HiPro Direct
HiPro Direct is a Japan-based self-serve matching platform, operated by PERSOL CAREER (PERSOL GROUP), that connects companies with freelance and side-job professionals for spot consulting and project-based engagements, with over 92% of jobs offered remotely.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What HiPro Direct does
HiPro Direct is a Japan-based self-serve matching platform that connects companies with side-job and freelance professionals for both spot consulting engagements and longer-term projects. Operated by PERSOL CAREER CO., LTD. (\u30d1\u30fc\u30bd\u30eb\u30ad\u30e3\u30ea\u30a2\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e), a subsidiary of publicly-listed PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD. (TYO: 2181), the service launched in 2022 and targets two primary segments: working professionals (over 70% of registered users are current employees) seeking flexible side income, and companies — ranging from large enterprises (e.g., Bridgestone, Mori Building, TIS) to startups — seeking professional talent for project-based work in marketing, HR, new business development, IT/DX, and finance.
The platform's product surface comprises web-based job posting, talent search, direct messaging/chat, and a payment-intermediation flow; engagement formats include spot consultations (starting at ¥10,000/hour, typically 90 minutes) and project engagements (¥100,000–¥500,000/month at ~20 hours/month). The underlying technology is a marketplace with self-serve onboarding, dynamic listings, and remote-first delivery — over 92% of postings are remote. Companion offerings under the HiPro brand — HiPro Biz (advisory outsourcing) and HiPro Tech (freelance IT engineer agency) — plus community initiatives (Mutual Side-Job Project, Skill Return Project for regional revitalization) and the "and HiPro" media platform extend the platform beyond point-to-point matching.
The revenue model combines (a) corporate membership/subscription fees on the buyer side, with individual professional registration and matching offered free of charge, and (b) transaction-fee economics on spot consultations, where HiPro Direct acts as payment intermediary and remits funds to professionals in the following month. Pricing for corporate tiers is not publicly disclosed. Marketing and distribution are multi-channel — TV CM, Facebook/YouTube, email newsletters, corporate seminars — and benefit materially from cross-promotion across the wider PERSOL GROUP ecosystem (Tempstaff, doda, and ~130 group companies).
HiPro Direct firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HiPro Direct
- Legal name
- パーソルキャリア株式会社 (PERSOL CAREER CO., LTD.)
- Website
- https://hipro-job.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- HiPro Direct is a Japan-based self-serve matching platform, operated by PERSOL CAREER (PERSOL GROUP), that connects companies with freelance and side-job professionals for spot consulting and project-based engagements, with over 92% of jobs offered remotely.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HiPro Direct industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freelance Talent Marketplace
- NAICS
- Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)
Keywords
Where HiPro Direct is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
HiPro Direct business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Corporate membership fees: Free for individual members. Corporate members (both free and paid tiers) access the platform to search for and connect with talent. The revenue model is driven by corporate subscription/membership fees and transaction facilitation.
- Spot consultation payment processing: For spot consultation projects, HiPro acts as an intermediary for payment collection. Users grant HiPro the right to receive payments on their behalf and HiPro transfers the amount to the user's designated account by the end of the month following the consultation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free for individual members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
HiPro Direct product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HiPro Direct is a self-serve web-based matching platform that connects Japanese companies seeking professional talent with individuals pursuing side-jobs (副業) or freelance work. Companies post spot-consulting engagements (starting at 10,000 yen/hour, typically 90 minutes) and longer-term project-based engagements (e.g., 30–50万円/month for ~20 hours), while professionals register free and apply directly. Over 92% of listed projects are remote, and over 70% of users are current employees seeking to monetize skills flexibly.
Product overview
HiPro (ハイプロ) is a comprehensive professional talent platform operated by Persol Career Co., Ltd. (パーソルキャリア), a subsidiary of the Persol Group. The platform consists of three main services: HiPro Direct (ハイプロダイレクト) — a direct-matching platform for companies and side-job/freelance professionals offering spot consulting and project-based engagements; HiPro Biz (ハイプロビズ) — an outsourcing and advisory matching service connecting experienced professionals with enterprise clients for consulting engagements across new business, HR, IT, analytics, and other domains; and HiPro Tech (ハイプロテック) — an IT/technology specialist recruiting agent for freelance engineers. Supporting these core services are community initiatives including the Mutual Side-Job Project (相互副業プロジェクト) for inter-company talent exchange and the Skill Return Project (スキルリターンプロジェクト) connecting urban professionals with regional employers. The and HiPro (アンド ハイプロ) media platform provides editorial content supporting side-job and freelance careers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HiPro Direct: Direct matching platform connecting companies with side-job and freelance professionals for spot consulting and project-based work.
