Direct Cloud
3 known investors
DirectCloud is a cloud storage service with unlimited user accounts for secure file storage, transfer, and sharing among employees and business partners. It targets business organizations, offering high security on AWS infrastructure and administrator management features under a flat monthly subscription.
Also known as Direct Cloud Box Β· DirectCloud Β· γγ€γ¬γ―γγ―γ©γ¦γ
Investors Β· 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026DirectCloud is a business-oriented cloud storage and cloud file-server service operated in Japan. It is positioned as a replacement for on-premises file servers and NAS, covering internal file management, external file sharing (including elimination of password-protected ZIP email attachments, referred to in Japan as "PPAP"), large-file transfer and receipt, and hybrid operation alongside existing NAS. Core capabilities described on the vendor site include file lifecycle management, archiving, business continuity and Japanese electronic bookkeeping law (ι»εεΈ³η°ΏδΏεζ³) support, shared links, guest invitation for partners and group companies, a desktop drive client (DirectCloud Drive) that exposes cloud storage through Windows Explorer, multifunction-printer and scanner integration, Salesforce and API integration, single sign-on, and browser-based co-editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs with stated Microsoft Office compatibility [0][1][2].
Security and governance are presented as central to the offering: compliance with cloud security guidelines, audit support, more than 250 log types, granular access permissions, ransomware and information-leak countermeasures, virus scanning, IP address restriction, device and two-factor authentication, encrypted communication (256-bit SSL), AES-256 data encryption, SHA-2 password hashing, password policy controls, one-time passwords, and central account management via CSV import or AD/LDAP. The service runs on Amazon Web Services in the Tokyo region using Amazon S3, with a stated SLA of 99.95% monthly availability, 24/7 monitoring and multi-site data storage; reseller material also lists optional remote-site disaster-recovery backup (selectable in Singapore or Osaka), an information-leak prevention tool (SHIELD) and a bulk migration utility (DCMigrator) [0][1][2].
An AI layer, DirectCloud AI, is marketed for applying generative AI to internal documents on top of the stored data, with separate terms of service, and is framed as a way for Japanese businesses to adopt AI incrementally [0].
Business model
Subscription software sold to organizations on a flat monthly fee per plan rather than per user, with no initial setup fee, unlimited user accounts on every plan, and storage capacity as the main differentiator between tiers. Additional capacity is sold in 1TB increments, and add-on services (disaster-recovery backup, information-leak prevention, migration tooling) are quoted separately [0][1][2].
Recurring monthly subscription revenue across seven plans priced from JPY 44,000 to JPY 1,200,000 per month (Standard 500GB, Advanced 1TB, Business 4TB, Premium 12TB, Enterprise 35TB, Enterprise Plus 50 at 50TB, Enterprise Plus 100 at 100TB), plus paid capacity add-ons and optional services. Entry-level pricing is also expressed as from JPY 980 per user per month with a 10-user minimum. Resellers additionally offer a perpetually free plan (up to 50 users, 10GB, no SLA or support) as an on-ramp [0][2].
Traction
The vendor site states more than 1.5 million users across large enterprises through to SMEs, and references an ITreview online storage category report (2022 Fall) and a 12-month average MRR churn calculation as of March 2026. Reseller pages cite installed bases of over 900 companies and over 1,500 companies. Named reference customers include Brother Industries, SHIFT, Renaissance, Takashimaya, The Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Sakata Seed, Meiko Network Japan, Kotsu Shimbunsha and Yamaha Sound Systems [0][1][2].
Latest developments
In August 2026 the company published a series of announcements: a case study with Yamaha Sound Systems (2026-08-28), a promotion granting three months of discounted fees to customers switching from other cloud storage providers (2026-08-27), revised terms of service for DirectCloud and DirectCloud AI (2026-08-25), an increase in the DirectCloud Drive folder display limit sixfold to 30,000 items (2026-08-24), and the start of reselling WhiteDefender, a ransomware-specific prevention and recovery solution (2026-08-18). Newer high-capacity plans, Enterprise Plus 50 and Enterprise Plus 100, are flagged as recent additions [0].
