Writeup

What Writeup does

Writeup (株式会社ライトアップ, TSE Growth Market code 6580) is a Tokyo-based public company founded on April 5, 2002 that develops and distributes AI services and cloud business tools primarily to Japan's approximately 3 million small and medium enterprises. The company operates a portfolio built around J Engine, a cloud-based management problem-solving engine that proposes optimal solutions across four domains (IT, human resources, sales/marketing, and professional services including government-subsidy navigation), and JD.net, a co-development and joint-purchasing network of 300+ active partner companies distributing 66 types of services. Following the establishment of an AI Workshop in 2017 and a full generative-AI pivot announced in late 2022 after ChatGPT's release, Writeup has built a five-service AI offering: AI Co-Creation Business (OEM/joint development with sales-network partners), AI GTM Service (AI-powered sales organization construction), Internal Business AI Service (back-office AI redesign), AI Operation & Execution Support / BPO (ongoing AI operations), and AI Development Outsourcing (custom AI builds). Named proprietary AI products include the Super Manager series covering 7 AI-manager domains (sales, HR, CS, greetings, etc.), L Sync, a LINE×AI platform with 9 sales/automation services, and Yatagarasu AI Research, a community-driven platform where SMEs request AI tools.

The company's go-to-market rests on a multi-layered channel model: a 1,500-company nationwide agency network managed by a 5-person GTM engineering team, the JD.net partner network, AI co-creation partnerships with sales/HR/retail companies, WASP (AI-startup sales support), the regional-distribution initiative Chihou no Mirai, and direct enterprise sales for AI GTM deployments. Approximately 600 SME study sessions are run per year through partner venues including regional banks, electric-power companies, life/non-life insurers, and IT companies, with the company reporting a customer database of roughly 150,000 companies built since founding. Writeup employs approximately 150 staff (including officers, remote workers, parental-leave staff, contractors, and interns) at its Shibuya Cross Tower 32F headquarters, holds PrivacyMark (JIS Q 15001) certification, and has been listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market since June 22, 2018.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across five streams: J Engine consulting engagements at a standard ~¥300,000 over 2-3 months; JD.net registration fees (¥500,000 one-time), monthly sales-support subscriptions (¥50,000/month), and channel commissions on partner resales; cloud-solution subscriptions (SEO tools from ¥9,800/month, WTE online language learning at ¥1M initial + ¥50K/month); and recurring AI/BPO managed-services revenue with AI agent order volumes disclosed as exceeding 1,000 per month. Sources also reference multi-million-yen annual salary bands (¥4-12M) used in pricing signals for compensation data. The CEO, Takashi Shiraishi (白石 崇), founded Writeup after leading it through a 12-year IPO preparation; the company was previously named 有限会社 IT Up and is operated under the brand Writeup!.

Name

Writeup

Legal name

株式会社ライトアップ

Website

https://writeup.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Ipo

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Writeup (TSE Growth Market: 6580) is a Tokyo-based public company that builds and distributes generative-AI services and cloud business tools to Japan's roughly 3 million SMEs through a 1,500-company agency network and a 300+-partner JD.net channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Services and SME Automation

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML Solution Integration & MLOps Enablement (BPAEAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)

Keywords

• AI services for SMEs
• Business process automation
• AI co-creation
• Cloud consulting services
• SME digital transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. J Engine Consulting Services: Consulting services where J Engine's consultants propose optimal IT, human resources, sales/marketing, and professional services solutions for each customer's business challenges. Standard price approximately 300,000 yen, delivered over 2-3 months. Core revenue driver.
2. JD.net Partner Registration and Sales Margin: Registration fee of 500,000 yen for JD.net participation. Monthly sales support service at 50,000 yen. Commission earned when partner companies sell managed services to their end customers.
3. Cloud Solution IT Services: Monthly subscription and per-transaction revenue from SEO tools, online language learning systems (WTE), site analytics tools, and other IT services sold through the JD.net network.
4. AI Services (BPO and Managed): Ongoing AI operation and execution support platform. AI services sold with post-implementation managed operations. AI agent order volume exceeding 1,000/month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Writeup develops and sells AI-powered services primarily for Japan's approximately 3 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs), offering AI co-creation with partners, AI GTM (go-to-market) sales organizations, internal business AI redesign, AI operation/BPO support, and custom AI development. Its product lineup includes the Super Manager Series (7-domain AI manager suite), L Sync (LINE×AI platform), Yatagarasu AI Research (community AI platform), J Engine (management problem-solving engine), JD.net (partner co-purchasing network), and J System (subsidy auto-diagnosis tool).

