Minna no Code

What Minna no Code does

Minna no Code (Specific Non-Profit Corporation みんなのコード) is a Yokohama-headquartered Japanese NPO founded in July 2015 that works to make technology education accessible to every child in Japan. It operates through two interlocking business lines: School Education Support (学校教育部), which partners with corporations, boards of education, and MEXT to deliver free curriculum resources, hardware kits, and teacher training to public middle and high schools; and Creative Hubs (クリエイティブハブ事業部), a network of 9 free, publicly accessible digital-fabrication facilities (3 directly operated and 6 partner-supported) located across Japan from Hokkaido to Amami-Oshima where teenagers can independently use 3D printers, laser cutters, PCs, and tablets. Its proprietary content assets include Prokali (プログラミング教育実践事例データベース, a curated database of 1,000+ programming-education practice cases) and the July 2024 Curriculum Model Proposal for systematic information education across elementary, middle, and high school, which targets Japan's next national curriculum guideline revision. Flagship programs include the Aramco STEAM Challenge (free hardware STEAM teaching materials to 40 public schools reaching ~5,000 students, FY2024–2026), generative-AI training for teachers in partnership with Kyndryl Japan and Microsoft Japan, and the Creative Hub network serving teenagers in both large cities and small municipalities.

The organization is funded primarily through corporate partnerships and sponsorships (Aramco Asia Japan, Kyndryl Japan, SMBC Group, Mitani Sangyo), grants from foundations (Mitei Foundation, READYFOR Foundation), and operational contracts from local governments (Kaga City BOE since 2019, Susaki City). All programs and materials are provided free of charge to schools, teachers, and children; there is no direct fee revenue from end users. Its go-to-market combines event-driven outreach (symposia, teacher training workshops, kickoff ceremonies), enterprise-style field sales to boards of education and individual schools, and community-led engagement through the physical Creative Hub facilities. The leadership transitioned in July 2025 from founder Tonegawa Yuta to Sugihara Akiko on the organization's 10th anniversary, preserving operational continuity across a team of 11–50 employees organized into departments including 学校教育部, クリエイティブハブ事業部, パートナー部, 政策提言部, and 未来の学び探究部. As of 2026, the organization reports reaching over 1 million children annually through its combined school and hub programs.

Name

Minna no Code

Legal name

特定非营利活动法人みんなのコード

Website

https://code.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Minna no Code is a Japanese NPO (founded 2015, Yokohama) that delivers free programming, STEAM, and AI-literacy education to public schools and runs 9 nationwide Creative Hub facilities for teenagers, funded by corporate sponsorships and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Technology Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Learning Digital Curriculum & School Readiness Content (EDAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Classroom & Instructional Technology Support (AV, Lecture Capture, Smart Classrooms) (EDALAMAB)

Keywords

• K-12 technology education
• STEAM curriculum development
• Teacher training programs
• Creative learning hubs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Minna no Code generates revenue primarily through partnerships with corporations seeking to support technology education. Companies sponsor programs (e.g., Aramco STEAM Challenge, Kyndryl Japan gender gap curriculum, 三谷産業 creative hub co-operation) in exchange for CSR impact, employee engagement, and association with educational initiatives. This is the dominant revenue stream for the NPO.
2. Grants and Subsidies from Foundations: Minna no Code receives grant funding from organizations such as みてね基金 (which provided multi-year step-up and innovation grants totaling approximately 16 billion yen across ~90 organizations), READYFOR Foundation (selected for legacy donation grant program in 2026), and dormant deposit utilization projects. These grants fund specific programs and operations.
3. Donations: The organization accepts individual donations and corporate donations through its 'donate' and 'supporter' programs. They maintain a supporter membership system.
4. Government Contracts: Minna no Code receives operational委托 contracts from local governments to run creative hub facilities, such as the Computer Clubhouse Kaga (entrusted by Kaga City Board of Education since 2019) and てくテックすさき (supported by Susaki City).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Minna no Code is a Japanese nonprofit that promotes information and technology education for children through two main business lines: (1) School Education Support, providing curriculum materials, teacher training, and ongoing coaching to public schools (notably the Aramco STEAM Challenge reaching 40 schools and 5,000 students), and (2) Creative Hubs, operating free community digital-fabrication spaces for teenagers across 9 locations in Japan. The organization also conducts empirical research, surveys, and policy advocacy, including a 2024 national curriculum model proposal for information education.

