SmartHR Valuation, Funding & Investors

SmartHR is valued at $1.6B as of June 2021.

Last SmartHR valuation

$1.6B

Series D · Jun 2021

Last SmartHR funding round

$136M

Series E · Jul 2024

Cumulative funding SmartHR raised

$325M

across 5 funding rounds

Key investors in SmartHR

  • 500 Global
  • BEENEXT
  • World Innovation Lab
  • Light Street Capital
  • Sequoia Heritage
  • Signifiant

SmartHR Overview

About SmartHR

SmartHR is a Tokyo-headquartered provider of an integrated cloud HR platform that handles payroll calculations, attendance management, social insurance filings, performance evaluations, and recruitment workflows. Launched in 2013, the platform connects directly to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare systems for automated submissions. It supports over 8,000 companies ranging from startups to listed corporations like Recruit Holdings and SoftBank Group, processing data for more than 1.2 million employees across industries including IT, manufacturing, and retail.


Founded

2013

HQ

JapanTokyo

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Subscription

Valuation

$1.6B (Jun 2021)

SmartHR Valuation

SmartHR is currently valued at $1.6B, based on its Series D in June 2021.

The $114M round was led by Light Street Capital, with participation from Signifiant, Sequoia Capital, Whale Rock Capital Management, Sequoia Heritage, Arena Holdings and 1 other investor.

SmartHR valuation by funding round

SmartHR valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Jun 2021Series D$1.6B

SmartHR Funding History

SmartHR has raised a total of $325M across 5 funding rounds, plus 1 secondary share sale.

SmartHR's first fundraising round was a $5M Series A in August 2016. The most recent completed round was a $136M Series E in July 2024.

