Global Brain has invested in Smart Shuzen Co., Ltd. (Smart Shuzen), a provider of cost estimation and contractor selection support services for large-scale building repairs, through its TAKANAWA GATEWAY Global Co-Benefits Fund L.P. (TAKANAWA Fund). While the market for large-scale building repairs is massive, worth several trillion yen, opaque trading practices rooted in information asymmetry remain deeply entrenched. Founded on Representative Director Kenjiro Toyoda’s own strong sense of urgency regarding these issues, Smart Shuzen aims to tackle these structural industry challenges through a transparent business model based entirely on success fees. In addition to its unique positioning, Smart Shuzen’s core strength lies in its overwhelming sales productivity and accumulation of data assets. Its data-driven strategy—which involves building a database of estimate data at the line-item level to enable AI-powered automatic assessments and demand forecasting—serves as a powerful moat against existing players. Smart Shuzen has already achieved Product-Market Fit (PMF) by sustaining a high conversion rate from estimate requests to closed deals, expanding its client base from condominium management associations to real estate funds and business corporations. Global Brain has decided to invest in Smart Shuzen because of its expertise in large-scale building repairs and potential to become a platform that preserves buildings—public assets of society—for the next generation. Global Brain will contribute to Smart Shuzen’s business growth as the startup strives to become the de facto standard in the building revitalization sector.

About Smart Shuzen

Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Kenjiro Toyoda
Founded: January 2022
URL: https://smart-shuzen.jp/company
(Available only in Japanese)

About TAKANAWA Fund

Name: TAKANAWA GATEWAY Global Co-Benefits Fund L.P.
General Partner: Global Brain Corporation
Fund Size: Up to approximately JPY 10 billion (planned)
Fund Term: 10 years

About Global Brain

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Yasuhiko Yurimoto
Founded: January 1998
URL: https://globalbrains.com

Global Brain has invested in Smart Shuzen Co., Ltd., a provider of cost estimation and contractor selection support services for large-scale building repairs