Minma
Tokyo, JP · 7 known investors
Minma (Minna no Market) operates Kurashi no Market, an online marketplace where consumers compare and book home-related services such as air conditioner cleaning, house cleaning, junk removal, and home repair or renovation based on reviews and pricing. The Japan-based platform connects households with local service providers across more than 300 service categories.
Also known as Curama · Curama.jp · Kurashi no Market · Minma.jp · Minna no Market · くらしのマーケット · みんなのマーケット株式会社
Founders & leadership
Investors · 7
Also in the syndicate · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Minma (みんなのマーケット株式会社, Minna no Market) is a Tokyo-based operator of Kurashi no Market (Curama), an online marketplace for home and lifestyle services delivered at the customer's location. Listed categories include air-conditioner cleaning, house cleaning, junk and unwanted-item removal, home repair and renovation, moving, housekeeping, on-location photography, home appliance installation, pest control, tree pruning and car-related services. Users compare registered merchants by review and price and book directly through the platform.
The company was founded in January 2011 by Yusuke Hamano, who serves as representative director and CEO, and launched the marketplace in the same year. Coverage from January 2020 described more than 200 service types and over 33,000 registered merchants as of the end of December 2019; company announcements later reported cumulative merchant registrations passing 50,000 in April 2021 and 70,000 in August 2022, with service types expanded beyond 300. The company describes its business simply as online marketplace operations, with paid-in capital of 100 million yen and roughly 200 employees, and lists Mizuho Bank as its main bank.
Minma has invested significantly in consumer awareness, running national television commercials from 2021, running seasonal discount and cashback campaigns, publishing survey research with platform merchants, and operating an annual 'Kurashi no Market Award' program recognising top-performing merchants. It has also appeared frequently in Japanese broadcast and business media.
Founding story
The company was established on 17 January 2011 by Yusuke Hamano and began matching customers with local professionals from its launch that year. The name Minma derives from 'Minna no Market' — 'the market for everyone'. Its stated aim is to build a world in which all kinds of services are bought and sold online, in the way that Amazon and Rakuten enabled for physical goods, under the corporate mission of 'creating a world where honest people are not the ones who lose out'.
Business model
Minma operates a marketplace that connects households with independent local service providers. Merchants register storefronts on Kurashi no Market and list services with prices; consumers compare providers by user reviews and pricing and book online. The company supports the merchant community to improve service quality, and has operated a compensation/liability program for damages arising from bookings, which it renewed in January 2022.
The company operates online marketplace business as its stated line of business, with an organisational goal of maximising gross merchandise volume (transaction value) on Kurashi no Market. Specific take-rate or fee terms are not stated in available sources.
Traction
Registered merchants exceeded 33,000 as of the end of December 2019 across more than 200 service types; cumulative merchant registrations surpassed 50,000 in April 2021 and 70,000 in August 2022, with more than 300 service categories by that point. The company reports paid-in capital of 100 million yen and about 200 employees, and its services have been featured across Japanese national television programs and business media.
Latest developments
Company announcements through 2025 and 2026 describe a large campaign returning more than 100 million yen to users in autumn 2025, a year-end/new-year discount campaign in December 2025, an early-booking air conditioner campaign in March 2026, a 63-category rainy-season discount campaign in May 2026, a 15th anniversary campaign for Kurashi no Market from 15 July 2026, and a first children's job-experience event in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo scheduled for 5 August 2026. The company also publishes survey research conducted among platform professionals, including 2025 studies on recommended air-conditioner manufacturers and model selection.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Minma describes itself as holding a leading position in its industry segment for on-site household services in Japan. Press coverage has characterised Kurashi no Market as Japan's counterpart to the US marketplace Thumbtack, and identified adjacent or partial competitors including Reform Guide, photographer-matching startup aMi, sharing-economy startup Anytimes, disposal and pest-control matching platform Ocomari, and classifieds operator Jimoty.