Product overview

Writeup operates a multi-product AI services portfolio alongside legacy cloud solution and content businesses. The AI division centers on five service offerings: AI共創事業 (co-creation with partners), AI GTMサービス (AI-powered sales organization), 社内業務AI化サービス (internal business AI), AI運用・実行支援/BPO (ongoing AI operations support), and AI開発受託サービス (custom AI development). These are anchored by named AI product lines — スーパーマネージャー (7-domain AI manager suite), Lシンク (LINE×AI platform with 9 services), and ヤタガラスAIリサーチ (community-driven AI tool development platform). Supporting platforms include WASP (AI startup sales support) and チホウノミライ (regional AI distribution network). The legacy cloud solutions business is built on Jエンジン (management problem-solving engine, launched 2014) and JDネット (IT co-purchasing network, 300+ partners). The BPO operations platform ensures ongoing delivery after AI service deployment. The overall architecture follows a platform-plus-services model where AI services are built with generative AI and sold through direct, partner, and regional channels to Japan's ~3 million SMEs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Super Manager Series (スーパーマネージャー)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 companies adopted J System within 9 months of April 2020 launch
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JD.net Partner Network (300+ active companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJD.net is Writeup's co-development and joint purchasing network for IT tools and business services. 300+ active partner companies participate, accessing 66 types of services to sell to their SME customers. Writeup earns registration fees, monthly support fees, and sales commissions. Partners gain favorable pricing through collective purchasing power.
• 1,500-Company Agency NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA nationwide network of approximately 1,500 agency/reseller companies that sell Writeup's AI services (Super Manager, L Sync, Yatagarasu AI Research, etc.) to SMEs across Japan. Writeup's GTM engineering team provides activation and management support to maximize network performance.
• Regional Banks (Host Companies for Study Sessions)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional banks, along with electric power companies, life and non-life insurance companies, and IT companies, host Writeup's SME business study sessions (~600/year). These partners gather their SME clients for Writeup consultants to present J Engine services and case studies. Estimated ~2万 companies reached annually.
• AI Co-creation Partners (Sales/HR/Retail Companies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanies with existing sales networks (sales firms, HR companies, retail/store companies) partner with Writeup to co-create AI-powered new services. Writeup provides AI development capability (concepts, design, implementation, deployment) while partners contribute their existing sales reach and customer base. Also includes OEM AI service partnerships.
• WASP Platform PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAI startup manufacturers supported by Writeup's WASP platform. Writeup provides full sales support to help AI startups deploy their products through the nationwide distribution network to SMEs.
• Chihou no Mirai (地方の良い明日) Regional Sales PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional sales companies in local areas partner with Writeup to access AI products and sales know-how, contributing to the nationwide SME AI distribution network under the 'Chihou no Mirai' initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AI inside: Japanese AI platform company offering AI-OCR and generative AI services to enterprises and SMEs. Highly comparable to Writeup in its focus on operational AI products and SME/enterprise channel distribution within Japan.
• PKSHA Technology: Tokyo-listed AI company providing machine learning and NLP solutions to Japanese enterprises across multiple verticals. Comparable to Writeup as a Japanese-headquartered AI services provider targeting business process automation with both packaged products and custom development.

Broad incumbents

• freee K.K. Leading Japanese cloud SaaS provider focused on accounting, HR, and compliance for SMEs. Comparable to Writeup in its SME SaaS positioning in Japan, though freee offers deeper horizontal software breadth rather than AI services.
• Yayoi Co., Ltd. Japan's largest accounting software vendor for SMEs and sole proprietors. Comparable to Writeup in targeting Japanese SMEs with mission-critical business tools and extensive partner distribution.
• Money Forward: Major Japanese SaaS company providing accounting, HR, and fintech services to SMEs and consumers. Comparable to Writeup in its SME-focused horizontal SaaS strategy within the Japanese market.
• Rakus Co., Ltd. Tokyo-listed SaaS company offering expense, invoicing, and business process software to Japanese SMEs. Comparable to Writeup in serving Japanese SMEs with productivity tools via partner-led GTM.
• Chatwork Co., Ltd. TSE-listed business communication platform with strong SME penetration in Japan. Comparable to Writeup as a Japan-focused SME business productivity SaaS company with channel-led growth.
• GMO Internet Group: Large Japanese internet conglomerate offering domain, hosting, payments, and SME digital services. Comparable to Writeup in its broad SME digital enablement positioning across Japan.

Regional players

• JustSystems Corporation: Long-standing Japanese software vendor known for Ichitaro and business productivity products. Comparable to Writeup as a Japan-domiciled vendor serving business users with packaged software.

Emerging players

• Ubie Inc. Japanese AI company applying AI to healthcare navigation and operational workflows. Comparable to Writeup as a Japan-based AI services company building vertical AI applications for end customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/t_shiraishi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@writeup6580/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/writeup-cloud

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Writeup