SmartHR funding rounds

SmartHR funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Nov 2025SecondaryGeneral Atlantic (lead)$94M-SmartHR is a cloud-native human resources management platform established in 2013 that serves Japanese enterprises. The platform consolidates HR processes including employee information, employment contracts, onboarding, and payroll, while also providing talent management tools such as performance reviews, employee surveys, personnel placement simulations, and skill management. SmartHR Plus, an integrated app store, connects the platform to specialized external services for customizable workflows. General Atlantic completed a $96 million (JPY¥14.6 billion) strategic minority stake acquisition in SmartHR from early-stage investor Coral Capital on November 17, 2025, marking General Atlantic's first growth equity investment in Japan. Coral Capital retained a committed minority shareholding and the transaction represented the largest secondary sale by a single seller in Japan's startup history, with Coral Capital returning 6x its initial investment from the 2017 SPV formation. SmartHR is one of Japan's few unicorns with a valuation exceeding $1 billion and has maintained the number one market share in Japan's labor management cloud sector for seven consecutive years according to Deloitte Tohmatsu MIC Research Institute. The company's investor base includes KKR and Sequoia Capital alongside the new partnership with General Atlantic, which plans to collaborate on product innovation, strategic partnerships, customer engagement, and complementary M&A opportunities while supporting an extended growth period before potential IPO.
Jul 2024Series EKKR (lead); Teachers’ Venture Growth (lead)$136M-SmartHR, founded in 2013 by Kensuke Naito and Shoji Miyata, is a Tokyo-based cloud-native human resources management platform providing tech-enabled solutions for employee management, administration, growth, talent management, and productivity. It serves a diversified customer base including large enterprises and SMEs in Japan, positioning itself as a leading HR SaaS provider amid Japan's digitalization and cloud adoption trends. The company raised $140 million (¥21.4 billion) in a Series E round on June 30, 2024, co-led by KKR and Teachers’ Venture Growth with participation from existing investors. Funds will support new solution development, talent acquisition, and organic/inorganic growth strategies. This Series E follows a $142.5 million (¥15.6 billion) Series D in 2021 at a $1.6 billion valuation, though post-money valuation for the latest round remains undisclosed. SmartHR demonstrated strong traction with annual recurring revenue (ARR) reaching $100 million as of February 2024, reflecting robust demand for HR tech in Japan. Investors highlighted the company's role in boosting workforce productivity and its potential in the evolving Japanese market. KKR's Mukul Chawla emphasized SmartHR's critical position in Japan's productivity drive and digital shift, while Teachers’ Venture Growth's Olivia Steedman noted its innovative workforce management solutions and alignment with business digital transformations. The investment underscores continued investor interest in HR tech, even amidst a selective funding environment, building on prior rounds and positioning SmartHR for accelerated expansion.
Jun 2021Series DLight Street Capital (lead); Signifiant; Sequoia Capital; Whale Rock Capital Management; Sequoia Heritage; Arena Holdings; Greyhound Capital$114M$1.6BSmartHR is a Japanese human resources tech startup offering a cloud-native HR platform that automates administrative tasks like labor management and employee benefits, positioning it as the leading HR SaaS company in Japan. The company raised a $142.5 million (JPY 15.6 billion) Series D round on June 8, 2021, achieving a post-money valuation of $1.6 billion. Light Street Capital led the round, with participation from Greyhound Capital, Sequoia Capital Global Equities, Whale Rock Capital, and others. This funding marked SmartHR's unicorn status amid growing enterprise tech investments in Japan. The round built on prior financings, enabling expansion in the competitive HR tech market where SmartHR differentiates through comprehensive automation for Japanese businesses. Subsequently, SmartHR raised a $140 million Series E in 2023 led by KKR and Teachers’ Venture Growth, with continued involvement from Light Street Capital and World Innovation Lab. The high valuation reflected strong market traction in Japan's HR software sector.
Jul 2019Series CAll Star SAAS Fund (lead); Signifiant (lead); World Innovation Lab; BEENEXT; Light Street Capital; Coral Capital; Sequoia Heritage$57M--
Jan 2018Series B500 Global (lead)$14M-SmartHR is a Japanese startup founded in 2015 that provides a digital HR platform to streamline processes like new employee enrollment, replacing traditional paperwork and spreadsheets. The company attracted 10,000 customers, including unicorn e-commerce firm Mercari, by enabling digital handling of government-related onboarding tasks. At the time of the funding, SmartHR had 50 staff members. On January 22, 2018, SmartHR raised a JPY 1.5 billion ($13.3 million) Series B round led by 500 Startups Japan via a special purpose vehicle (SPV), marking the first such structure known in Japan. The funds were allocated to double the headcount from 50 to support development of new features, including payroll and benefits, and to build a platform hosting third-party services like business card printing for HR clients. SmartHR aims to become Japan's digital system of record for HR by expanding beyond onboarding into a comprehensive platform.
Aug 2016Series AWorld Innovation Lab (lead); Yu Akasaka; Kotaro Chiba; Jun Nishikawa; BEENEXT; 500 Global$5M-Available information about SmartHR is limited to recent funding activity. The company is a cloud-based human resources and labor management software startup founded in 2015 by Kensuke Naito and Shoji Miyata. As of February 2024, SmartHR had achieved $100 million in annual recurring revenue, up from $80 million in total revenue reported for FY 2023. In July 2024, the company raised $140 million in a Series E round led by KKR and Teachers' Ventures Growth, which was allocated toward product development, hiring, and M&A growth strategies. At the time of the Series E round, the company had approximately 1,000 employees.

Who has invested in SmartHR?

18 investors have backed SmartHR across its funding rounds, including 500 Global, BEENEXT, World Innovation Lab, Light Street Capital, Sequoia Heritage and Signifiant.

Lead investors include General Atlantic, KKR, Teachers’ Venture Growth, Light Street Capital, All Star SAAS Fund and 3 other investors.


