NPO法人コミュニティリンク
Community Link NPO is a Kobe-based Japanese specified nonprofit that bridges local governments with technology startups through its Urban Innovation Japan open-innovation platform, while operating commissioned co-working facilities, SME IT advisory, and civic-tech applications for regional revitalization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersKobe (Hyogo), Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NPO法人コミュニティリンク does
Community Link NPO (NPO法人コミュニティリンク) is a Japanese specified nonprofit corporation founded in 2008 and headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, that operates at the intersection of civic tech, GovTech, open governance, and regional revitalization. The organization acts as an intermediary between Japanese municipalities and technology startups/private companies, supporting digital transformation (DX), open-data utilization, startup ecosystem development, and ICT-driven community problem-solving. Primary customers are local governments in Hyogo, Kobe, Takarazuka, Kusatsu (Shiga) and Nagoya, small-and-medium enterprises in Hyogo Prefecture, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Core platform products are Urban Innovation Japan (UIJ) — an open-innovation marketplace that matches municipal challenges with startups and has documented 70%+ challenge resolution and 40%+ procurement rates across 24 challenges and 100+ company applications — and Kigyo Plaza Hyogo, a commissioned co-working/incubation facility in Kobe Sannomiya (137 members by July 2021, 11 businesses started in its first year). Supporting technology outputs include civic apps such as Daredemo Navi (multilingual universal-design navigation, IAUD Award 2017 Gold Prize, ~3,000 downloads), 5374 Kobe (multilingual open-data waste-collection app), Saponoru (nursing-taxi matching), 3D Shop & Lab digital twins via Matterport, and drone-based disaster-response services.
The business model is overwhelmingly public-sector-commissioned: project-based professional services and managed facility operations paid for by Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City, supplemented by IT-advisory services to Hyogo SMEs (100+ consultations/year) through 29 chambers of commerce under a union-level mandate. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; SME advisory is delivered largely free of charge (up to three consultations per case). Marketing is non-commercial — content marketing, organic social, earned media, and event-driven community engagement — and revenue is concentrated in multi-year municipal contracts rather than product sales.
NPO法人コミュニティリンク firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NPO法人コミュニティリンク
- Legal name
- 特定非営利活動法人コミュニティリンク
- Website
- https://communitylink.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Community Link NPO is a Kobe-based Japanese specified nonprofit that bridges local governments with technology startups through its Urban Innovation Japan open-innovation platform, while operating commissioned co-working facilities, SME IT advisory, and civic-tech applications for regional revitalization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NPO法人コミュニティリンク industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Tech and GovTech Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Local & Neighborhood Communities (BPAMABAG), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ)
Keywords
Where NPO法人コミュニティリンク is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kobe (Hyogo)
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
NPO法人コミュニティリンク business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Government-Commissioned Projects: The organization derives the majority of its revenue from commissioned projects by local governments (Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, Takarazuka City, Kusatsu City, etc.), including IT consulting, system development, event运营, and public service innovation programs.
- IT Advisory Services for SMEs: Providing IT advisory services to small and medium enterprises through the Hyogo Prefecture Chamber of Commerce and Industry network, supporting website/blog/SNS promotion, POS systems, online store development, and digital marketing. Over 100 consultations per year.
- Incubation & Co-working Space Management: Operating 'Kigyo Plaza Hyogo' (Entrepreneurs Plaza Hyogo) as a commissioned facility providing co-working space, small offices, working desks, and entrepreneurship support services. Revenue from委託事業 (commissioned operations).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Government commissioning model — project-based fees negotiated per contract |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
NPO法人コミュニティリンク product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Community Link is a specified nonprofit corporation that delivers civic-tech and GovTech services to Japanese municipalities and small businesses. Its main offerings are the Urban Innovation Japan open-innovation platform matching government challenges with startups, the commissioned Kigyo Plaza Hyogo co-working and incubation facility, IT advisory services for SMEs through the Hyogo Chamber of Commerce, and bespoke civic-tech applications such as Daredemo Navi, 5374 Kobe and Saponoru. The organization also operates drone-based disaster response and digital-twin (Matterport) projects for regional revitalization.
Product overview
NPO法人コミュニティリンク operates a portfolio of civic-tech and GovTech initiatives centered on regional ICT utilization. The primary platform offering is Urban Innovation Japan, an open innovation platform that matches municipalities with startups for collaborative problem-solving and proof-of-concept experiments. Supporting this is 起業プラザひょうご (Kigyo Plaza Hyogo), a co-working and small-office facility providing workspace, expert consultation, and community-building services for entrepreneurs. Together, the organization also conducts project coordination, ICT consulting, drone operations, event live-streaming, and published media production as part of its regional revitalization activities. The organization is headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, and was originally founded in Takarazuka.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Urban Innovation Japan: Open innovation platform that matches local government challenges with startups and private companies for collaborative problem-solving and demonstration experiments.
