HQ

HQ Inc., established in March 2021, is a Japanese firm operating in the HR technology sector with a vision to transform employee benefits from a cost center into a strategic investment. The company was founded by Shoji Sakamoto, whose background includes roles as a technology M&A professional at Morgan Stanley and Carlyle, and later as取締役CFO at LITALICO, where he guided the company through an IPO. This experience in finance and scaling a major enterprise informs HQ's mission to address modern workforce challenges.

The firm has developed a suite of platforms designed to enhance the Employee Experience (EX). Its initial product, "Remote HQ," is a service that helps companies support their employees' remote work environments by providing equipment like desks, chairs, and monitors on a rental basis within a set budget. This service is structured to be non-taxable for the employee.

Building on this, HQ launched "Cafeteria HQ," a next-generation cafeteria plan platform. This system gives employees points that they can use to choose from a variety of benefits, personalized through an AI-powered recommendation engine to match individual needs and lifestyles. The business model for these platforms is primarily subscription-based, targeting companies of all sizes seeking to modernize their benefits programs.

HQ has successfully raised significant capital to fund its growth and product development, including a Series A round of approximately 700 million JPY in November 2022 and a Series B round of about 2 billion JPY in December 2024. These funds are earmarked for developing an expanded "EX Platform," with plans to release seven new products by 2026. Planned additions to their suite include "Coaching HQ" for professional development, "Incentive HQ" for performance-based rewards, and "Childcare Support HQ," among others, demonstrating a comprehensive strategy to cover a wide spectrum of employee needs.

Keywords: employee benefits, HR technology, remote work support, cafeteria plan, employee experience platform, SaaS, corporate wellness, human resources, Shoji Sakamoto, Remote HQ, Cafeteria HQ, non-taxable benefits, AI recommendation, corporate coaching, employee incentives, childcare support, EX platform, strategic HR, employee well-being, HR solutions