SmartHR Investors

Investors in SmartHR by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
SignifiantJapanTokyo2LeadJul 2019
World Innovation LabUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadAug 2016
BEENEXTSingaporeSingapore2ParticipantAug 2016
Light Street CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadJul 2019
Sequoia HeritageUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantJul 2019
500 GlobalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadAug 2016
Yu AkasakaJapanTokyo1ParticipantAug 2016
KKRUnited StatesNew York City, NY1LeadJul 2024
Kotaro ChibaJapanTokyo1ParticipantAug 2016
Jun NishikawaJapanTokyo1ParticipantAug 2016
General AtlanticUnited StatesNew York City, NY1LeadNov 2025
Sequoia CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantJun 2021
Coral CapitalJapanTokyo1ParticipantJul 2019

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Acquisitions by SmartHR

SmartHR has acquired 1 company to date.

Last acquisition by SmartHR was on May 6th 2026. SmartHR acquired Xbit for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by SmartHR

Xbit
Description
Xbit is a Tokyo-based software provider offering AI-driven chatbot tools for workforce scheduling in retail and hospitality. Its platform aggregates employee availability via mobile apps and generates optimized shift rosters compliant with Japanese labor laws. Deployed by over 500 stores, the service integrates with POS systems for real-time adjustments. Launched in 2019, Xbit serves chains like convenience stores and cafes, reducing manual planning by 70 percent through predictive algorithms.
HQ CountryJapan
HQ City
Tokyo
Deal Date6 May 2026
Valuationundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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SmartHR Competitors

SmartHR competitors include listed companies like ATOSS Software, Freee and Hilan, and private ones like Pave, Culture Amp and Degreed.

Public and private companies comparable to SmartHR
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
PaveUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$1.6B-
ATOSS SoftwareGermanyGermanyPublicly listed$218M$84M$1.7B6.4x
Culture AmpAustraliaMelbournePrivate--$1.5B-
FreeeJapanJapanPublicly listed$214M$6M$1.5B4.8x
DegreedUnited StatesSan Francisco, CAPrivate--$1.4B-
HilanIsraelIsraelPublicly listed$993M$154M$1.8B-

SmartHR Public Comps

SmartHR is still privately-owned, but its public comps include ATOSS Software, Freee, Hilan, Teamshares, Nordtech Group, AdvancedAdvT, Beisen Holding, Zaggle Prepaid Ocean, Asure Software and DHI Group.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
ATOSS Software$218M$84M7.0x6.4x18.2x17.1x
Freee$214M$6M6.3x4.8x237.7x65.4x
Hilan$993M$154M1.8x-11.9x-
Teamshares$472M($23M)1.7x1.4x(35.0x)33.2x
Nordtech Group$72M$15M5.1x-25.2x-
AdvancedAdvT$72M$13M2.5x2.4x14.1x8.9x
Beisen Holding$165M$2M0.3x0.3x22.3x5.2x
Zaggle Prepaid Ocean$199M$20M1.0x1.0x10.4x10.7x

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Common questions about SmartHR

When was SmartHR founded?SmartHR was founded in 2013.
Where is SmartHR headquartered?SmartHR is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Is SmartHR publicly listed?No, SmartHR is a private, VC-backed company.
What is SmartHR's valuation?SmartHR was last valued at $1.6B in its Series D in June 2021.
How much funding has SmartHR raised?SmartHR has raised $325M across 5 funding rounds.
What was SmartHR's last funding round?SmartHR's last funding round was a $136M Series E in July 2024, led by KKR and Teachers’ Venture Growth.
Who are SmartHR's investors?SmartHR's investors include Signifiant, World Innovation Lab, BEENEXT, Light Street Capital, Sequoia Heritage, 500 Global, Yu Akasaka, KKR, Kotaro Chiba, Jun Nishikawa and 8 others.
Which companies are comparable to SmartHR?Companies comparable to SmartHR include Pave, ATOSS Software, Culture Amp, Freee, Degreed and Hilan.
How many companies has SmartHR acquired?SmartHR has acquired 1 company, including Xbit.

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