The Journey Toward Well-Working Starts Now
At SmartHR, our mission is to solve the societal issues surrounding work and create a society where everyone can choose how they contribute.
We use the phrase “Well-Working” to express that mission in a simpler, more flexible way.
Since we launched SmartHR in 2015, over 80,000 companies (*1) have signed up for our service, while the number of mobile app installations has exceeded 2 million (*2).
But the journey toward realizing our vision has only just begun.
Our goal is to become an indispensable service for every working person in Japan, a trusted part of the infrastructure supporting their daily lives. To get there, we will continue expanding the value we provide and help drive change in Japan’s work culture through our service vision: “Worker-Friendly: Designed for All”.
- *1As of April 2026, representing corporate accounts (tenants) that completed office registration on SmartHR, excluding canceled subscriptions.
- *2As of February 2026.
SmartHR’s Roots
SmartHR was inspired by a personal experience of our founder, Shoji Miyata.
In 2015, Shoji saw his partner, who was pregnant at the time, struggling with piles of paperwork for maternity and childcare leave. These forms, which are typically handled by companies and submitted to the government, revealed to him inefficiencies in the existing system. While Japan’s social security system itself plays an invaluable role in society, its outdated processes place an unnecessary burden on employees. This became the driving force behind the creation of SmartHR in 2015—to simplify and modernize HR tasks, making them more accessible and human-friendly for everyone.
Since then, SmartHR has grown from a purely HR management tool into a full-fledged suite of services, now offering a broad range of talent management features. Today, we are also expanding into areas like information management systems, continuing our commitment to building workplaces where workers of all backgrounds can thrive. Our goals, however, remain the same: to create a society where everyone can choose how they contribute and to support sustainable business growth. This is our priority when it comes to developing new solutions.
Where We Stand
The Societal Issues SmartHR Addresses and the Value Our Services Provide
SmartHR is tackling the following changes facing Japanese society today and working to solve the challenges they create.
Shrinking Workforce
By 2035, Japan is projected to face a workforce shortage of 3.84 million people due to a shrinking labor pool and disparities in labor supply.
Advances in AI
As generative AI technology evolves rapidly, redefining work through the use of AI will be key to improving operational efficiency and productivity in the years ahead.
Accelerating Digital Transformation (DX)
The shift to new digital technologies will accelerate as support for legacy systems comes to an end and the shortage of IT talent intensifies.
In today’s complex and shifting landscape, SmartHR supports companies through two approaches: streamlining operations and maximizing business outcomes.
Celebrating 10 Years of SmartHR
SmartHR is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025.
To commemorate this significant milestone, we’ve launched a special anniversary site featuring:
- Roundtable discussions reflecting on how SmartHR and our users have grown together
- Expert interviews on the future of work itself
- A message from our CEO, Masato Serizawa, looking ahead to the next decade
- And more content celebrating 10 years of progress
Delivering Meaningful Results
Ease of Use for HR and Management
A large database of employee data is only valuable if it’s up-to-date and easily accessible. SmartHR consolidates data from daily operations into a singular, centralized location, making it readily available anytime. Plus, our system syncs data across all functions, which eliminates the need for data re-entry. From onboarding details to the latest engagement survey results, SmartHR helps analyze organizational challenges, support staffing decisions, and inform other key processes effortlessly.
Strong Support from Our User Base
Nearly a decade after its initial launch, SmartHR has earned strong support from its users. We’re proud to count more than 80,000 companies among our users, and our high retention rates and customer satisfaction are a testament to our success. As we continue to evolve, we remain committed to being an indispensable partner in our clients’ organizational success.
- *1 Deloitte Tohmatsu MIC Economics Research Institute, “HRTech Cloud Market Facts and Outlook 2025”.Opens external site in a new window or tab.
- *2 Deloitte Tohmatsu MIC Economics Research Institute, “HRTech Cloud Market Facts and Outlook 2025,” HRTech cloud market shipment value for fiscal 2024.Opens external site in a new window or tab.
- *3 Number of tenants that have completed business location registration on SmartHR (excluding tenants that have canceled their accounts).
- *4 Calculated from the average CMRR churn rate over the past 12 months (as of April 2026).
Where We Are Headed
Expanding Our Business to Pursue Both 0 to 1 and 10 to 100 Growth
SmartHR continues to develop its services with the goal of delivering even greater value. We are expanding beyond HR and labor management to transform back-office operations as a whole. Our goal is to become the central hub for employees, connecting every interaction between employees and back-office staff through SmartHR.
Beyond Efficiency: Building the Foundation for People and Organizations in the Age of AI
SmartHR supports the implementation of talent and organizational strategies through HR data. It streamlines processes from onboarding and performance reviews to changes in employee information, while accumulating high-quality HR data. In the age of AI, HR data will be a key factor in determining competitiveness. By combining HR data with AI, SmartHR aims to become a platform that guides management and frontline teams in decision-making and their next steps.
SmartHR’s Vision for the Future and Well-Working
At the heart of SmartHR’s mission is the goal of creating a society where everyone can choose how they contribute. However, we know that achieving this vision of "well-working" is no easy task. As we continue along our journey, we’re reminded daily of the challenges ahead. One of the major themes we tackle—efficiency and automation—often leaves behind more complex and demanding tasks. In the age of rapid digitalization, we often hear about the importance of the "human touch", but it’s clear that even these tasks require new skills and training to keep up with advancing technology. For those who don’t adapt, the opportunities to contribute may diminish.
That’s why we believe our mission is not just about improving efficiency. We’re focused on empowering people to master new technologies and adapt to ever-changing working styles. Our commitment to talent management is central to this, as we help unlock the potential of every employee, enabling them to thrive in this shifting landscape.
Our mission doesn’t stop at streamlining back-office tasks, however. We’re also committed to providing the tools that help companies invest in their people and maximize organizational productivity—from recruitment and talent development to fostering employee engagement.
We’re here not just to provide tools, but to support meaningful transformation in every organization, helping them achieve the outcomes they envision.
The societal issues surrounding work remain abundant, and the path to achieving “well-working” across society is still a long one. But it’s exactly because of these challenging issues that we are committed to expanding our business and transforming the landscape of work in Japan, one step at a time. Our hope is that, years from now, people will look back and say, "SmartHR really helped change Japan’s work environment for the better”.
