What Strike does

Strike (株式会社ストライク) is a Japanese mergers and acquisitions intermediary and advisory firm, operating as the main operating subsidiary of Strike Group (株式会社ストライクグループ), which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market under ticker 6196 and included in the JPX-Nikkei Index 400. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Tokyo, Strike runs a nine-office national network covering every major Japanese region (Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Takamatsu, Hiroshima, Fukuoka) and employed 452 people plus 67 temporary staff as of September 2025, up from 191 employees four years earlier.

The company's service line falls into five product categories: growth-strategy M&A consulting, succession-type M&A consulting, management support consulting, cross-border M&A consulting, and a patent-data-driven matching service (MAIPL). Underpinning the advisory business is the proprietary "SMART" online M&A marketplace, which allows buyers and sellers to list, search, and match deal opportunities, plus a sub-brand ecosystem (S venture Lab., STart, Owner'sLab, M&A Online, relay) that covers startup M&A, industry analysis, media, and small-business succession matching. Strike also operates a free corporate valuation tool, a unified Strike ID authentication system, and holds ISO 27001 and ISMAP information security certifications.

Strike earns revenue primarily through transaction-fee-based M&A advisory engagements, with the explicit commercial policy that no fee is charged until a basic agreement is signed with a buyer (着手金無料). Deal flow is sourced through a multi-channel go-to-market: free consultation (0120-552-410), a referral network of regional banks, credit associations, CPAs, and tax accountants, public seminars and events, owned media (M&A Online), and the digital SMART marketplace. Strike handled 218 transferor companies in FY2025 (up from 204 in FY2024), serves Japan's structural SMB succession crisis through registered status under the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's M&A Support Organization system, and is transitioning to a holding company structure effective April 1, 2026 to support further organizational scaling.

Name

Strike

Legal name

株式会社ストライク

Website

https://strike.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strike is a publicly listed Japanese M&A intermediary and advisory firm (TSE Prime, ticker 6196) that brokers business succession, growth, cross-border, and patent-driven M&A deals for Japanese SMBs through nine regional offices, a proprietary SMART marketplace platform, and a multi-channel referral network of banks, CPAs, and tax accountants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Intermediary Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH)

Keywords

• M&A advisory services
• Business succession consulting
• Merger intermediation
• Growth strategy consulting
• Cross-border M&A

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory/Intermediary Fees: Strike earns success-based fees from M&A intermediary and advisory services. The company operates on a model where the initial fee (着手金) is free until a basic agreement is signed with a buyer, making the service accessible to sellers. Revenue is generated upon successful deal closure.
2. M&A Platform Services (SMART): SMART platform provides M&A deal listings and matching services, potentially generating platform-related revenue through listing fees or premium subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Strike is a publicly listed M&A intermediary (TSE Prime: 6196) providing advisory and matching services for Japanese small and mid-sized business succession and growth-driven M&A transactions. The company operates the SMART online M&A marketplace to connect sellers and buyers, while dedicated advisors guide clients through growth M&A, succession M&A, cross-border M&A, and post-deal management support engagements.

Product overview

Strike operates a multi-product M&A advisory ecosystem anchored by its core consulting services and the SMART online M&A marketplace. The consulting layer includes five distinct service lines: growth-strategy M&A, succession-type M&A, management support, cross-border M&A, and a patent-data-driven matching service. The SMART platform serves as the digital marketplace enabling buyer-seller matching and deal discovery. Surrounding the core are complementary programs — S venture Lab. (startup innovation M&A), STart (startup M&A team), Owner's Lab (industry trend analysis), M&A Online (news media), and relay (small-business succession matching) — as well as supporting tools like a free corporate valuation service and a unified ID authentication system (ストライクID). Together, these form an integrated M&A lifecycle platform spanning advisory, deal sourcing, matching, post-deal support, and market intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMART: M&A marketplace platform for business succession and M&A information
• M&A Online
• S venture Lab.
• STart
• Owner'sLab
• relay

