shizai
11 known investors
Japanese startup digitizing packaging-material procurement for e-commerce and retail via a factory network and order-management SaaS.
Also known as shizai · Shizai Inc. · 株式会社shizai
Investors · 11
Also in the syndicate · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026shizai (株式会社shizai) is a Tokyo-based company that digitizes the procurement and ordering of packaging materials for e-commerce and retail businesses. Its core transaction platform, "shizai," matches customer requirements to a nationwide network of primary packaging-material manufacturers, covering the workflow from obtaining estimates through ordering and delivery management. The company states its platform targets an average 20% reduction in supply chain costs for e-commerce and retail customers.
Alongside the distribution business, shizai operates "shizai pro" (also referred to as Shizai Pro), a purchase-order management SaaS launched publicly in February 2025 after several years of internal validation. The software centralizes purchase order information and supplier messaging on a single screen, retains communication history from purchase order issuance through supplier replies, reflects order changes in real time, links with spreadsheets, can manage procurement items beyond packaging materials, and integrates with adjacent systems such as warehouse management systems (WMS).
The company describes its longer-term scope as total optimization of the e-commerce and retail supply chain, viewed as a continuous flow from procurement through inventory management and storage to delivery. Its current strength is procurement, particularly packaging materials, and it intends to widen the range of procurement categories and move into inventory management and logistics through partnerships rather than operating warehouses itself. Its stated vision combines DX of legacy industries with contributing to a sustainable society.
Founding story
The company was founded in October 2020 by Nobuyuki Suzuki, who serves as representative director and CEO; Daiki Yuya is listed as co-founder and director. Suzuki previously held roles at Azit (executive officer, business and head of public affairs, from 2017) and at Dentsu. From inception the company held the view that adding software value to operations before and after purchasing was essential, and validated both the packaging distribution and SaaS businesses in parallel.
Business model
Hybrid model combining a transaction business (distribution of packaging materials sourced through its manufacturer network) and a SaaS business (the shizai pro order management software). The company aims to diversify revenue by selling both material procurement and software to the same customer, using the leverage between the two lines.
Revenue derives from packaging-material distribution transactions and from paid subscriptions to the shizai pro order management software, which customers such as Tsuchiya Kaban, TENTIAL, FABRIC TOKYO and PAL had been using on a paid basis for over a year prior to the public launch.
Traction
Reached 300 corporate customers within a year of service launch. The manufacturer network covers over 500 primary packaging material producers nationwide. shizai pro customers include Tsuchiya Kaban, TENTIAL, FABRIC TOKYO and PAL. Cumulative funding since inception exceeds ¥1 billion. Headcount is listed at 29 members.
Latest developments
The Series B second close announced on June 30, 2025 brought ¥620 million from Monoful Venture Partners, Japan Post Capital and Japan Finance Corporation. Proceeds are earmarked for expanding shizai pro functionality, hiring in product development and sales, and strengthening logistics partner alliances, with the stated aim of covering the full supply chain management stack for e-commerce and retail.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as a packaging materials DX platform moving from packaging supply toward broader supply chain management for e-commerce and retail. Its network covers over 500 primary packaging material manufacturers nationwide, against an addressable base the CEO cites as 2,000–3,000 cardboard factories in Japan.
The company attributes its competitiveness to a proprietary factory network built since founding and comprehensive information on factory equipment and capabilities, enabling granular matching of a job to the optimal plant and machine — in contrast to the industry norm of selecting factories by long-standing relationships — together with strategic order consolidation and the combination of procurement data with order-management software.
Technology
shizai pro is purchase-order software that centrally manages order information and supplier messages in one interface, with order information on the left and message threads on the right, preserving history from purchase order submission to reply. Order changes are reflected in real time and can be linked with spreadsheets. It supports procurement items beyond packaging materials and integrates with peripheral systems such as WMS. The transaction platform relies on a detailed database of factory capabilities — which machines each plant operates and the widths they handle — to match each order, delivery destination and size to an optimal factory.
Go-to-market
Direct sales to e-commerce and retail customers, expanded through capital and business alliances with logistics-sector partners including 3PL operators, logistics real estate operators and delivery companies, and through relationships with e-commerce platform operators, PE funds and e-commerce consulting firms. Shareholders Monoful Venture Partners (GLP Group CVC) and Japan Post Capital serve as strategic logistics channels. Funding rounds have been accompanied by hiring pushes in product development, business development/alliances and operations/sales.
E-commerce operators and offline retailers, including large enterprises. For shizai pro the initial focus is the apparel and cosmetics industries, where SKU counts are high and order quantities and delivery dates shift frequently; the food industry is treated as a lower-fit segment because orders change less often. Named users include Tsuchiya Kaban, TENTIAL, FABRIC TOKYO and PAL (operator of brands including 3COINS).
Geography
Headquartered in Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, with a nationwide Japanese manufacturer network; the company has also built a network of packaging material factories in Japan and overseas.
History
Founded in October 2020, shizai built a network of domestic and overseas packaging material factories over its first four years while running its transaction business. It raised a ¥500 million Series A in June 2022 from Global Brain and ANRI. In February 2025 it announced the first close of its Series B, raising ¥420 million led by Monoful Venture Partners with Japan Post Capital joining as a new shareholder, and simultaneously launched the shizai pro order management SaaS. On June 30, 2025 it announced a Series B second close totaling ¥620 million, including a loan with stock acquisition rights from the Japan Finance Corporation.
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 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 · 4
launches, deals, and filingsshizai announced the second close of its Series B, raising a total of ¥620 million including a loan with stock acquisition rights from the Japan Finance Corporation; investors include Monoful Venture Partners, Japan Post Capital and Japan Finance Corporation. Funds are directed at shizai pro feature expansion, hiring and logistics alliances.
shizai announced a capital alliance with Monoful Venture Partners, a CVC of the GLP Group, as lead investor and Japan Post Capital as a new shareholder, raising ¥420 million and bringing total funding since inception past ¥1 billion.
The company announced recruitment focused on product development, business development including alliances, and operations such as sales.
Full-scale launch of the order management SaaS validated since founding, providing centralized purchase order and supplier messaging management with spreadsheet and WMS integration, initially focused on apparel and cosmetics.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- shizai · GitHubgithub.com · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does shizai do?
- Japanese startup digitizing packaging-material procurement for e-commerce and retail via a factory network and order-management SaaS.
- Who are shizai's investors?
- shizai's investors include Global Brain, i-nest capital, MIRAI SOUZOU, Sony Ventures Corporation, W Inc., Z Venture Capital, Energy & Environment Investment, Genesia Ventures.