Top Startups in Japan Offering Employee Stock Options [Apr 2025]

Stock options are gaining popularity among startups in Japan.

These stock option plans offer employees the right to buy company shares at a predetermined price, which aligns the employee’s own interests with the company’s objectives. This helps foster a deeper commitment to their work.

Offering employee stock option plans (ESOP) for private companies isn't new. It just hasn’t been as ubiquitous as in places like SIlicon Valley due to certain caveats.

Until recent years, many employee stock option plans offered by Japanese companies were pretty limited. They had "termination clauses" and "vested schedules". These limitations would only unlock the benefits gradually, and usually meant employees would lose access to their stock options if they left the company.

This practice nullified some of the advantages that came with having stock options, but thanks to recent government initiatives, more and more companies in Japan have been introducing stock option programs with more clear benefits to their employees.

In this post, I’ll introduce the top startups in Japan that offer great employee stock option plans.

Let’s jump right in.

Mercari

Established in 2013, Mercari is one of the biggest success stories in Japan. The company is best known for the app Mercari, which is Japan’s largest customer-to-customer marketplace.

The app allows users to buy and sell previously owned items with great ease, which includes everything from clothes to consumer electronics.

Since its conception, Mercari has been on a mission to become a global tech giant and currently has a group of subsidiaries under its corporate umbrella. In its endeavors to do so, the company has been making top-notch efforts to make its employees a true part of the company with its employee stock option program.

In addition to this, it also offers fund matching, which allows employees to purchase even more stocks equal to the amount of funds matched by the company.

Jamm

Jamm, a seed-stage fintech company, operates in the payments space with a focus on empowering individuals and businesses. The company’s core aim is to facilitate non-predatory, stress-free transactions, revolutionizing the fintech industry starting with payments.

Jamm’s commitment to changing the landscape of financial transactions is evident in its approach to creating a more equitable and user-friendly ecosystem.

Alongside its innovative business model, the company also values its employees and offers a stock option plan to further incentivize them.

Carnot

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Tokyo, Carnot is a software startup that harnesses the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) to enhance human productivity. Their innovative solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into daily tasks, maximizing the potential of individuals and businesses.

Carnot draws its inspiration from the idea of a “perpetual motion machine” and aims to build an ecosystem that continuously moves autonomously. Its platforms Promptflow and consulting services enable business efficiency at an unprecedented scale by creating a workflow that’s powered by generative AI.

Emphasizing employee engagement and investment in its vision, Carnot offers an employee stock option program, aligning its team’s success with the company’s growth.

JPort

Established in 2019, JPort is a Tokyo-based career platform operated by SPeak Corp that supports young global talents in Japan.

Their platform addresses some of the key challenges faced by international students and professionals, including career development, financial guidance, and daily life support. The company’s goal is to empower global talent and create an ample environment to allow them to thrive in Japan.

JPort rewards team members with an employee stock option plan, allowing them to share in the company's success. Additional benefits include allowances for new tech gear, book purchases, free drinks, translation support, commuter allowance, and comprehensive health and social insurance.

Creattura

Founded in 2022, Creattura is a Tokyo-based climate startup focused on helping companies account for and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They develop carbon sequestration projects in areas such as forestry and sustainable agriculture, primarily in Japan and Southeast Asia.

Utilizing technologies such as satellite imagery, AI/ML, and IoT, Creattura monitors and estimates greenhouse gas emissions. Their platform shares this "proof of impact" data to verify environmental progress and compliance.

Creattura offers employees stock options to participate in the company's financial growth. Additional benefits include comprehensive health and social insurance, commuter allowance, and new tech gear.

Kraken Technologies

Kraken Technologies is a subsidiary of the UK-based company group Octopus Energy. Since its conception in 2015, the company has been providing advanced operating systems for utilities, such as managing energy resources, and top-notch customer service experiences.

As a part of Octopus Energy Group’s employee incentive scheme, Kraken Technologies has been offering its employees a share ownership plan ever since its inception.

Octopus Energy is now proud to declare that over 20% of the company is owned by the employees and the company is even vocal about the mutual benefits this incentive plan brings to both the company and its employees.

Cogent Labs

Cogent Labs’ mission is to “power productivity with Artificial Intelligence.” The company has been providing high-tech, fast-paced AI software as service products since its founding in 2014, and aims to “shape the future” with AI.

The company’s main product/service, called Smart Read, allows efficient document processing powered by Artificial Intelligence. Among its other products are Tegaki, a handwriting recognition system that turns human writing into data, and Kaidoku, a natural language recognition engine.