Products and services

• Growth Strategy M&A Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• 218 companies assisted with M&A in FY2025 (September), up from 204 in FY2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• East VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Joint office arrangement established at Strike's Kyoto Innovation Office (opened June 2024). East Ventures, an independent venture capital firm, co-locates at the office to serve as a hub for startup-innovation M&A activities. The partnership connects Strike's M&A advisory services with East Ventures' startup ecosystem for innovation-driven M&A deals.
• SMBC日興証券株式会社 (SMBC Nikko Securities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2021SMBC Nikko Securities is Strike's affiliated securities company for financial instruments intermediary services. Strike holds registration number 関東財務局長（金仲）第1088号 as a financial instruments intermediary service provider under SMBC Nikko Securities, enabling Strike to provide securities-related M&A and deal services.
• 中小企業庁 M&A支援機関登録制度 (Registered M&A Support Organization)coreOthers · 1 August 2021Strike is registered under the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's M&A Support Organization Registration System, which requires adherence to the 中小M&Aガイドライン (Small/Medium M&A Guidelines). Registration demonstrates Strike's compliance with industry standards for fair M&A intermediary services.
• 株式会社M&A支援機関協会 (M&A Support Organization Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Strike is a member of the M&A Support Organization Association, participating in its committees, secretariat meetings, and subcommittees. The association facilitates information sharing among registered M&A advisors and promotes industry standards and best practices.
• Regional Banks and Financial Institutions (地銀)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrike maintains referral relationships with regional banks (地方銀行) across Japan. Banks refer business succession M&A clients to Strike, and Strike provides M&A advisory services. Notable examples include 八十二銀行 (Hachijuni Bank) referrals in Nagano and 高知銀行 (Kochi Bank) referrals in Shikoku.
• Accounting/Tax Professional Networks (会計事務所・税理士)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrong referral network with accounting firms and tax accountant (税理士) offices. CPAs and tax accountants refer clients facing succession challenges to Strike. Examples include referrals from Hokkaido Tax Accounting Association and 旭川の松田先生 (tax advisor).
• 有限責任あずさ監査法人 (Azsa LLP)coreOthersStrike Group's accounting auditor (会計監査人). Provides independent audit services as required for listed company compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• M&A Research Institute: Japanese M&A intermediary that has rapidly scaled a tech-enabled, advisor-light matching platform for SME succession M&A. Competes head-to-head with Strike on speed, fee economics, and tech-led matching — a particularly close peer given tech emphasis.
• M&A Capital Partners: Japan-listed M&A advisory firm providing similar SME succession and growth M&A intermediation. Directly comparable in service mix, customer profile (Japanese SMB owners), and 'no upfront fee' business model.
• Frontier Management: Japanese M&A advisory firm focused on growth strategy and succession M&A for mid-market companies. Comparable in advisory scope (buy-side, sell-side, cross-border) and target customer segment, though with different vertical emphasis.
• Yamada Consulting Group: Japanese-listed consulting group offering M&A advisory alongside tax, accounting, and succession services for SMBs. Overlaps with Strike's succession and cross-border M&A offerings for similar Japanese business-owner clients.
• Nihon M&A Center: Japan's largest M&A intermediary focused on SMB business succession. Directly competes with Strike across the same target segment (succession M&A for SMBs without internal successors) with similar buyer-seller matching, fee structures, and regional coverage.
• Japan AUSP Partners: Japanese M&A intermediary providing succession and growth M&A advisory focused on SMBs. Closely overlaps with Strike in target customer (founders/family businesses) and free-initial-consultation positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company Japan: Global management consulting firm providing M&A advisory among broader strategy offerings in Japan. Comparable on cross-border M&A and large-deal advisory but competes on different end of the market (larger, more strategic transactions).
• Houlihan Lokey: Global independent advisory firm providing M&A and valuation advisory. Overlaps with Strike on cross-border M&A and mid-market sell-side advisory but operates at larger deal sizes with broader geographic coverage.
• KPMG FAS Japan: Big-4 deal advisory arm offering M&A advisory, due diligence, and valuations. Comparable in valuation, due diligence, and cross-border capability but delivers within a wider professional services portfolio rather than as the primary focus.

Others

• SMBC Nikko Securities: Strike's affiliated financial instruments intermediary for securities-related M&A deals. Not a typical competitor but a key channel and infrastructure partner enabling Strike to handle securities-adjacent transactions within its deal flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MAstrike
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6qUg307Ihjs
• Facebookfacebook.com/MAstrike

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Strike