KDDI Open Innovation Fund III Invests in SPeak, Operator of Career Support Platform for Young International Talent

March 5, 2024

KDDI CORPORATION

On March 5, 2024, KDDI invested in SPeak Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Hiromi Karahashi; hereinafter: "SPeak"), the operator of a career support platform for young international talent, through KDDI Open Innovation Fund III (operated by Global Brain Corporation; hereinafter "KOIF III"), which aims to incubate new business co-creations with promising venture startups.

SPeak, which has embraced the "Borderless Japan" concept of promoting racial and national diversity in Japan, has developed "JPort Journal," a career support platform for young international talent searching for jobs in Japan, and "JPort Match," a job matching service that connects talented young international workers with companies.
SPeak's community of young international talent, which includes international students from more than 132 countries, mostly from areas such as Southeast Asia, has continued to grow into one of the largest of its kind in Japan. In 2023, SPeak received the "Notable Startup Award" at the 8th HR Technology Awards. [1]

Through this investment, KDDI will provide support for services centered on telecommunications, which is an essential part of the infrastructure of daily life when studying and working in Japan. In addition, KDDI aims to eliminate the digital divide for foreign nationals through collaboration with SPeak on their platform for young international talent.

As "the company that customers feel closest to," KDDI will continue to promote business co-creation through investment in promising startup companies, and create new business models together with customers and partners.

MUGENLABO Magazine
"JPort" Career Support Platform for Young International Talent ~Reliable Social Infrastructure for Foreign Nationals and Japanese Alike~ -SPeak (in Japanese only)

(Reference)

• ■Overview of SPeak

  • (1)

    • Company name

      : SPeak Corporation

  • (2)

    • Headquarters

      : Minato-ku, Tokyo

  • (3)

    • Date founded

      : 2019

  • (4)

    • Business activities

      : Planning, production, and operation of web content and online job matching platform for young international talent

  • (5)

    • CEO

      : Hiromi Karahashi

  • (6)

    • URL

      : https://speak-corp.com/?lang=en

• ■About KDDI Open Innovation Fund

  KDDI Open Innovation Fund is a corporate venture fund that supports a broad range of venture companies. The currently active KDDI Open Innovation Fund III focuses on the areas of AI, IoT, data marketing, fintech, B2B SaaS, and entertainment with a total operating fund of 20 billion yen.

• [1]

  JPort Match Wins "Notable Startup Award" at 8th HR Technology Awards (Supported by METI and Others) (in Japanese only)