ImPlay

Name

ImPlay

Legal name

株式会社インプレイ (ImPlay Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://implay.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ImPlay (株式会社インプレイ) is a Tokyo-based, SG Group-owned operator of SURF&SNOW and related platforms serving Japan's ski industry, offering lift ticket e-commerce, school bookings, rental marketplace, and B2B media and staffing solutions to ~600 ski resorts and individual winter sports consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winter Sports & Ski Resort Digital Platform

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (713920)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains) (THAAAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter Sports Schools & Activity Centers (Ski, Snowboard, Snowmobile) (THAAAKAI), Winter Equipment Rental, Demo & Repair (Skis/Boards/Boots, Tuning) (THAAAJAH)

Keywords

• Ski resort information
• Winter sports platform
• Lift ticket sales
• Ski school booking
• Rental marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Shinjuku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lift Ticket Sales (B2C E-commerce): Sale of physical and electronic lift tickets (紙チケット, スマリフ) for ski resorts across Japan, including early-bird (早割) discounted tickets sold in advance of the season. Revenue is generated per transaction on a one-time purchase basis.
2. Ski School Booking Commission (steach): Commission or service fees from the ski/snowboard school search and reservation platform 'steach', where users book lessons and the platform facilitates the booking.
3. Sports Equipment Rental Platform (MSRP): A rental marketplace connecting users with ski/snowboard rental shops (individual sole proprietors or corporations registered on the MSRP platform). The company operates the platform and earns transaction/listing fees from rentals.
4. B2B Media Promotion & Web Solutions: Corporate sales team sells media promotion and web solutions to ski resorts, resort facilities, and local governments. Revenue is generated through contract-based advertising, promotion fees, and solution service fees targeting B2B clients.
5. Resort Staffing / HR Services: Through collaboration with group company Sounds Good, the company provides staffing solutions to resort and leisure facilities, addressing labor shortages in the leisure industry via a dedicated 'Resort HR Promotion Office'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ImPlay operates Japan's largest ski resort and snow information platform, SURF&SNOW, covering approximately 600 ski and winter sports facilities nationwide with lift ticket e-commerce (paper and electronic tickets), resort discovery, snow condition reporting, and ski/snowboard content. Beyond SURF&SNOW, the company runs the STeach school search and lesson booking platform, the MSRP sports equipment rental marketplace, the SCoach part-time job matching platform, and B2B media promotion and web solutions sold to ski resorts, local governments, and tourism companies. The company is also developing inbound tourism e-ticketing through its Japanticket partnership and resort staffing services through the Sounds Good group company.

Product overview

ImPlay operates a multi-service platform ecosystem centered on Japan's ski and snowboard industry. The core offerings include: SURF&SNOW (ski resort information and lift ticket sales), STeach (school search and lesson booking), MSRP (equipment rental system), and SCoach (part-time job matching). These products form an integrated value chain covering information discovery, ticket purchasing, equipment rental, lesson reservations, and workforce recruitment for ski resorts and winter sports facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SURF&SNOW: 国内最大級のスキー場・積雪情報サイト。全国を網羅した圧倒的な情報量を持つスキー場情報と、多彩な切り口のコンテンツでスキー・スノーボード・雪遊びの魅力を発信するプラットフォーム。
• STeach
• SCoach (スコーチ)
• MSRP

