People Trees Ltd.

What People Trees Ltd. does

People Trees Ltd. (ピープルツリーズ合同会社, People Trees Godo Gaisha) is a privately held Japanese HR consulting firm founded on June 10, 2019 by co-founders Atsushi Higashino and Makiko Nakatani, who serve as Co-CEO. Headquartered in Osaka (Hilton Plaza West, Umeda), the firm operates across four Japanese cities — Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka — and extends delivery into the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore through partner organizations. The company has grown from 2 founders to a 23+ member team (as of January 2022, with continued expansion through 2026), comprised largely of part-time/side-job senior HR practitioners drawn from major Japanese manufacturers and consumer companies (SUBARU, Honda, Ezaki Glico, Ajinomoto, Pfizer, Novartis, Rohto).

The firm delivers three integrated service lines: (1) Partnering Services — HR system design, talent management system (TMS) implementation including SAP SuccessFactors, human capital disclosure support, and competency modeling; (2) People & Organizational Development — HR strategy, leadership development, training system redesign, engagement improvement, and DE&I advisory; and (3) Global Expansion Support — overseas subsidiary HR setup, expatriate policy, M&A HR due diligence, and global talent acquisition across Asia, the US, and Europe. The technology footprint is not proprietary; AI and assessment tools are used selectively in global recruitment and in data-driven talent portfolio formulation, while the primary platform dependency is on third-party HR-tech systems (SAP SuccessFactors, SmartHR). A flagship community offering, the HR for HR Program (launched with Benesse/Udemy Japan in October 2024), provides peer learning and overseas study trips for senior HR leaders.

Revenue mechanics are project-based, multi-year consulting engagements scoped individually; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The GTM motion blends sales-led direct enterprise engagement, event-driven demand generation (BizReach Conference, kaonavi FACE to FES, the co-hosted "Kansai no Jinji" series with SmartHR since 2021), and community-led programs (HR for HR, People Trees Meetup). Customers span large enterprises (manufacturing, IT, retail), SMEs, public sector (Kyotango City Hall), and cooperatives across Japan plus select overseas clients (YOYO Holdings Pte. Ltd., Singapore), with 200+ organizations served cumulatively since founding.

Name

People Trees Ltd.

Legal name

People Trees合同会社（People Trees Ltd.）ピープルツリーズ

Website

https://peopletrees.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

People Trees is a Japanese HR consulting firm founded in 2019, headquartered in Osaka, that delivers bespoke HR system design, talent management, organizational development, and global expansion support to Japanese enterprises, SMEs, and public-sector clients through a senior practitioner partner model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Service Delivery, Shared Services & HR Operating Model Advisory (BPACAJAE)

Keywords

• HR consulting services
• Talent management consulting
• Organizational development services
• Global HR expansion
• Human capital consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka (Osaka-ku, Kita-ku)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. HR Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements covering HR system design, talent management, organizational development, global expansion support, and human capital disclosure. Billed on a project basis, likely with monthly/biweekly fee structures based on engagement scope and team involvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

People Trees delivers project-based HR consulting engagements across three service lines: HR system design and talent management implementation (Partnering Services), talent development and organizational development (People & Organizational Development), and overseas HR support and global expansion consulting (Global Expansion Support). Engagements are scoped individually with hands-on execution and adoption support by senior HR professionals with prior corporate experience.