Cogent Lab also has an integrated DX platform, COGENT DX, which Smart Read is a part of.

And given that the company found its place on this list, it also offers its employees an incentive scheme in the form of employee stock options.

Cybozu

Cybozu was founded in 1997 and is Japan’s leading groupware provider, offering software solutions that help inspire and improve collaboration among those working in teams.

Selected as one of the best workplaces in Asia by the Great Place to Work initiative, Cybozu offers its employees great benefits, one of which is its “Global Shareholding” system.

The company was actually one of the earliest startups to offer a useful stock option plan in 2005, and has since improved its system and has even become the first company to extend its stock option program overseas.

The company’s Global Shareholding system is the employee stock option program that’s available internationally. The company even allows fixed-term workers in Japan to benefit from the program, which is huge, to say the least.

Micoworks

Established in 2017, Micoworks is an Osaka-based technology company specializing in conversational experiences between brands and their customers. The company's flagship products, including MicoCloud, Micomii, MicoVoice, and BizClo, aim to streamline business communication and enhance customer engagement through AI-powered interactions.

Micoworks is another company that provides financial incentives through an employee stock option plan, allowing team members to become stakeholders in the company's growth. Additionally, the company provides new tech gear, allowance for book purchases, and commuter allowance.

Spider Labs

Founded in 2011, Spider Labs is a Tokyo-based cyber security company that specializes in preventing ad fraud.

The company’s flagship product, Spider AF, provides advanced fraud detection tools to help advertisers, agencies, and ad networks protect their marketing investments. Simply put, the company leverages AI-driven analytics to combat fraudulent activities in digital advertising.

Spider Labs also provides an employee stock option plan, enabling employees to benefit from the company’s success. Additional perks offered by Spider Labs include new tech gear, seminar participation support, book purchase support, and language learning support.

LexxPluss

Established in 2020, LexxPluss is a Kanagawa-based robotics company focused on developing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and IoT-integrated solutions for industrial automation.

The company’s technology optimizes logistics and warehouse operations by improving safety and efficiency in human-robot collaborative environments.

LexxPluss offers an employee stock option plan so their employees can directly benefit from every bit of the company’s success. Additional benefits at LexxPlus include new tech gear, free drinks, complete health and social insurance, commuter allowance, and subsidized book purchases.

Liberont

Founded in 2024, Liberont is a Tokyo-based circular economy startup that builds sustainable consumer experiences. The company describes itself as “operating in stealth mode,” aiming to redefine retail and commerce through innovative circular business models.

The company has already secured early-stage funding, submitted patents for their proprietary business model, and launched a beta product with select test users.

Liberont cares deeply about aligning employee interests with business goals, which is why they offer a stock option plan that enables team members to share in the company's financial success.

SyntheticGestalt

Founded in 2018 as a life sciences startup, SyntheticGestalt is a company that heavily utilizes machine learning to develop systems that “advance the civilization.”

The company works in collaboration with well-known universities’ research departments in both the UK and Japan. SyntheticGestalt believes that Biotechnology and AI will be crucial elements in revolutionizing the industry in the future, and builds machine learning models that can discover “valuable molecules.”

The company has offices in the United Kingdom and Japan, and offers a stock option plan to employees.

Rakuten

With over 25 years of experience under its belt since its conception in 1997, Rakuten is one of the largest multi-business conglomerates in Japan. The company is the head of a global group of over 70 subsidiaries operating in various fields, such as e-commerce, FinTech, and communications, among others.

Rakuten is also among the companies that offer the most benefits to its employees with not just one but two separate stock option programs. The first one, called the “Stock Option Program”, allows employees to buy 100 shares from the company for 1 JPY, which has become a common concept in Japan.

The second program, called the “Employee Stock Ownership Plan”, is similar to a regular stock option program but allows employees to buy shares from the company regularly according to a plan of their choosing.

NABLA Mobility

Having been founded in 2021, NABLA Mobility only recently entered the startup space. However, the company has already made waves with its Untangle API: an API that enables software to predict turbulence, calculate altitude, and help optimize fuel efficiency.

NABLA Mobility’s goal is to “inspire mobility” and help decarbonize the aviation industry by providing flight-related information and data that can help lower carbon emissions.

Upon the success of Untangle API, NABLA Mobility is currently gearing up for the launch of another product, Weave, which is an app that’ll enable remote access to data obtained through Untangle.

Like the other companies here, NABLA Mobility also offers an employee stock option plan.