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Marketed as a cost-competitive Japanese alternative to global enterprise file sync-and-share products, with a vendor-authored comparison (self-conducted, January 2026) placing DirectCloud Enterprise Plus 100 at JPY 14,400,000 per year for unlimited users against unnamed competitors priced from JPY 19,200,000 to JPY 60,708,000 per year per 1,000 users. The site cites an ITreview online storage category report (2022 Fall) and claims more than 1.5 million users; reseller pages cite 900+ and 1,500+ customer companies at earlier points in time [0][1][2].
Per-organization flat pricing with unlimited user accounts (allowing all employees and business partners to be included without seat-based cost growth), zero initial fee, Japan-hosted AWS infrastructure with a 99.95% availability SLA, tiered hot/warm storage in the higher plans to reduce capacity cost, and an integrated generative-AI feature set layered on managed corporate data [0][1][2].
Technology
Multi-tenant SaaS hosted on Amazon Web Services in the Tokyo region, using Amazon S3 storage cited at 99.999999999% durability with data stored across multiple locations. Stated controls include IDS/firewall protection, 256-bit SSL in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, SHA-2 password encryption, server-side virus and malware scanning, IP restriction, device authentication, two-factor and one-time passwords, concurrent login limits, and detailed operation logging (over 250 log types per the vendor site; 32-83 operation log types per reseller material). Client access is via web browser, Windows Explorer through DirectCloud Drive, and mobile apps; features include 33 file preview formats, version management, file locking, folder properties, workflow-based manager approval for external sharing, file comments and notifications. DCMigrator uses Windows PowerShell and 8 threads across up to 10 machines for bulk uploads [0][1][2].
Go-to-market
Direct sales supported by self-service acquisition mechanisms on the vendor site β a 14-day free trial, downloadable collateral, online consultation requests and a competitive comparison page β combined with a partner program. Third-party Japanese IT vendors resell the product under their own branding (for example Sateraito Office's "Sateraito Office File Server for DirectCloud" with a 30-day trial, and LIONICE, which markets 30-day trials and a free plan). Marketing also uses published customer case studies, review excerpts and switching promotions such as a three-month discount for customers migrating from other cloud storage [0][1][2].
Japanese business organizations from large enterprises to SMEs, particularly those replacing file servers or NAS, operating across multiple sites or remote work, and needing controlled external sharing with clients, suppliers and group companies. Published customer examples span manufacturing, IT services, retail, media, education support and transport, including Brother Industries, SHIFT, Renaissance, Takashimaya, The Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Sakata Seed, Meiko Network Japan, Kotsu Shimbunsha and Yamaha Sound Systems [0].
Geography
Japan-focused: Japanese-language service, Japanese data centers (AWS Tokyo region), Japanese enterprise customer base and Japanese reseller channel. Optional remote backup regions offered are Singapore and Osaka [0][1][2].
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 6
launches, deals, and filingsPress release publishing a DirectCloud deployment case study with Yamaha Sound Systems.
Promotion giving customers migrating from other cloud storage services a discount equivalent to three months of fees.
Announced amendments to the DirectCloud terms of use and the DirectCloud AI terms of use.
The DirectCloud Drive client's folder display limit was increased sixfold to 30,000 items.
The company started acting as a reseller for WhiteDefender, a ransomware-focused prevention and recovery solution.
Two high-capacity plans marked as new: Enterprise Plus 50 (50TB, JPY 720,000/month) and Enterprise Plus 100 (100TB, JPY 1,200,000/month), both with unlimited users and tiered hot/warm storage.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
βΈResearch sources Β· 7
primary sources listed
- Direct Clouddirectcloud.jp Β· web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Direct Cloud do?
- DirectCloud is a Japanese enterprise cloud storage and file-server service sold on flat monthly plans with unlimited users.
- Who are Direct Cloud's investors?
- Direct Cloud's investors include Colopl Next, Sazze, Primer Sazze Partners.