The company positions Kurashi no Market as an 'internet shopping street' for services rather than goods, with merchant storefronts, published prices and user reviews enabling direct comparison and online booking. It emphasises customer-first operations spanning product development through customer service, active support of its merchant community to raise service quality, and use of AI and LLM technologies in its product and internal operations. In a 2018 interview the CEO said he saw no clearly comparable direct competitor at the time.
Technology
Minma develops and operates the Kurashi no Market web and app platform in-house, covering search and comparison, reviews, pricing and online booking for merchant storefronts. The company states that it actively incorporates AI and large language model technologies into its product and internal operations under the principle that technology exists to serve users.
Go-to-market
Consumer demand is generated through mass-market advertising, including television commercials aired from 2021, seasonal discount and cashback campaigns across service categories, survey-based PR content, and consumer-facing events. Merchant supply is built through open storefront registration on the platform, community support programs and recognition schemes such as the annual Kurashi no Market Awards. The company has also pursued distribution partnerships, including a tie-up with Codmon's benefits program for childcare facility staff announced in December 2024.
Two sides: Japanese households seeking on-site home and lifestyle services such as air-conditioner and house cleaning, junk removal, moving, housekeeping, photography, appliance installation and renovation; and small local service businesses and independent professionals seeking customer demand and an online storefront.
Geography
Operations are focused on Japan, with merchants and customers across the country. The company is headquartered in Tokyo; its corporate site lists a head office at Pola Aoyama Building 7F, 2-5-17 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, while a recruiting profile lists an address in Shibuya (Shibuya Place 10F, 1-10-5 Dogenzaka). Proceeds from the 2020 round were earmarked in part for global recruitment.
History
The company was founded in January 2011 (incorporated 2011-01-17) and launched its matching marketplace the same year. Nissay Capital led its Series A and its Series B, the latter in 2017. In May 2018 it received the Mizuho Innovation Award. In January 2020 it announced a 4 billion yen (about $36m) financing combining equity from Nissay Capital, Globis Capital Partners, Innovation Growth Ventures and Zenrin DataCom with debt from Japan Finance Corporation, alongside a business partnership with Zenrin DataCom. Registered merchants passed 50,000 in April 2021 and 70,000 in August 2022, by which point the platform listed more than 300 service types. The company has run consumer marketing including national TV commercials from 2021 and annual 'Kurashi no Market Award' merchant recognition programs, and marked the marketplace's 15th anniversary in July 2026.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — 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 — not independently audited.
Timeline · 11
launches, deals, and filingsThe company announced a first-time event in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, in which Kurashi no Market merchants act as instructors for children.
The company launched a 15th anniversary appreciation campaign for the Kurashi no Market marketplace beginning July 15.
The company ran a large-scale promotional campaign offering total returns of more than 100 million yen.
The company began a collaboration with Codmon's preferential benefits program for childcare facility staff.
The company announced cumulative registered merchants surpassed 70,000 and that service types had expanded to more than 300 categories.
The company began airing a new TV commercial from April 15, 2021 featuring the character Gorie.
The company announced cumulative registered merchants on Kurashi no Market surpassed 50,000, attributing accelerated registration to added categories and increased awareness from TV advertising.
Minma entered a business partnership with map and location data provider Zenrin DataCom to support merchants and customers with map and location data, create a new marketplace category, and improve merchant-facing functionality.
The company announced it had completed a total of 4 billion yen in financing, combining equity investment and loans.
The company stated it had completed an investment in an unnamed startup developing a chat service, with further startup investment planned from the 2020 round.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Minmaminma.jp · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Minma do?
- Japanese operator of Kurashi no Market, an online marketplace for booking home services such as cleaning, removals and repairs.
- Who are Minma's investors?
- Minma's investors include Globis Capital Partners, Sony Ventures Corporation, Globis, Nissay Capital.
- Where is Minma headquartered?
- Minma is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.