Knowledge Work
Category: AI Agents
Japanese startup building a verticalized 'Sales AI Agent OS' and sales-enablement SaaS for enterprise sales teams. Knowledge Work was founded in 2020. The company is led by Koji Asano. Based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $67M. Latest round: Series C. Key investors include World Innovation Lab (WiL), Globis Capital Partners (GCP), Forstartups Capital, Ricoh Japan, ME Innovation Investment, Ajinomoto, Mirai Creation Capital.
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Minato, Tokyo, Japan
- Team size
- 101-500
- Total funding
- $67M
Value proposition
AI-powered sales enablement platform that reduces manual sales prep/admin work and now extends into autonomous AI agents that operate across the sales workflow.
Products and solutions
Knowledge Work SFA/sales enablement SaaS, Sales AI Agent OS (AI meeting prep, proposal generation, sales knowledge management, agentic sales workflow automation), Sales AX Solution suite
Unique value
Multi-product sales AI platform combining knowledge management with agentic automation, tailored to Japanese enterprise sales processes
Target customer
Enterprise and mid-market B2B sales organizations in Japan
Industries served
B2B Sales / Sales Enablement / Enterprise SaaS
Technology advantage
Vertical-specific AI agent architecture for sales workflows; strategic distribution partnership with Ricoh Japan
How they differentiate
Focus on verticalized agentic AI OS purpose-built for sales workflows rather than generic CRM/SFA, with deep Japanese enterprise sales process localization
Main competitors
Sansan (business-card/contact management + sales intelligence), HubSpot Japan, Salesforce (Sales Cloud/Einstein Agent, incumbent CRM/SFA in Japan)
Key partnerships
Ricoh Japan (sales/development partnership), strategic financial and tech investors per Series C announcement (Aug 2026)
Notable customers
NTT Docomo Business, Mizuho Bank, Nissin Foods
Major milestones
2020: Founded by Koji Asano, 2023-11: Series B ¥4.5B, 2024: Additional ¥3.9B cumulative raise, 2026-02: 5 new executive/specialist officers appointed to accelerate Sales AX Solution, 2026-08: Series C 1st close ¥3.5B and launch of 'Sales AI Agent OS' with Ricoh Japan partnership
Growth metrics
Cumulative funding reported at approx. ¥10B+ (~$67M) as of Series C 1st close, August 2026; multi-product SaaS expansion (10 new products planned over 3 years post Series B)
Market positioning
Category leader in Japan's emerging 'Sales AI Agent' space, expanding from SFA/sales enablement into agentic AI OS
Geographic focus
Japan (primary), enterprise B2B sales market
Patents and IP
Patent No. 7428451 — Information processing system, method, and program (registered 2024-01-29).
About Koji Asano
Ex-Link and Motivation Inc. (joined 2003, board director from 2018, launched Motivation Cloud HR SaaS in 2016); Keio University Law degree. Author of bestselling business book "THE TEAM" (100K+ copies).
Latest news about Knowledge Work
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Official website: https://knowledgework.com