Products and services
- Urban Innovation Japan Open-innovation platform operated by Community Link that matches challenges from Japanese municipalities with startups and private companies for collaborative problem-solving and proof-of-concept demonstration experiments. Originally launched as Urban Innovation KOBE in 2018 and expanded nationally in 2019; supports co-creation between public and private sectors and is used for projects such as Hatch Technology NAGOYA 2025.
- Kigyo Plaza Hyogo (起業プラザひょうご) Commissioned co-working, networking and small-office facility in Kobe Sannomiya supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and newly launched businesses in Hyogo Prefecture. Provides small offices, working desks, expert consultation, seminars and networking events; managed by Community Link on behalf of Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City.
- Daredemo Navi (だれでもナビ) Universal Design Navigation App
Quantifiable outcome
- Urban Innovation KOBE achieved 70%+ challenge resolution rate and 40%+ procurement rate in ~2 years (24 challenges, 100+ company applications)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NPO法人コミュニティリンク
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
NPO法人コミュニティリンク technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
NPO法人コミュニティリンク partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- さくらインターネット株式会社 (Sakura Internet Inc.)coreSakura Internet and Community Link entered a business partnership agreement to create collaborative cases between local governments and private companies, and promote DX in municipalities. Sakura Internet provides its public cloud service 'Sakura Cloud' free of charge to startups matched through the Urban Innovation Japan platform. The first joint project is 'Hatch Technology NAGOYA 2025' supporting IKR Co., Ltd. with cloud infrastructure for a sustainable turf management demonstration.
- イクスアール株式会社 (IKR Co., Ltd.)minorXR software company selected for the Hatch Technology NAGOYA 2025 demonstration project 'Sustainable Turf Solution.' Community Link and Sakura Internet support their cloud-based data collection and analysis for monitoring Hisaya-Odori Park turf health using sunlight and pressure data.
- Urban Innovation Japan (アーバン・イノベーション・ジャパン)coreUrban Innovation Japan (UIJ) is an open innovation platform established by Community Link that matches challenges from municipalities across Japan with startups and private companies. It facilitates collaborative proof-of-concept experiments, helping solve regional and social problems while enabling business growth for participating companies. Platform has achieved 70%+ challenge resolution rate and 40%+ procurement rate.
- Code for Kobe / Code for Hyogo (コード・フォー・神戸 / コード・フォー・兵庫)coreCommunity Link supports and collaborates with Code for Kobe and Code for Hyogo — civic tech communities that use technology to solve local challenges. These communities hold regular monthly meetings, share open data and IT information, and organize study sessions for designers and programmers. Community Link has been instrumental in founding and supporting these communities.
- シンプルアプリ社 (Simple App Co.)minorSimple App Co. co-developed the 'Saponoru' nursing taxi matching app with Kobe Fire Department, with Community Link involved as part of Urban Innovation Kobe's first cohort. The app enables Android-based nursing taxi booking with staircase assistance options and fare estimation.
- co-lab (クリエイター向けコラボレーション誘発型シェアオフィス)minorTokyo-based collaboration-inducing co-working spaces (4 locations) that Community Link partnered with for the Awaji tile online factory tour project, connecting traditional craftsmen with creators for new product development.
- 兵庫県商工会連合会 (Hyogo Prefecture Chamber of Commerce and Industry)coreLong-standing partnership where Community Link serves as IT advisor across 29 chambers of commerce in Hyogo Prefecture, providing IT support to small businesses including website, SNS, e-commerce, and digital marketing consulting — commissioned by the Chamber union.
- 株式会社MIERUNEminorCommunity Link entered a sales agency agreement with MIERUNE Inc. to provide affordable GIS packages for government institutions. Leverages GIS data visualization for evidence-based policy making (EBPM) as promoted by the Cabinet Office.
- 新公益連盟 (Shinkoren / New Public Welfare Federation)minorCommunity Link joined the New Public Welfare Federation in November 2025. The federation creates NPO and social enterprise action teams to address social issues through institutional reform, cross-sector collaboration, and strengthening management capacity of the social sector — aiming to empower people suffering from social exclusion, poverty, and injustice.
