking (Hokuriku, Bank of Yokohama), manufacturing (Daikin, Chugai, Celestica), automotive (Toyota), and public sector (City of Sapporo). Revenue is generated primarily through professional services fees, with a complementary recurring subscription element through Arc platform services via Arc Japan. The firm maintains offices in Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku/Ichigaya HQ), Osaka (WeWork), and Kosai City, Shizuoka.

Name

Woonerf

Legal name

株式会社ヴォンエルフ

Website

https://woonerf.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Woonerf Inc. is a Tokyo-based sustainability and green building certification consulting firm founded in 2006 that supports Japanese real estate developers, corporate occupiers, REITs, AEC firms, and government bodies in obtaining LEED, WELL, SITES, and other international certifications. It holds dominant domestic market share across major international certification systems and operates ecosystem JVs (Arc Japan, QW Energy Solutions) for benchmarking and energy modeling services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and Green Building Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Green building consulting
• Sustainability consulting
• LEED certification support
• WELL building certification
• ESG advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku / Ichigaya)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Consulting: International green building certification consulting (LEED, WELL, SITES, BREEAM, Fitwel, CASBEE, TRUE, etc.) for new construction, existing buildings, tenant interiors, neighborhoods, and communities. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees tailored to building type, scale, and certification scope.
2. Sustainability Consulting: Sustainability consulting encompassing ESG evaluation for real estate sector, decarbonization strategy formulation, sustainability reporting assurance (AA1000), and nature-positive consulting. Includes technical engineering solutions such as LCA, energy simulation, energy auditing, and commissioning.
3. Research and Advisory: Research and advisory services for private sector (corporations, financial institutions) and public sector (national government, local municipalities), covering sustainability and well-being strategy.
4. Arc Platform Services (via Arc Japan): Building environmental performance evaluation using the Arc platform, supporting ESG reporting and GRESB benchmarking. Provided through related company Arc Japan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Woonerf is a Japanese sustainability and ESG consulting firm that provides end-to-end international green building certification consulting (LEED, WELL, SITES, BREEAM, Fitwel, TRUE, Living Building Challenge, Just, CASBEE, EarthCheck, ABINC, TSUNAG), engineering technical solutions (Life Cycle Assessment, energy simulation, commissioning, energy auditing), and sustainability reporting assurance. The firm guides real estate developers, building owners, AEC firms, corporations, and public sector clients through feasibility, design, certification, and post-occupancy performance phases using international standards and benchmarking tools such as the Arc platform.

Product overview

Woonerf Inc. is a sustainability and ESG consulting firm specializing in green building and landscape certification. The company operates as a unified consulting services firm organized around three core offerings: (1) Certification Consulting for international standards (LEED, WELL, SITES, BREEAM, Fitwel, Living Building Challenge, Just, CASBEE, EarthCheck, ABINC, TSUNAG); (2) Sustainability Consulting encompassing engineering and technical solutions (LCA/EPD, energy simulation, energy audits, commissioning) plus ESG services (decarbonization strategy, sustainability reporting assurance); and (3) Research and Advisory services for private and public sector clients. Woonerf also holds a one-third stake in Arc Japan (building environmental performance assessment platform) and a 50% stake in QW Energy Solutions Inc. (energy modeling and commissioning joint venture with Quest Energy Group, established April 2025). The company provides specialized service modules including LEED feasibility studies (FS), WELL for Residential certification support, LEED O+M certification consulting using the Arc platform, and AA1000 sustainability assurance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arc Japan: Building environmental performance evaluation platform for sustainability monitoring, ESG reporting, and decarbonization support in partnership with GBCI
• QW Energy Solutions

