Global online freelance platform
We are the largest global online freelance platform based in Japan with over 96,000 registered users spread over 212 countries. We serve both Japanese and non-Japanese clients with our global network of multi-lingual freelancers. Our proposition to Japanese firms is that we offer talented Japanese speaking freelancers throughout the world who can be hired online at a reasonable price. Japan’s population recently peaked out and is now in rapid decline leaving Japan facing a shrinking consumption market at home as well as a growing shortage of labor to keep factories and services in proper operating order. The Japanese government is opposed to looser immigration policies and this situation helps drive demand for our online services of overseas based freelancers. Our Japanese customers are currently most interested in using our service to conduct overseas market research to find new markets. They also use our service for language translation and for selling products by finding and hiring influencers in the overseas markets they are targeting. Our freelancers are currently very active conducting projects for our Japanese clients and we expect this activity to increase as more companies learn about our global freelancer platform.
TEAM
Shigenori Araki
CEO
After graduating from Waseda University, we worked in Import and Export company in Japan and in charge of China and India. After graduating from Wharton business school, he joined Goldman Sachs where he started up new business in Japan which is private banking business. He also became a Japan representative officer at Janus Capital International (now, Janus Henderson Investors).
MBA, the Wharton School at the University of ennsylvania
Alan Acosta
Head of Overseas Business
Alan was born in the United States, lived 7 years in Latin America and moved to Tokyo during the bubble. He worked in the Tokyo stock market for roughly 24 year and joined Workshift at the beginning of 2014.
MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Sakae Tashimo
CTO
Having dealt with software development since the dawning of the internet era, Sakae Tashimo has vast knowledge and hands-on experience from developing client server systems to web applications. Prior to joining Workshift, Sakae was the CTO of a business corporation.
FINANCE ROUND
Initial
September, 2013