Flatt Security

Flatt Security is a Tokyo-based security tech startup that was founded in 2018. The company offers a wide range of products and services in digital security, with a focus on developers.

Essentially, the company aims to provide a secure development process for programmers and society at large, by providing solutions that can keep source codes and other related data safe.

In addition to developing products, the company also supports the future of security engineering via security education and works on a vulnerability research project to ensure internet safety for all.

As part of an employee incentive program, Flatt Security also offers an employee stock option plans.

Synspective

Founded in 2018, Synspective is a company that specializes in designing, building, and operating a fleet of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The company’s cutting-edge satellites play a crucial role in detecting and understanding geological, topographical, and climatic changes across the globe, among others.

Essentially, Synspective utilizes SAR satellite data that’s augmented with proprietary data analysis techniques to offer two primary services: SAR data sales and solution services.

The company demonstrates its dedication to integrating SAR satellite technology into society with the agility of a startup, and this commitment is reflected in its main concept of “synthetic data for perspective on sustainable development.”

Synspective is another great company that also offers an employee stock option plan.

Autify

Founded in San Francisco, USA, Autify is a dynamic startup that addresses a universal challenge in software development: the time-consuming nature of software testing.

The company identifies lengthy software testing processes as the ultimate bottleneck for developers globally and wants to streamline this critical phase with its products and services.

Basically, Autify offers innovative solutions that enable software companies to quickly deliver high-quality products to their clients. The company’s services are designed to accommodate the needs of a fast-paced, evolving marketplace by allowing developers to keep pace with the increasing demand.

Autify also values its employees’ dedication and contribution to the company by offering an employee stock option program.

Woodstock

Founded in 2021, Woodstock is Japan’s first social investing platform that makes investing more accessible, interactive, and community-driven. Their app lets users invest in US stocks with small amounts, share their trades, and talk about market trends in a social media-style setting.

Simply put, Woodstock helps people make smarter financial decisions. The platform is designed to break down traditional barriers to investing, making it easier for beginners while also offering valuable insights for experienced traders with a strong focus on education and community engagement.

Woodstock offers a collaborative environment that puts employees to the front. The company offers an employee stock-option plan, ensuring team members have a stake in its continued growth and success.

Starley

Established in 2023, Starley is a Tokyo-based company focused on transforming human-AI interaction. Their primary product, Cotomo, is an audio-based AI conversation platform that’s designed to engage users in discussions ranging from daily life topics to more personal matters.

Unlike traditional task-oriented AI, Cotomo aims to serve as a companion, fostering a more natural and forgiving conversational experience.

As part of its employee incentive program, Starley offers stock options that allow team members to become true stakeholders in the business.

Alpaca

Launched in 2015 by two Japanese entrepreneurs, Alpaca is a fintech startup headquartered in the U.S., with a strong presence in Tokyo.

The company specializes in providing API-driven infrastructure for stock and cryptocurrency trading, making it easy for developers and businesses to integrate investing features into their applications. Their platform supports advanced capabilities like fractional trading, sophisticated order types, and extended market hours, catering to both individual and institutional investors.

Over the years, Alpaca has secured backing from major venture capital firms, including Y Combinator, and has raised over $100 million to date. With a strong focus on innovation and accessibility in finance, the company offers employees a stock option plan, allowing them to directly benefit from its success.

NearMe

Founded in 2017 with headquarters in Tokyo, NearMe is dedicated to addressing the concept of Mottinai – a Japanese term for waste and inefficiency in society.

In the simplest terms, NearMe is on a mission to foster a vibrant and sustainable future. The startup has developed a versatile ride-sharing service catering to a variety of needs, from airport transfers to daily commutes, including specialized services like golf course transfers, school drop-offs, and even hospital visits.

NearMe’s approach combines practical transportation solutions with an emphasis on sustainability, and this sense of responsibility carries over to its internal practices as well, as the company offers its employees a stock option program.

HENNGE

Headquartered in Tokyo, HENNGE was founded in 1996 and has made significant strides in the realm of transformative technology since then.

The company operates primarily in the B2B sector and is known for its innovative cloud security service HENNGE One. The service enables businesses to adopt flexible work environments and utilize cloud technology securely, regardless of their location.

HENNGE is on a mission to keep its customers up-to-date and is at the forefront of technology with its products.

