What 株式会社value does

ソーシャルマッチ株式会社 (Socialmatch) is a Tokyo-headquartered education and cross-border services company founded in December 2019 by CEO Mio Harahata and COO Asami Higuchi. It designs and operates a 7-night, 9-day overseas Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) training program in Cambodia for Japanese university students, combining in-country practical experience with mentorship, English interpretation, and on-the-ground logistics. As of February 2026, the company states it has trained 1,290+ "Change Makers," created an estimated 111 jobs in Cambodia through tourism-related spending multipliers, and allocated ¥13.2 million to a Rights Protected Fund for human-rights reinvestment.

The company monetizes through per-participant program fees from students and institutional partnerships with Japanese universities, which provide subsidies, credit recognition, and endorsements — with a deliberate focus on regional universities whose students have limited overseas-experience access. Distribution combines a university partnership sales motion (enterprise field sales) with direct-to-consumer online applications, supported by online and in-person company events, social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LINE, X), and partnerships with JICA and the UN newsletter.

Socialmatch is not a technology company; its core technology stack is standard productivity tooling (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, Zoom, Salesforce, Canva) plus consumer AI tools (Gemini, ChatGPT). The defensible asset is a proprietary "ecosystem" loop linking Japanese student participation to Cambodian job creation and social reinvestment, plus government-validated credibility (Cabinet Office Cool Japan Matching Award 2021 Encouragement Award, NHK WORLD, METI Journal). The company has signaled Southeast Asia expansion, with Malaysia targeted for August 2026 and Indonesia for 2027, and reports four consecutive periods of profitability.

Name

株式会社value

Legal name

ソーシャルマッチ株式会社

Website

https://socialmatch.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ソーシャルマッチ株式会社 (Socialmatch) is a Tokyo-based education company operating 7-night/9-day overseas SDG training programs in Southeast Asia for Japanese university students, monetizing through per-participant fees and Japanese university partnerships, with planned expansion from Cambodia to Malaysia (2026) and Indonesia (2027).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Country Placement, Homestay & On-Ground Coordination Services (EDAIAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA), Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs (EDAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• Sustainability training
• Social impact education
• University partnership services
• Cross-border education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Nihonbashi)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Overseas SDGs Training Programs for University Students: University students pay to participate in 7-night/9-day practical SDG training programs in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Programs include accommodation, local transportation, meals, insurance, and mentorship. Revenue is generated per participant with pricing not publicly disclosed.
2. University Partnership Programs: Revenue through partnerships with universities that provide subsidies, credit recognition, and institutional endorsement to enable student participation. Universities cover partial costs or facilitate student enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Socialmatch, Inc. (ソーシャルマッチ株式会社) operates immersive 7-night/9-day overseas SDG training programs in Southeast Asia (anchored in Phnom Penh, Cambodia) for Japanese university students, combining practical sustainability fieldwork, cross-cultural experience, leadership development, and human rights protection work. The programs feed a proprietary closed-loop ecosystem in which participating students gain hands-on experience, the company partners with local NGOs, NPOs, and social-purpose organizations, and proceeds support local job creation, training, and social reinvestment.

Product overview

Socialmatch operates a unified overseas SDG training program ecosystem for university students. The core offering is the 7-night, 9-day Southeast Asia (Cambodia) SDG training program, which serves as the foundation for a circular social impact model. This program transforms students into social innovation leaders (Human Capital), creates local jobs in the host country (Jobs Creation), and generates social reinvestment for vulnerable populations (Social Reinvestment). The company is expanding geographically—launching Malaysia operations in August 2026 and Indonesia in 2027—while offering related services including university partnership sales, short-term program operations leadership, training development management, and internship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southeast Asia SDG Overseas Training Program (Cambodia) A 7-night/9-day immersive overseas training program in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for Japanese university students, combining practical sustainability (SDGs) fieldwork, cross-cultural experience, leadership development, and human-rights protection work, with feed-in into the company's closed-loop local employment and social reinvestment ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,290 Change Makers trained as next-generation leaders
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Cambodian Companies and NGOscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Socialmatch partners with Cambodian local companies, NGOs, and educational institutions to host the overseas SDGs training programs. These partners provide program venues, mentorship, local guidance, and employment opportunities for program participants. The partnerships are essential for creating the 111 jobs and implementing the 13.2 million yen social reinvestment fund for rights protection.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Projects Abroad: Global volunteer and internship placement organization operating in 30+ developing countries including Cambodia. Comparable in combining paid participant fees, local NGO partnerships, and measurable community outcomes.
• Rustic Pathways: US-based provider of short-term service-learning and immersion programs for high school and university students in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Closely comparable in program format (7-14 day intensives), community-development focus, and impact storytelling.
• Where There Be Dragons: Experiential education company running multi-country immersive study abroad programs across Asia, Africa, and Latin America with a focus on community engagement and social impact. Comparable in program design philosophy and university-age student base.
• AIESEC: Global youth-run network offering international internships, volunteer projects, and cross-cultural leadership experiences across 100+ countries. Highly comparable to Socialmatch's university-student volunteer/leadership model, though AIESEC is volunteer-driven rather than paid program-based.
• IVHQ (International Volunteer HQ): Affordable international volunteer placement provider active in Cambodia and across Southeast Asia. Comparable in target demographic (university-age), destination mix, and one-to-two-week program formats, though typically volunteer-only without the social-investment loop.

Broad incumbents

• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency): Japanese governmental agency running subsidized overseas volunteer, internship, and SDGs programs for Japanese students and citizens. Overlaps directly with Socialmatch's target audience and Cambodia/SE Asia footprint, but operates as a state-funded platform rather than a paid experiential education provider.
• EF Education First: Global education company offering study abroad, language travel, and cultural exchange programs for students worldwide. Comparable in customer base (university-age students) and Southeast Asia destinations, though far broader in scale and scope.

Emerging players

• CAPA The Global Education Network: Provider of study abroad and global internships partnering with universities to deliver credit-bearing overseas programs. Comparable in the university-channel GTM and credit-recognition strategy Socialmatch is building toward.
• Global Citizen Year: US-based gap-year fellowship placing cohorts in developing countries with host families and local social-impact projects. Comparable in immersive SE Asia/Africa destinations and SDG-aligned curriculum for university-age participants.

Others

• Cool Japan Fund / Cabinet Office SDGs Initiatives: Government-affiliated funding and recognition bodies promoting Japanese outbound and inbound SDGs-related ventures. Comparable as an ecosystem participant, having awarded Socialmatch the Cool Japan Matching Award 2021, rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BEvalue

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 株式会社value