Keisuke Honda and Engineer no Mikata Release Talk Video on Investment
Honda's investment in a traditionally unglamorous sector signals a potential revaluation of engineer dispatch as a scalable business, given the structural problems in Japan's IT industry.
Reporting from 1 sources: ASCII.jp.
Keisuke Honda's venture capital firm X&KSK invested in Engineer no Mikata, an engineer dispatch company. A two-part talk video released on YouTube reveals why Honda, who aims to create Japan's first decacorn, backed a business he initially thought was reckless. The conversation covers Japan's multi-tiered subcontracting structure, low engineer salaries, and the role of AI in redefining the industry.
The two-part video, released on June 23 and June 24, 2026, features Honda and Engineer no Mikata president Masayoshi Tashiro. Honda recalls his initial reaction to the investment opportunity: he thought aiming for a decacorn in the engineer dispatch business was reckless. He describes the investment as a 'pleasant miscalculation.' The discussion focuses on Japan's multi-tiered subcontracting structure, which can extend up to five or six tiers, making it difficult for engineers' salaries to rise. Tashiro says the company is directly challenging that structure. The video also addresses how AI could redefine the SES industry, with Tashiro stating that players who already dominate the market have the best chance of winning.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- ASCII.jp 本田圭佑氏 ×「エンジニアのミカタ」 コラボYoutube動画を公開