The company is also dedicated to providing a good career for its employees. In this effort, HENNGE offers an employee stock option plan that grants employees the right to buy stocks from the company.

amptalk

Amptalk, based in Tokyo, is all about improving how people communicate. They build AI-powered voice tools to help businesses automate tasks like transcribing, analyzing, and improving sales calls and meetings.

By integrating seamlessly with popular communication tools, amptalk helps teams work more efficiently and focus on real conversations instead of repetitive tasks. Their mission is to make technology an assistant, not a replacement.

For meaningful human interactions with a strong emphasis on innovation and user experience, amptalk continually refines its products to help businesses communicate better. To support its dedicated team, the company offers an employee stock option plan, allowing employees to grow alongside the company and benefit from its success.

Sagri

Founded in 2018, Sagri is a Tokyo-based social impact startup that utilizes satellite data and AI to help solve global challenges like food security and climate change.

Their products include Actaba, which maps agricultural land use, Detaba, an app that identifies crop types using satellite images, and the Sagri App, which analyzes soil quality to help farmers use fertilizer more efficiently.

These tools make farming more sustainable, reduce carbon emissions, and boost farmers’ profits—especially in areas where agricultural technology is difficult to access.

Sagri is driven by a vision of sustainable agriculture and is constantly working on new technologies to support farmers worldwide. The company also offers an employee stock option plan, ensuring that team members are invested in its mission and long-term success.

Migaku

Founded in 2020, Migaku is a Tokyo-based language learning startup that takes a fresh, immersive approach to learning new languages. Instead of relying on textbooks, Migaku users learn naturally by watching Netflix, YouTube, and other media in their target language.

Their browser extension and mobile app help integrate language learning into daily life, making it more engaging and effective. By allowing learners to interact with real-world content, Migaku provides a unique and enjoyable way to build fluency. It’s especially popular among self-learners who prefer a flexible, experience-based approach over rigid coursework.

The company is always exploring new ways to make language learning easier and more intuitive to encourage long-term growth. They also appreciate their employees by offering an employee stock option plan so that team members can truly become a part of the company’s journey.

Scene

Established in 2019, Scene offers a web-based 3D documentation tool primarily aimed at manufacturing firms. The tool is designed to streamline the process of using 3D CAD designs in various documents, such as assembly instruction documents, sales proposals, etc.

Typically, this process involves taking numerous screenshots for use in slides and documents, but Scene’s tool allows users to leverage existing 3D CAD models directly to create 3D documents, offering an integrated solution that’s also efficient.

From a technical perspective, Scene functions as a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, which combines 3D scenes and 2D canvas elements.

Scene cares deeply about the prospects of its employees, and the company has an employee stock option program to back this claim up.

Visual Alpha

Established in 2019 in Tokyo, Visual Alpha is a fintech startup focusing on B2B SaaS solutions. The company’s products cater to institutional investors, asset managers, and financial professionals.

Simply put, Visual Alpha’s asset management and investment consultancy solutions as well as portfolio monitoring and content automation products help streamline financial operations and enhance decision-making in the financial sector.

Committed to its mission of revolutionizing financial services through technology, Visual Alpha offers an employee stock option program that helps foster a culture of shared ownership and success.

Citadel AI

Citadel AI was established in 2020 and, as you can tell by the name, is an Artificial Intelligence-focused company.

Citadel’s products help monitor and test high-risk AI systems, ensuring their security and reliability.

The company is on a mission to improve AI and increase its reliability, making it more useful in our daily lives. Their products Citadel Lens and Radar help achieve a trustworthy AI right from the get-go, assisting throughout the whole process from development to deployment.

To demonstrate its dedication to its employees and to include them in the ownership of the company, Citadel AI also offers an employee stock option plan.

RESTAR

RESTAR is the creator of REMETIS, a software solution that can process, analyze, and categorize real-estate-related data efficiently for real-estate investment analysis.

The company is on a mission to create an active and dynamic real estate market in Japan, and effectively combines geographical data with real estate data to provide real estate companies and financial institutions with a top-notch data management platform.

RESTAR’s software platform not only allows for data analysis but also helps lower the transaction costs of real estate deals and simplifies the workflow of real estate investors.

As part of its employee incentive benefits, the company also offers its employees a stock ownership program.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is current at the time this post was written in 2023, according to the company data provided to Japan Dev. Please keep in mind that each company’s rules and offers regarding stock option plans are subject to changes.

To be certain of the stock option plans offered by each company, please make sure to ask the company directly.

To learn more about employee stock options and the potential advantages and disadvantages of this practice, you can head over to my post where I talked about the current state of employee stock options in Japan to a greater extent.