Product overview

特定非営利活動法人みんなのコードは、「誰もがテクノロジーを創造的に楽しむ国にする」をビジョンに揭げるNPOで、两大事業（学校教育支援事業とクリエイティブハブ事業）から構成される。学校教育支援では、教材開發・提供（プログリ等）、先生方向けの各種研修（特に生成AI研修）、実証研究・調査・提言活动を企业提供・行政と協力しながら展開。クリエイティブハブ事業では，全国9拠点（直営3拠点：コンピュータクラブハウス加賀・ミミミラボ・てくテックすさき＋運営支援6拠点）で，孩子们がデジタルなものづくりを自由に行える居場所を无偿提供している。主要な教育ツールとしてScratchを活用し、アラムコSTEAMチャレンジではハードウェアSTEAM教材を全40校に提供。政策提言として2024年7月のカリキュラムモデル案发表など、情報教育に関する综合性的な取り組みを推進している。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aramco STEAM Challenge (アラムコSTEAMチャレンジ) A flagship STEAM education program providing free hardware-based teaching materials (sensors, actuators, microcontroller kits) along with teacher training and coaching to public middle and high schools in Japan. Targets 40 schools and approximately 5,000 students nationwide.
• Progr (プログリ) An online practice case study database that aggregates real-world programming education examples from schools across Japan, helping teachers discover and learn from each other's classroom implementations. Contains over 1,000 practice cases.
• Creative Hubs (みんなのクリエイティブハブ) Free community digital-fabrication spaces for teenagers aged approximately 10-19, equipped with PCs, tablets, 3D printers, and laser cutters. Operates at 9 locations across Japan (3 directly operated: Computer Clubhouse Kaga, MIMI MIMI Lab, Teku Teku Susaki; 6 partner-supported).
• School Education Support (学校教育支援) Comprehensive support for school technology and information education, including teacher training, curriculum development, provision of teaching materials, and empirical research and policy advocacy. Provided in partnership with corporations and government agencies.
• Generative AI Training for Teachers (教員向け生成AI研修) Free training program for teachers (primarily high school) on generative AI utilization in education, covering hands-on AI experience, practical classroom applications, and tailored content for individual school needs. Offered both online and in-person.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million children reached annually with technology education opportunities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Microsoft Japan (日本サムスン不代表一切)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Microsoft Japan cooperated with Minna no Code to co-host a symposium on 'Considering Future Learning through the Utilization of Generative AI' on May 16, 2026, in Tokyo, with a capacity of 300 participants (100 in-person, 200 online). The event brings together teachers, educational administrators, ICT support staff, academic experts, and Microsoft Japan representatives to discuss AI utilization in educational settings, address risks, and explore practical applications through workshops and panel discussions.
• Mitani Sangyo (三谷産業)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMitani Sangyo Co., Ltd. jointly operates the MIMI MIMI Lab creative hub in Kanazawa, Ishikawa since July 2021. As a 100-year-old company, Mitani Sangyo takes a long-term, patient investment approach without imposing strict KPIs, supporting the hub as a community contribution initiative. The company also facilitates cross-promotional opportunities (e.g., connecting MIMI MIMI Lab with Kanazawa Port table tennis team events) and allows its AI product development team to use the facility as a testing ground.
• SMBC Group (三井住友フィナンシャルグループ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSMBC Group runs a probono work project where employees volunteer their professional skills to support nonprofit organizations including Minna no Code. SMBC employees assisted with survey analysis for the 'Yuru Computer Science Radio' listener survey, including quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses from 335+ participants. SMBC Group also contributed 300 million yen over 3 years to the Study Coupon program with CFC for economically disadvantaged children.
• Learning for All (李炯植代表)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning for All is a certified NPO focused on child poverty and educational support that partnered with Minna no Code for the 'Corporate-NPO Cross-Sector Social Issue Resolution' event held September 2, 2024. The event, co-hosted at hoops link tokyo with SMBC Group support, brought together corporate and NPO representatives to discuss collaborative approaches to children's experience inequality.
• NSD (日本システム、方法論文)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNSD partnered with Minna no Code to help children transition from being 'technology users' to 'technology creators.' The partnership supports programs that provide children with opportunities to learn programming, digital creation, and computational thinking, aligning with NSD's social contribution objectives.
• NPO ADDS (成都市南区)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPO ADDS (based in Suginami, Tokyo) jointly launched the 'CO-ROUTES' campaign in fiscal year 2026 with Minna no Code, Connecting Point Co., Ltd., and Timee Co., Ltd. The campaign aims to create a continuous support framework connecting developmental support, education, and employment for people with disabilities, with events from April to August 2026.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PCN (Programming Club Network): Japanese NPO promoting programming education through community clubs. Directly comparable as a fellow nonprofit focused on grassroots programming education for children, using volunteer-driven community models to expand reach.
• STEMON: Japanese STEM education provider for elementary-aged children combining programming with hardware and science. Comparable target market (K-12) and product category (STEAM + programming), though operates as a paid after-school business.
• CoderDojo Japan: Japan chapter of the global CoderDojo movement running free coding clubs for youth. Directly comparable as a free, volunteer-driven programming education network targeting the same demographic, with similar community-led hub approach.
• Life is Tech: Japanese EdTech company running programming and technology camps and school programs for middle and high school students. Closely comparable target audience (Japanese teens), product category (programming/STEAM education), and school-based distribution model, though operates on a paid basis.
• CANVAS: Japanese NPO focused on children's digital and creative learning, operating workshops and programs nationwide. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit serving children through creative technology experiences, with similar grant-funded and corporate-sponsored model.

Broad incumbents

• Z-Kai: Established Japanese educational services company providing K-12 correspondence courses, cram schools, and digital learning content. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Japanese K-12 education with school and family distribution channels that overlap with Minna no Code's audience.
• Benesse Corporation: Major Japanese educational services and publishing conglomerate serving K-12 with curriculum, assessments, and digital learning products. Comparable as a large incumbent in Japanese K-12 education with overlapping curriculum development and school distribution capabilities.

Others

• Scratch Foundation: Nonprofit that supports MIT's Scratch visual programming language, which Minna no Code actively uses and recommends across its school programs. Comparable as a programming-education-focused nonprofit in the same content ecosystem and indirect alignment on the same mission.
• Code for Japan: Japanese civic-tech NPO focused on technology for social good. Comparable as a fellow Japanese nonprofit combining technology expertise with social mission and similar grant-funding model, though focused on civic rather than education outcomes.
• Microsoft Japan Education: Education division of Microsoft Japan, a current Minna no Code partner that co-hosted the 2026 AI symposium. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player with overlapping school-facing AI and education programs, and a potential collaborator or competitor for school AI literacy contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/codeforeveryone
• Facebookfacebook.com/codeorjp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/codeorjp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Minna no Code