- HiPro Biz
- HiPro Tech
Products and services
- HiPro Direct (ハイプロダイレクト) A self-serve matching platform connecting Japanese companies with side-job and freelance professionals. Companies post spot consultations (starting at 10,000 yen/hour, typically 90 minutes) or project-based engagements (e.g., 30–50万円/month for ~20 hours); individuals register free and apply directly. Over 92% of listed projects are remote.
- HiPro Biz (ハイプロビズ) Professional talent outsourcing support service connecting experienced advisors with enterprise clients for consulting engagements across new business development, HR, systems, analytics, marketing, overseas business, R&D, and production/quality. Supported by HiPro Biz agents/consultants.
- HiPro Tech (ハイプロテック) IT and technology specialist agent service for freelance IT engineers, providing domain-specialized matching in technology fields.
Quantifiable outcome
- No.1 in market share (導入企業数) within 3 years of service launch
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HiPro Direct
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HiPro Direct technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HiPro Direct partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HiPro Direct competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CrowdWorks: Major Japanese crowdsourcing and freelance matching platform serving both enterprise clients and individual professionals. Competes head-to-head with HiPro Direct in project-based freelance work across business categories.
- Lancers: Japan's largest freelance matching platform covering consulting, IT, marketing, and creative categories. Directly competes with HiPro Direct for the same professional talent pool and corporate clients in Japan's freelance economy.
- lotsful: PERSOL GROUP's sibling side-job matching service. Operates in the same side-hustle/副業 category as HiPro Direct, sharing parent-company distribution and creating direct internal competition for the same Japanese professional talent.
- Sharefull: PERSOL-owned side-job service targeting employed professionals seeking flexible income opportunities. Directly overlaps with HiPro Direct's 70%+ employed-user base and side-hustle positioning within the same parent group.
Emerging players
- Midworks: Japanese freelance platform specializing in IT engineers and digital talent. Competes with HiPro Tech (sibling) and provides partial overlap with HiPro Direct's IT/DX consulting projects for tech-domain talent.
Broad incumbents
- BizReach: Major Japanese career-change and professional recruiting platform. Operates in adjacent talent-marketplace space with broader incumbent scale; competes with HiPro Direct for enterprise attention on professional talent acquisition strategies.
Others
- doda: PERSOL GROUP's flagship career-change service with ~7.74M registered members. Not a direct competitor but functions as HiPro Direct's primary internal distribution channel and benchmark for group-wide professional talent strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HiPro Direct social profiles
Digital presenceHiPro Direct compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
HiPro Direct financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HiPro Direct leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HiPro Direct funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HiPro Direct M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HiPro Direct
What does HiPro Direct do?
HiPro Direct is a self-serve web-based matching platform that connects Japanese companies seeking professional talent with individuals pursuing side-jobs (副業) or freelance work. Companies post spot-consulting engagements (starting at 10,000 yen/hour, typically 90 minutes) and longer-term project-based engagements (e.g., 30–50万円/month for ~20 hours), while professionals register free and apply directly. Over 92% of listed projects are remote, and over 70% of users are current employees seeking to monetize skills flexibly.
Is HiPro Direct a public or private company?
HiPro Direct is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was HiPro Direct founded?
HiPro Direct was founded in 2022.
Where is HiPro Direct based?
HiPro Direct is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does HiPro Direct make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Corporate membership fees are the primary driver. The others are spot consultation payment processing.
Who are HiPro Direct's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CrowdWorks, Lancers, lotsful and Sharefull. Midworks is listed as an emerging player. BizReach is listed as a broad incumbent. doda is listed as an others.
Does HiPro Direct have an API?
No public API is recorded for HiPro Direct.
What industry is HiPro Direct in?
HiPro Direct's product category is Freelance Talent Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAO, Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire. Its NAICS code is 541612 and its SIC code is 7361.