Products and services

• Certification Consulting (認証コンサルティング) End-to-end consulting for international green building and wellness certifications (LEED, WELL, SITES, BREEAM, Fitwel, Living Building Challenge, Just, CASBEE, EarthCheck, ABINC, TSUNAG) covering single buildings, portfolios, tenant interiors, neighborhoods, and communities. Targets real estate developers, building owners, REITs, asset managers, AEC firms, and corporate real estate users in Japan.
• Sustainability Consulting (サステナビリティコンサルティング) Engineering and technical solutions (LCA/EPD, energy simulation, energy auditing, commissioning) combined with ESG services (decarbonization strategy, sustainability reporting assurance) for real estate sector stakeholders. Provided to building owners, developers, AEC firms, and corporate clients pursuing decarbonization and ESG disclosure.
• Research and Advisory (調査研究・助言) Customized sustainability and well-being research, policy development, and advisory services for private sector companies, financial institutions, and public sector organizations including national government ministries and local municipalities in Japan.
• AA1000 Assurance Service Independent third-party assurance of ESG quantitative and qualitative information aligned with SSBJ, GRI, and ISSB frameworks. Available to corporations, financial institutions, and public sector entities requiring disclosure compliance.
• QW Energy Solutions Inc. (QWES) Japan-US joint venture providing energy modeling, commissioning, energy code compliance, energy auditing, and LEED consulting services to accelerate decarbonization across Japan's real estate and building sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 124 completed LEED projects, representing 33.3% of all domestic LEED certifications in Japan
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (政策研究大学院大学)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Professor Keisuke Takegahara of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies appointed as advisor to Woonerf in April 2026, strengthening advisory capabilities in sustainability and ESG services, particularly for policy-relevant consulting engagements.
• QW Energy Solutions Inc. (株式会社QWエナジーソリューションズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Joint venture established April 1, 2025 between Woonerf and U.S.-based Quest Energy Group (Arizona) to provide specialized energy modeling, commissioning, and energy compliance/auditing services in Japan. Headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Woonerf leverages QWES for LEED energy modeling requirements and broader energy optimization consulting. QWES is managed by CEO Nobuaki Koyama.
• Asuene Co., Ltd. (アスエネ株式会社)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025Partnership agreement signed July 2024 to jointly offer CO2 visualization, reduction, and reporting cloud services (Asuene platform) combined with Woonerf's green building certification and sustainability consulting. Targets construction and real estate industry clients pursuing decarbonization.
• Oplizon Corporation (株式会社オプライゾン)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2025Sales partnership where Oplizon distributes the Arc ESG benchmarking platform in Japan, in coordination with Arc Japan. Oplizon is a company with major shareholders including Obayashi Corporation and Hitachi Solutions, focused on building environmental performance evaluation services.
• Arc Japan Co., Ltd. (株式会社Arc Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021Joint venture established in February 2021 with Woonerf (1/3 ownership), Development Bank of Japan (DBJ, 1/3), and Arc Skoru Inc. (now GBCI, 1/3) to distribute and support the Arc ESG benchmarking platform in Japan. Arc Japan enables building-level ESG performance measurement, LEED O+M certification scoring, and GRESB reporting. Woonerf CEO Kojo Hiramatsu serves as Arc Japan representative. In 2024, Arc Skoru Inc. ownership transferred to GBCI, adding a third co-investor.
• Nikken Sekkei Group (株式会社日建設計)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing co-marketing and joint seminar collaborations. Nikken Sekkei uses Arc platform (promoted by Arc Japan) for portfolio ESG management and LEED certification support. Companies have co-hosted multiple webinars and events (e.g., Greenbuild 2024 report session, Arc Japan joint webinars).
• Obayashi Corporation (株式会社大林組)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorObayashi Corporation is a major shareholder of Oplizon, which distributes the Arc platform in Japan in partnership with Arc Japan. Obayashi also partners with Woonerf on various certification projects.
• Hitachi Solutions, Ltd. (株式会社日立ソリューションズ)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHitachi Solutions is a co-shareholder in Oplizon, which distributes the Arc platform for ESG benchmarking in Japan in coordination with Arc Japan.
• Quest Energy Group, LLC (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S.-based energy consulting and engineering company (Arizona) partnering with Woonerf to establish QW Energy Solutions (April 2025) for energy modeling and commissioning services in Japan. Quest brings 300+ LEED and energy consulting project experience in the U.S. market.
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBCI became co-investor in Arc Japan (via Arc Skoru acquisition in 2024) alongside Woonerf and DBJ. GBCI administers LEED, WELL, SITES, TRUE, and other major green building certification systems globally.
• Green Building Japan (GBJ, 一般社団法人グリーンビルディングジャパン)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWoonerf is an active member and co-organizer with GBJ (the Japan chapter of USGBC). Companies jointly organize the annual GBJ Symposium and other educational events.
• 21st Century Finance Principles / PFA21 (21世紀金融行動原則)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoonerf is a signatory to the 21st Century Finance Principles and serves as co-chair of its Environmental Real Estate Working Group. The company co-organizes seminars and research on green finance and real estate.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Nikken Sekkei: Japan's largest architecture and engineering firm, with a growing sustainability, ESG, and building certification practice that uses the Arc platform (Woonerf-related) and has co-marketed with Woonerf. A peer in Japan with deep AEC relationships, though sustainability is not its primary focus.

Regional players

• Kajima Corporation: Major Japanese general contractor with in-house sustainability and green building capabilities, including LEED-certified research facilities (e.g., Kashima Technical Research Institute). Functions as both a Woonerf customer and an indirect competitor offering sustainability consulting to its own development pipeline.

Direct peers

• Ramboll: International sustainability and engineering consultancy offering building certification, ESG strategy, decarbonization, and LCA services for real estate and infrastructure. Comparable to Woonerf on integrated sustainability consulting and certified building projects.
• Arup: Global engineering and sustainability consultancy providing building certification consulting (LEED, BREEAM, WELL), energy modeling, and ESG advisory for real estate clients. Directly comparable to Woonerf on service portfolio and target clients, with established Japan presence.
• AECOM: International design, engineering, and environmental services firm offering LEED/WELL consulting, sustainability advisory, climate risk, and ESG reporting services to real estate developers and infrastructure clients — including in Japan.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with a strong sustainability and building certification consulting practice (LEED, BREEAM, WELL) serving commercial real estate, healthcare, and public-sector clients. Operates in Japan and competes for the same enterprise mandates as Woonerf.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global sustainability consulting firm with deep expertise in ESG advisory, climate change consulting, environmental compliance, and assurance services. Competes with Woonerf for corporate ESG mandates and real estate sustainability work in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global commercial real estate services firm with a sizable sustainability and ESG advisory practice that supports investors, owners, and occupiers on green building certifications, GRESB, and net-zero strategies. Broader mandate than Woonerf but overlapping on certification consulting.
• CBRE: World's largest commercial real estate services firm, providing sustainability consulting, building certifications, energy advisory, and ESG reporting support to investors and occupiers. Overlaps with Woonerf's enterprise real estate customer base in Japan.

Others

• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI): Global certification body administering LEED, WELL, SITES, TRUE, and other programs. GBCI is a co-investor in Arc Japan with Woonerf and DBJ; while not a direct competitor, GBCI shapes the standards and accreditation framework that all green building consultants, including Woonerf, must operate within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Woonerf