About Education sector in Japan
The Education sector in Japan comprises 1.14K companies, including 161 funded companies having collectively raised $101M in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 65 are Series A+ funded.
Education sector in Japan has seen 11 acquisitions and 43 IPOs.
This sector includes companies or institutions which are engaged in providing primarily offline instruction, training, and learning activities in physical locations such as schools, colleges, universities, coaching centers, training institutes, and workshops or providing tertiary support services to these educational institutions.
Includes companies and institutions that are providing educational services across all levels of education including Early Education & Child Care Centres, K-12 Schools, Colleges & Universities, Corporate Training services, test preparation centres and chains. Also includes educational support services providers like curriculum development support, teacher staffing services, student admission counsellors, among others. Other supporting institutions like Educational NGOs, Educational Regulatory Bodies, educational publishers are also covered here. Excludes companies that are primarily providing online learning solutions or tech based learning software and devices.
Key Metrics
Total Companies
Top Companies
Total Funding
Funded Companies
Series A+ Companies
Series C+ Companies
IPOs
Acquisitions
Top Education Companies in Japan
There are 1,144 Education startups in Japan which include University of Tokyo, West Japan Railway Company, Osaka University, Nict, Waseda University. Out of these, 161 startups are funded, with 65 having secured Series A+ funding.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 20 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of Harvard Business School, Harvard University and Keio University.
Here is the list of top Education startups in Japan
University offering multiple courses and degrees across diversified stream. The university is a vibrant community in which world-class researchers work together with excellent students from Japan and more than 100 other countries.
Key facts about University of Tokyo
- Founded Year: 1877
- Location: Tokyo (Japan)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: CEPI, Military Health and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Feb 01, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 58/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 79 of 12,975 Competitors
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West Japan Railway is a rail transport company. It provides services like railway transport facilities, bus services, food services, sales of goods & real estate to individuals. It operates in Japan. In 2022, the company recorded annual revenues of $10.3B and a net profit of $0.65B.
Key facts about West Japan Railway Company
- Founded Year: 1987
- Location: Osaka (Japan)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Tracxn Score: 52/100 What is this?
Key facts about Osaka University
- Founded Year: 1931
- Location: Osaka (Japan)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: Military Health, European Union and 1 Other
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jan 01, 2019, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 52/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 202 of 12,975 Competitors
4. Nict
Key facts about Nict
- Location: Japan
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: European Union
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Dec 01, 2017, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 49/100 What is this?
Key facts about Waseda University
- Founded Year: 1882
- Location: Shinjuku City (Japan)
- Stage: Funding Raised
- Investors: European Union
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jan 01, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 47/100 What is this?
Companies founded year-on-year in the Education sector in Japan
45 Education startups in Japan were founded in 2021 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2025 | - |
2024 | 3 |
2023 | 21 |
2022 | 24 |
2021 | 45 |
2020 | 39 |
2019 | 28 |
2018 | 17 |
2017 | 12 |
2016 | 13 |
Stage-wise distribution of Education sector companies in Japan
Out of the total 1,144 Education companies in Japan, 161 have secured funding. Among them, 65 have reached Series A or higher, and 60 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 1,144
Funded - 161
Series A+ - 65
Series B+ - 60
Series C+ - 56
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 1,144 |
Funded | 161 |
Series A+ | 65 |
Series B+ | 60 |
Series C+ | 56 |
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Funding Trends in the Education sector in Japan
Total funding year-on-year in the Education sector in Japan
The Education sector in Japan saw a total funding of more than $87.7M in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2025 at more than $32M.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2025 | $32M |
2024 | $6.77M |
2023 | $9.42M |
2022 | $1.1M |
2021 | $1.45M |
2020 | $988K |
2019 | $31.3M |
2018 | $1.68M |
2017 | $2.27M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Education in Japan
In the year 2025, till October 2025, Education companies in Japan have raised $27.6M in equity funding across 10 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till September 2024), Education companies in Japan had raised $3.18M across 5 rounds.
So, 2025 has seen a 768.6% rise in funding in Education companies in Japan as compared to 2024.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Education companies in Japan:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series A | 4574 | Oct 29, 2025 | and 3 more | |
Series B | 6733 | Oct 20, 2025 | ||
Series B | 6542 | Oct 14, 2025 | ||
Seed | 1962 | Sep 16, 2025 | ||
Seed | 3046 | Jul 30, 2025 |
Top Investors in Education in Japan
KKR is the top investor in Education companies in Japan based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Education companies in Japan:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
New York City (United States) | - | |
Washington, DC (United States) | - | |
Minato City (Japan) | ||
Baar (Switzerland) | - | |
Stockholm (Sweden) |
M&A activity in Education sector in Japan
In the year 2023, till March 2023, 1 acquisition happened in Education sector in Japan.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Education sector in Japan:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Mar 30, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | Nov 16, 2021 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 08, 2021 | ||
Business Acquisition | Feb 19, 2021 | ||
Business Acquisition | Oct 11, 2018 |
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Acquisition trends in Education sector in Japan
Here are the acquisition trends in Education sector in Japan:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2025 | - |
2024 | - |
2023 | 1 |
2022 | - |
2021 | 3 |
2020 | - |
2019 | - |
2018 | 2 |
2017 | 1 |
2016 | 1 |
IPOs in Education in Japan
In the year 2024, till December 2024, 2 IPOs happened in Education sector in Japan.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Education sector in Japan:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Dec 19, 2024 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | |
Dec 19, 2024 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | |
Dec 22, 2023 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | |
Apr 11, 2023 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) | |
Dec 22, 2022 | Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Education companies in Japan
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Education in Japan
Most number of Education startups in Japan have been founded by alumni from Harvard Business School, Harvard University and Keio University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Harvard Business School | 3 |
Harvard University | 3 |
Keio University | 2 |
Nagoya University | 1 |
Stanford University | 1 |
The University of Edinburgh | 1 |
The University of Tokyo | 1 |
University of Manchester | 1 |
University of Oxford | 1 |
Yale University | 1 |
Top News in Education in Japan
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Toppan, NICT and ISARA develop smart card system with post-quantum securityTelecompaper•Oct 11, 2024•Toppandigital, ISARA, NIIT INDIA, TOPPAN Group and 1 other
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Asensus places first Senhance surgical robot for pediatrics in JapanThe Robot Report•Jan 16, 2024•Asensus, Nagoya University
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Development of Prediction Model for Brain Amyloid-Beta Accumulation Using Wristband SensorACN Newswire•Dec 29, 2023•Eisai, Oita University
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DOCOMO, Miyashita Lab, and H2L Launch World's First Taste-Sharing Tech for the MetaverseTelecom Review Asia•Dec 27, 2023•docomo.ne.jp, Waseda University, H2L
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