- Code for Japan (コード・フォー・ジャパン)coreCode for Japan is a general incorporated association that supports community building for citizens to address regional challenges using technology. Community Link participates in and supports Code for Kobe and Code for Hyogo under the broader Code for Japan network. Additionally, the Regional Field Lab (地域フィールドラボ) system uses Code for Japan to dispatch民间 IT talent to municipalities.
- 公益財団法人こうべ市民福祉振興協会coreCo-developed the 'Daredemo Navi' universal navigation app for Shiawase-no-Mura welfare village, winning the IAUD Award 2017 Gold Prize. The partnership also involved Georepublic and NPO I-Collaboration Kobe.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NPO法人コミュニティリンク competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sun Asterisk: Japanese digital transformation and venture-building firm that works with enterprises and government on DX initiatives. Comparable as a digital services provider operating in the same GovTech/regional revitalization space, though it operates as a commercial entity.
- Lightblue Technology: AI-focused startup with significant work in government and public-sector analytics. Comparable to Community Link as a tech-first company serving Japanese municipal and central-government clients, though focused specifically on AI rather than broader civic tech.
Others
- MIERUNE: GIS mapping and location-data company with which Community Link has a sales agency agreement for affordable municipal GIS packages. Adjacent/partner ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same municipal evidence-based policy-making domain.
- iPresence: Kobe-based tele-robotics startup partnered with Community Link on Awaji tile online factory tours and the tamaki niime 3D Shop & Lab project. Functions as a technology supplier/partner rather than a peer in civic platform services, but shares the Kobe innovation ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Code for Japan: General incorporated association that supports community building of citizens addressing regional challenges through technology. Directly comparable to Community Link as the parent network of Code for Kobe and Code for Hyogo, with the same civic tech mission and volunteer-driven model.
- Creww: Japan-focused startup-corporate open innovation matching platform. Comparable to Urban Innovation Japan in business model — intermediating between large organizations (corporates for Creww, municipalities for Community Link) and startups for co-creation.
- Civic Tech Forum: Japan's principal civic tech community gathering and convening body. Shares Community Link's mission of promoting technology for civic problem-solving and serves a similar volunteer/grassroots civic tech audience.
Broad incumbents
- Accenture Japan: Global consulting firm with a substantial Japan public-sector practice delivering GovTech, DX, and innovation services to national and municipal governments. Comparable as a competitor for the same DX consulting commissions.
- Plug and Play Japan: Global open-innovation platform with a Japan presence connecting corporations and governments with startups. Overlaps with UIJ in matchmaking startups to institutional innovation needs, but operates at much broader scale and across industries.
- Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting: Major Japanese consulting firm with a public-sector practice advising on government DX and regional revitalization. Overlaps with Community Link as a service provider to the same municipalities, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NPO法人コミュニティリンク social profiles
Digital presenceNPO法人コミュニティリンク financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NPO法人コミュニティリンク leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
NPO法人コミュニティリンク funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NPO法人コミュニティリンク M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NPO法人コミュニティリンク
What does NPO法人コミュニティリンク do?
Community Link is a specified nonprofit corporation that delivers civic-tech and GovTech services to Japanese municipalities and small businesses. Its main offerings are the Urban Innovation Japan open-innovation platform matching government challenges with startups, the commissioned Kigyo Plaza Hyogo co-working and incubation facility, IT advisory services for SMEs through the Hyogo Chamber of Commerce, and bespoke civic-tech applications such as Daredemo Navi, 5374 Kobe and Saponoru. The organization also operates drone-based disaster response and digital-twin (Matterport) projects for regional revitalization.
Is NPO法人コミュニティリンク a public or private company?
NPO法人コミュニティリンク is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NPO法人コミュニティリンク founded?
NPO法人コミュニティリンク was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NPO法人コミュニティリンク based?
NPO法人コミュニティリンク is headquartered in Kobe (Hyogo), Japan, in the Asia region.
How does NPO法人コミュニティリンク make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government-Commissioned Projects are the primary driver. The others are IT Advisory Services for SMEs and incubation & Co-working Space Management.
Who are NPO法人コミュニティリンク's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Sun Asterisk and Lightblue Technology. Others are MIERUNE and iPresence. Direct peers are Code for Japan, Creww and Civic Tech Forum. Broad incumbents are Accenture Japan, Plug and Play Japan and Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting.
Does NPO法人コミュニティリンク have an API?
No public API is recorded for NPO法人コミュニティリンク.
What industry is NPO法人コミュニティリンク in?
NPO法人コミュニティリンク's product category is Civic Tech and GovTech Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAL, Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAMABAG, Local & Neighborhood Communities. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.