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 600 ski resort and leisure facility clients supported with digital tools and promotion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NEXCO東日本coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2023Joint '待ってろゲレンデ、当てるぜリフト券キャンペーン' (Mategele Campaign) with NEXCO East Japan to promote ski resort visits along NEXCO-managed highways. Includes distribution of the free SURF&SNOW paper magazine (80,000 copies) at ~500 SA/PA locations, roadside stations, and sports shops across Nagano, Niigata, Gunma, and Tochigi prefectures. This is an annual seasonal campaign spanning the 2023-2024 ski season.
• 株式会社JapanticketcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 July 2022ImPlay partnered with Japanticket (operator of the inbound e-ticket management system 'Japan ticket') to digitize ski resort ticketing for international visitors. The partnership enables approximately 600 ski resorts on SURF&SNOW to offer e-ticketing in multiple languages, streamlining sales management, reservation tracking, and payment processing for inbound tourists.
• 株式会社サウンズグッドcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022ImPlay and group company Sounds Good Co., Ltd. (comprehensive staffing services) jointly established a 'Resort HR Promotion Office' starting July 2022. The partnership addresses Japan's resort labor shortage by dispatching staff to lodging facilities and leisure venues nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. ImPlay contributes client access and industry knowledge; Sounds Good contributes a nationwide pool of registered workers.
• POW JAPANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Protect Our Winters Japan, an environmental organization focused on climate issues affecting winter sports. Supports sustainability initiatives in the ski/snowboard industry.
• 公益財団法人 長野県スキー連盟minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nagano Prefecture Ski Association, one of Japan's most prominent regional ski bodies, supporting ski sport development and promotion.
• 一般財団法人 東京都スキー連盟minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tokyo Ski Federation for ski sport promotion and association activities.
• 公益財団法人 神奈川県スキー連盟minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kanagawa Prefecture Ski Federation for ski sport promotion.
• 日本スキー産業振興協会minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership supporting the ski industry's development and promotion in Japan.
• 日本スノーボード産業振興会minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership supporting the snowboard industry's development and promotion in Japan.
• 一般법인단 세코 프로모션 보드 (Niseko Promotion Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Niseko Promotion Board, supporting one of Japan's most internationally recognized ski destinations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OnTheSnow: OnTheSnow is a global ski resort information and snow report platform, with coverage of Japanese resorts. It competes with SURF&SNOW on resort discovery, snow conditions, and user reviews for winter sports enthusiasts.
• SnoCountry: SnoCountry is a US-based ski and snowboard information and snow report platform. It shares the same content-and-conditions value proposition as SURF&SNOW and serves as a comparable international model for ski information aggregation.
• SnowJapan: SnowJapan is a major Japan-focused ski and snow information portal providing resort info, snow reports, and reviews. It is the closest direct competitor to SURF&SNOW for English-speaking and inbound skiers planning trips to Japanese resorts.

Broad incumbents

• Rakuten Travel: Rakuten Travel is a major online travel agency in Japan offering flights, hotels, and activity/tour bookings, including ski packages. It competes for the same B2C skier wallet share through broader travel inventory rather than a specialized ski platform.
• Jalan (Recruit): Jalan is one of Japan's largest travel and leisure reservation platforms, offering hotel, tour, and ski package bookings. It overlaps with ImPlay's B2C ski-related reservation and ticketing activity as part of a much broader travel portfolio.

Emerging players

• Skitude: Skitude is a digital platform providing ski tracking, resort info, and community features for skiers worldwide. It represents the app-centric, international model that contrasts with ImPlay's content-and-ticketing portal approach.
• Yonda: Yonda is a Japan ski and snowboard community and content site for enthusiasts. It competes with SURF&SNOW for ski media attention and user-generated content in the domestic market.

Others

• Gurunavi (Gurunabi): Gurunavi is the original operator of the SURF&SNOW business before the 2020 absorption-type company split to ImPlay. As the former parent and still a major restaurant/leisure information platform, it shares customer overlap in Japan's leisure media space.
• Sounds Good: Sounds Good is an ImPlay group company providing staffing services and a joint partner in the Resort HR Promotion Office. As a related-party service provider, it is comparable in addressing labor needs across leisure and hospitality facilities.

Regional players

• Japanticket: Japanticket operates an inbound-focused e-ticket management platform for tourism facilities in Japan. It is a strategic partner of ImPlay for ski resort inbound ticketing, and a comparable player in the inbound tourism digitalization space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ImPlay