Product overview

People Trees Ltd. is an HR consulting firm offering three integrated service lines: Partnering Services (HR system design and talent management system implementation), People & Organizational Development (talent development, leadership training, and engagement improvement), and Global Expansion Support (overseas expansion and expatriate support). The company leverages data-driven approaches including AI and assessments for talent portfolio formulation and strategic hiring, while maintaining partnerships across Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore) to deliver locally-appropriate HR solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Partnering Services (パートナー事業) HR consulting service covering HR system design and implementation, including human capital disclosure support, talent management system implementation (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors), competency modeling, and philosophy/culture integration (理念浸透). Provides support from design through execution and organizational adoption, with hands-on guidance from senior HR professionals with prior corporate experience.
• People & Organizational Development (人・組織活性事業) Talent development and organizational development consulting, including HR strategy formulation, training system redesign, next-generation leader development, competency design, philosophy permeation, and engagement improvement initiatives. Goes beyond traditional training frameworks, leveraging broad networks across business, academia, and communities.
• Global Expansion Support (グローバル推進事業) Global expansion support services for Japanese companies, including overseas subsidiary HR system design, expatriate policy review, global talent acquisition and retention using AI and assessment tools, M&A HR due diligence, local entity setup, and international training programs. Delivered through People Trees' own team plus in-country partners in the Philippines (ABYAN, Formidea) and Vietnam (Seiko Ideas, Workstation), with multilingual support (English, Vietnamese, Tagalog). Also includes the HR for HR Program peer learning initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 companies supported since founding in June 2019
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VETTER (Vietnam Business Media)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 May 2026Vietnam-based Japanese-language media platform for Japanese residents in Vietnam. People Trees Co-CEO Higashino participated as a speaker in VETTER's online seminar on organizational design for Japanese companies in Vietnam, May 2026.
• 株式会社ベネッセコーポレーション (Benesse Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024Co-sponsor (共催) of the HR for HR Program, a peer learning initiative for senior HR leaders. Benesse's Udemy Japan business executive (Iida) co-developed the program concept with People Trees Co-CEO Nakatani. First program was a 3-day San Francisco study trip in October 2024 visiting Udemy, Salesforce, Google, and Workday.
• 株式会社SmartHRcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 September 2021Co-host (共催) of the '関西の人事' seminar series, a recurring online seminar program for HR professionals in the Kansai region. SmartHR provides the platform and promotional reach while People Trees provides content and speakers. Series topics include Well-being, job-based employment, unconscious bias, and organizational culture. Ongoing since 2021 with 12+ editions.
• Formidea Business Consultancy and Learning Services Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilippines-based HR consulting organization offering leadership development and executive coaching across Asia. People Trees partners with Formidea for cross-cultural leadership development and team building programs delivered in English. The partnership enables People Trees to serve Japanese companies operating in the Philippines with culturally grounded support.
• ABYAN MGT SERVICES CORPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilippines-based HR services company providing talent acquisition, training, and organizational development. Located in Manila. ABYAN contributes local market expertise and network for HR and organizational development projects in the Philippines, complementing People Trees' Japanese HR methodologies.
• Seiko Ideas Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVietnam-based HR consulting firm established in 2006, providing language and business skills training, market research, interpretation/translation, and consulting services primarily for Japanese companies. Co-develops leadership training and organizational development programs with People Trees for Japanese subsidiaries in Vietnam.
• 株式会社ワークステーション (Workstation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVietnam-based company specializing in Vietnamese engineer recruitment and development for Japanese companies. Provides foreign engineer placement, temp staffing, Japanese language education, and business manners training. Acts as a talent pipeline connecting Japanese companies with Vietnamese technical talent, supporting People Trees' global talent solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• HRBrain: Japanese HR tech company offering SaaS platforms for talent management, evaluation, and HR analytics. Adjacent competitor that bundles technology-enabled HR capabilities — a model that contrasts with People Trees' pure-services approach but increasingly competes for the same enterprise HR transformation budget.

Broad incumbents

• en Japan: Major Japanese HR services company offering recruitment, staffing, and HR consulting. Overlaps with People Trees on mid-market HR advisory and global expansion HR support, but operates as a scaled platform with proprietary job board and recruitment technology.
• ABeam Consulting: Major Japanese-origin management consulting firm with a sizable People & Organization practice covering HR strategy, talent management, and global HR transformation. Overlaps with People Trees' enterprise HR consulting, but operates as a broad strategy/operations consultancy rather than HR specialist.
• Nomura Research Institute (NRI): Large Japanese consulting and IT services firm with established HR transformation practice covering HR system design, talent management implementation, and HR shared services. Competes with People Trees on enterprise HR system and talent management engagements, but with much broader technology and consulting portfolio.
• Recruit Holdings: Global HR services and technology group (Indeed, Glassdoor) with significant Japanese HR consulting and HR technology operations. Competes indirectly through HR tech platform offerings and broad talent solutions, though not a boutique specialist like People Trees.

Direct peers

• Plover (プローバー): Boutique Japanese HR consulting firm offering HR system design, organizational development, and talent management services to mid-market and enterprise clients. Closely comparable to People Trees in scale, boutique positioning, and bespoke service model.
• LINK & MOTIVATION: Japan's leading publicly listed organizational consulting and HR services firm, offering motivation engineering, organizational development, and HR consulting. Direct competitor to People Trees in the Japanese enterprise HR advisory space, though at significantly larger scale.
• Mynd (マインド): Mid-sized Japanese HR consulting and outsourcing firm offering HR system design, payroll/benefits administration, and organizational consulting. Comparable in HR advisory scope though with broader operational outsourcing capability.
• BECA: Japanese HR consulting firm specializing in HR system design, evaluation/compensation frameworks, and organizational development for mid-market companies. Comparable mid-sized boutique competitor with similar bespoke delivery approach.
• Woomax (ウーマックス): Japanese HR consulting firm focused on women-focused HR strategy, DE&I, and organizational development. Comparable in mid-market boutique positioning with overlapping service lines around HR strategy and culture transformation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/0610peopletrees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/people-trees-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 People Trees Ltd.