Accounting SaaS Japan is a technology company.
Accounting SaaS Japan is a technology company.
Accounting SaaS Japan has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Accounting SaaS Japan has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Accounting SaaS Japan has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Accounting SaaS Japan's investors include Arbor Ventures.
Accounting SaaS Japan (A-SaaS), also known as Mikatus, is a Tokyo-based technology company founded in 2009 that develops cloud-based accounting and tax application software primarily for tax accountants and small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan[1][2][3][4]. It solves the problem of outdated, on-premises accounting systems dominant in Japan's market of approximately 35,000 accounting offices by offering a modern SaaS platform that streamlines financial management, tax preparation, and integration with tools like Salesforce[1][3]. The company achieved early traction with over 1,600 tax accountant firms and 20,000+ SMEs as users, raised about $14.2M in funding (including a $8.5M Series B in 2014), and was acquired by competitor freee in May 2022, marking a pivotal growth milestone before integration[1][3].
A-SaaS was founded in June 2009 by Toshinao Morisaki, a seasoned executive with prior roles as president of Ibex Airlines and director at Japan Digital Laboratory (JDL, a listed accounting software firm)[1]. Morisaki bootstrapped the company by raising initial funds from 800 tax accountants, addressing a clear gap in cloud-based solutions for Japan's fragmented accounting sector, which was dominated by legacy on-premises software from three major players[1][3]. It took nearly five years to launch the first prototype, but momentum built with a 2013 partnership with Salesforce and $6.25M funding from GREE Ventures, Mobile Internet Capital, and others; this was followed by the 2014 Series B from Fidelity Growth Partners Japan, Arbor Ventures, I Mercury Capital (Mixi's investment arm), and Mobile Internet Capital (led by ex-Intel Japan Chairman Ikuo Nishioka), bringing David Milstein onto the board[1][3]. By then, A-SaaS had pioneered the space, inspiring followers like freee (2012) and Money Forward (2014)[1].
A-SaaS rode the global SaaS wave tailored to Japan's conservative accounting sector, where SMEs and tax firms lagged in cloud adoption due to entrenched on-premises systems from oligopolistic vendors[1][3]. Its 2009 timing was ideal, predating and influencing rivals like freee and Money Forward, while aligning with Forrester-predicted rapid SaaS growth in Japan—fueled by SMB digitization, bank/credit card integrations, and investor interest from firms like Fidelity and Arbor[1][3]. Market forces like Japan's $10.5-11.8B SaaS market in 2024 favored it, as cloud solutions reduced costs and improved efficiency for 35,000 accounting offices[3][5]. Post-acquisition by freee, A-SaaS amplified the ecosystem by consolidating users into a dominant platform, accelerating Japan's shift from legacy software and boosting overall SMB productivity[3][6].
Post-2022 acquisition, A-SaaS's legacy lives on within freee, likely powering expanded features for its combined user base amid Japan's maturing SaaS ecosystem. Rising AI-driven automation, regulatory changes for digital tax filing, and SMB globalization will shape its influence, with freee leveraging A-SaaS's tax accountant network for deeper penetration. Expect evolved dominance in a market shifting to integrated fintech stacks, solidifying A-SaaS's pioneering role from startup innovator to foundational asset in Japan's cloud accounting transformation[3][5][6].
Accounting SaaS Japan has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Series C in December 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2016 | $3.0M Series C | Arbor Ventures | |
| Nov 1, 2014 | $9.0M Series B | Arbor Ventures |