What SHO-SAN does

SHO-SAN (株式会社SHO-SAN) is a Tokyo-based, privately held marketing and AI enablement consultancy founded in December 2019 by former Recruit (SUUMO) sales executive and Ligard marketing manager Kazuki Takaya (高谷 一起), exclusively serving small-to-mid-sized Japanese general contractors (工務店). The firm sells annual-contract consulting engagements spanning marketing strategy and lead generation, AI utilization support, branding (homepage, logo, copywriting), Instagram/social media operations, marketing-automation implementation, and M&A/business succession advisory; it also operates two franchise programs — OM-S (online seminar customer-acquisition franchise) and YUTORI (storage-focused housing franchise co-developed with storage specialist Coji Magic) — plus the HIKARI online-meeting package and the Build AI Academy training program. Its revenue model is a mix of professional-services fees (custom-priced annual contracts), franchise licensing/royalties, and productized package sales, distributed through direct B2B field sales plus franchise partners; the website displays logos for 200+ contractor clients and the firm received three 2025 SMB/construction industry rankings plus Asahi Shimbun national-edition coverage in 2026. Technology stack combines AI-driven Instagram optimization (text and image modalities, recommendation engine for hashtag/posting strategy) with predictive marketing analytics, marketed under the company's housing-industry-specialized AI positioning rather than as proprietary foundational models.

Name

SHO-SAN

Legal name

株式会社SHO-SAN

Website

https://www.sho-san.co.jp/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SHO-SAN is a Tokyo-based consultancy providing marketing, AI utilization, branding, SNS management, and M&A/business succession support exclusively to small and mid-sized Japanese general contractors (工務店), operating since its 2019 founding with 200+ contractor clients and franchise programs OM-S and YUTORI.

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

Revenue model

1. Marketing Consulting Services: Provides end-to-end marketing support for general contractors, including lead generation, sales improvement, and marketing strategy execution. Revenue derived from ongoing consulting engagements with annual contract basis.
2. AI Utilization Support: AI implementation and support services specialized for the housing industry, including training programs such as Build AI Academy.
3. SNS Management Services: Instagram and social media account management and content creation for client companies.
4. OM-S Franchise: Online seminar-based customer acquisition franchise package sold to general contractors nationwide, providing methodology, tools, and brand licensing.
5. M&A / Business Succession Advisory: Supports mergers, acquisitions, and business succession transactions for general contractors.
6. Branding Services: Homepage creation, logo redesign, copywriting, and branding strategy services for construction companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SHO-SAN provides marketing, advertising, AI utilization, branding, SNS management, and M&A/business succession advisory services specialized exclusively for general contractors (工務店) in Japan's housing industry. The company also operates franchise programs including OM-S (online seminar-based customer acquisition) and YUTORI (storage-focused housing brand). Services are delivered through annual B2B consulting engagements.

Product overview

SHO-SAN is a marketing and AI support company specializing in the housing/construction industry, offering a portfolio of services including marketing support, AI utilization support, branding, M&A support, and SNS management for general contractors (ko-muten). The company operates two franchise businesses: OM-S (online seminar-based customer acquisition franchise) and YUTORI (storage-focused housing franchise). Additional services include the HIKARI online meeting package and various marketing consulting services tailored to the Japanese housing industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Support Comprehensive marketing support covering customer acquisition through to sales improvement, including online and offline marketing strategy, lead generation, and sales process optimization for general contractors.
• AI Utilization Support AI-powered business support tailored to general contractors at various maturity levels, utilizing artificial intelligence for marketing and operational efficiency, including structured training via Build AI Academy.
• Branding Support Comprehensive branding services including homepage creation, logo redesign, and copywriting to strengthen brand identity for general contractors.
• M&A / Business Succession Support services for mergers, acquisitions, and business succession transactions in the general contractor industry.
• SNS Management Social media account management services including content creation, posting, and AI-driven optimization for corporate Instagram and other social platforms for general contractors.
• OM-S (Online Seminar Franchise) Online seminar-based customer acquisition franchise for general contractors, providing packaged tools, templates, and know-how for implementing successful online seminar marketing nationwide.
• YUTORI Storage-focused custom housing franchise emphasizing lifestyle-oriented living rather than possessions, developed with storage expert Cojimagic as consultant.
• HIKARI Online business meeting package enabling general contractors to start online consultations immediately, including reservation landing pages, presentation templates, and system manuals.

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered key co-development, core and minor.

• 収納王子コジMagic (Storage Prince Coji Magic)key co-developmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoji Magic (storage organization specialist) serves as the official consultant/revisor for SHO-SAN's YUTORI storage-focused housing franchise brand. The partnership combines Coji Magic's storage expertise with SHO-SAN's housing industry marketing capabilities to create a differentiated franchise offering.
• FC Partner Companies (フランチャイズパートナー企業)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSHO-SAN operates a franchise group (FC) with partner companies that adopt its OM-S online seminar methodology and brand. FC partners distribute SHO-SAN's proven customer acquisition system to general contractors in their respective regions. Partner overview published at https://sho-san-mk.com/aboutpartner/
• Seminar Partner Companies (セミナーパートナー企業)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanies that co-host or sponsor SHO-SAN seminars and events. Personal data is shared between SHO-SAN and seminar partners for event-related purposes within defined scope.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LIFULL: Operates LIFULL HOME'S, one of Japan's largest housing/real estate portals, and sells marketing/leads services to housing companies. Comparable as a broad incumbent in housing-industry marketing with deeper distribution than SHO-SAN.
• Recruit Holdings (SUUMO): Parent of SUUMO, Japan's largest housing portal, and a prior employer of SHO-SAN's CEO. Provides advertising and lead-generation services to construction companies at massive scale — a direct competitive threat on the marketing-services axis.
• Septeni Holdings: Established Japanese digital-advertising agency with full-service capabilities for SMBs across verticals. Comparable as a larger, broader marketing services competitor that could expand into housing-industry vertical work.

Direct peers

• Speee: Japanese digital-marketing and data-tech company that operates vertical marketing businesses including real estate lead generation. Comparable as a tech-enabled, vertical-focused marketing services firm serving SMB customers in Japan.
• Allied Architects: Digital marketing agency group in Japan providing SEO, advertising, and content services to SMBs. Comparable as a similarly sized marketing-services peer serving Japanese small-to-mid businesses.
• Nyle: Japanese marketing consultancy serving construction and real-estate industry clients. Comparable as a vertical-specialized peer competing for the same general contractor marketing budgets.

Emerging players

• Ferrient: Japanese marketing/lead-generation firm focused on inbound and content marketing for SMBs. Comparable as a peer in the Japanese B2B marketing services landscape targeting small-to-mid customers.
• M&A Capital Partners: Specialized Japanese M&A intermediary focused on SMB succession transactions, including construction companies. Comparable as a partial peer on the M&A/business succession advisory service line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shosan_mkai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sho-san
• Instagraminstagram.com/shosan.mk.ai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SHO-SAN