mintarc

What mintarc does

mintarc合同会社 (mintarc) is a Tokyo-based Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) consulting firm founded in July 2024 by Mine McGee (マギー美峰) that helps Japanese small and medium enterprises migrate from proprietary software to open-source alternatives. The company delivers three core service lines: FOSS consulting and strategy development (IT infrastructure assessment and FOSS integration roadmaps), cloud and on-premise deployment (including on mintarc Cloud or hybrid configurations via partners such as Akamai), and ongoing training and support. Mintarc itself operates entirely on FOSS principles, with its public-facing site built on MediaWiki and supported by self-hosted Matomo (analytics) and Mautic (marketing automation) instances, and it contributes to upstream open-source projects including MintHCM (a Human Capital Management platform) and PeppermintOS (a lightweight Linux distribution).

The firm monetizes through professional services and managed deployment engagements, with flexible, project-based pricing emphasizing elimination of licensing fees, reduced total cost of ownership, and avoidance of vendor lock-in. Mintarc's primary go-to-market motion is direct, consultative selling to Japanese SMEs through website contact forms, supported by a content marketing program in English and Japanese that covers FOSS benefits, subscription-trap awareness, and digital transformation guidance; LinkedIn and a weekly email newsletter supplement top-of-funnel demand generation. Strategic partnerships with Collabora Online (LibreOffice-based online office productivity) and Cybers2 (cybersecurity consulting) extend the firm's delivery capability beyond its internal headcount, while relationships with GMO Aozora Net Bank and SBI Sumishin Net Bank support operational financial infrastructure.

Mintarc is a privately held, founder-led godo kaisha (Japanese LLC equivalent) registered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, with registered capital of approximately 3.15 million yen and no disclosed external funding. The company has 6-7 employees and targets Japanese SMEs as its primary customer segment, with secondary coverage of large Japanese enterprises and startups. No acquisitions, IPO signals, or institutional investment activity have been disclosed, and revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

mintarc

Legal name

mintarc合同会社

Website

https://mintarc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tokyo-based FOSS consulting firm founded in 2024 that helps Japanese SMEs migrate from proprietary software to open-source alternatives through consulting, deployment, and training services. Operates on FOSS principles and contributes to MintHCM and PeppermintOS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. FOSS Consulting Services: Strategy development, IT infrastructure assessment, and FOSS integration roadmaps for businesses transitioning to open-source solutions. The core revenue stream involves professional consulting engagements tailored to each client's needs.
2. Cloud and On-Premise Deployment: Implementation of open-source solutions on mintarc Cloud or other cloud providers, including hybrid and fully on-premise system designs for maximum control.
3. Training and Support Services: Equipping client teams with skills to use and manage FOSS effectively, with ongoing maintenance and update support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

mintarc is a FOSS consulting firm that helps Japanese businesses adopt Free and Open Source Software. Its core services include FOSS consulting and strategy development (IT infrastructure assessment, FOSS integration roadmaps), cloud and on-premise deployment of open-source solutions on mintarc Cloud or other providers, and training and ongoing support. The company contributes to open-source projects MintHCM and PeppermintOS and partners with Collabora Online and Cybers2 to deliver complete FOSS solutions.

Product overview

mintarc is a Tokyo-based Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) consulting company established in July 2024. It does not offer a proprietary software product; rather, it provides professional services including FOSS consulting and strategy development, cloud and on-premise deployment, training and support, and migration guidance to help Japanese SMEs adopt open-source solutions. The company contributes to the open-source ecosystem through MintHCM (a free and open-source Human Capital Management platform) and PeppermintOS (a lightweight Linux distribution), and it curates a FOSS Tools wiki that documents various open-source alternatives across categories including office suites, cloud tools, secure file sharing, and virtualization platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOSS Consulting & Strategy Development A professional consulting service that assesses a client's current IT infrastructure, identifies opportunities to incorporate FOSS tools, and develops a roadmap for open-source software integration. Targeted at Japanese SMEs and enterprises seeking to modernize IT and reduce costs.
• Cloud & On-Premise Deployment Services Implementation service that deploys open-source solutions on mintarc Cloud or other cloud providers like Akamai, and designs hybrid or fully on-premise systems for maximum control. Targeted at Japanese businesses seeking to operationalize FOSS deployments.
• Training & Support Services A service that equips client teams with the skills to use and manage FOSS effectively, and provides ongoing support for maintenance and updates. Targeted at Japanese SMEs and enterprises post-deployment to ensure long-term FOSS success.
• Collabora Online Office Solutions (LibreOffice-based) An open-source office productivity solution delivered through mintarc's partnership with Collabora Online, providing web-based real-time document editing, spreadsheets, and presentations for Japanese businesses seeking flexible alternatives to Microsoft 365.
• Cybersecurity Consulting Services (via CS2 partnership) A cybersecurity consulting service delivered through mintarc's partnership with Cybers2 (CS2), providing trusted, transparent, and future-ready IT security solutions for Japanese SMEs adopting FOSS.

Quantifiable outcome

• FOSS can eliminate licensing fees for office suites, potentially saving 75,000-100,000 yen annually per 5 users compared to Microsoft 365
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Collabora OnlinecoreTechnology or Integrationmintarc's partnership with Collabora Online enables delivery of LibreOffice-based online office solutions for clients. Collabora Online provides the technical foundation for web-based real-time document editing, spreadsheets, and presentations, supporting seamless teamwork and productivity. mintarc positions this as a key offering for clients seeking flexible open-source office alternatives.
• Cybers2 (CS2)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cybers2 addresses cybersecurity needs for Japanese SMEs adopting FOSS. CS2 provides trusted, transparent, and future-ready IT security solutions that complement mintarc's FOSS consulting services. The partnership helps clients address evolving security challenges and business demands with professional care.
• GMO Aozora Net BankminorOthersOne of mintarc's banking partners providing secure financial transaction processing, aligned with their commitment to transparency and trust.
• SBI Sumishin Net BankminorOthersOne of mintarc's banking partners providing secure financial transaction processing and innovative financial solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture: Global consulting leader with a sizable Japan practice covering cloud, infrastructure, and digital transformation. Represents the broad-incumbent alternative for Japanese enterprises weighing FOSS migrations vs full-scale consulting engagements.
• Red Hat: IBM-owned global leader in enterprise open-source solutions (RHEL, OpenShift, Ansible). Competes broadly in the same FOSS consulting/deployment space mintarc addresses, but at vastly larger scale and enterprise focus.
• SUSE: Enterprise Linux and open-source infrastructure vendor with global services arm. Addresses the same FOSS consulting and managed-deployment buyer need as mintarc, particularly for organizations replacing proprietary stacks.
• NTT Data: Japan's largest IT services and consulting provider. While not FOSS-specialized, it competes for the same Japanese enterprise digital transformation budget mintarc targets and could expand into open-source advisory offerings.
• Canonical: Commercial sponsor of Ubuntu and provider of enterprise open-source infrastructure services. Comparable to mintarc in offering FOSS deployment and support, but serving global enterprise customers rather than Japan SMEs.

Direct peers

• Collabora Online: Provides LibreOffice-based online office solutions and open-source productivity consulting globally. Direct overlap with mintarc on FOSS office tooling, integration services, and collaborative editing deployments for enterprise clients.
• Cybertrust Japan: Japan-focused provider of Linux-based OS solutions (Cybertrust Linux), open-source support, and security services. Closest direct Japan-based peer given overlapping FOSS consulting, deployment, and SME-targeting motions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mintarc

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 mintarc