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Asia SpecialistExpert Network

VisasQ

Founded
2012Verified confidence
Headquarters
Tokyo, JapanVerified confidence
Region strength
Asia-Pacific
Delivery
Marketplace

Asia's largest expert network and the only publicly listed pure-play expert network company (Tokyo Stock Exchange). Co-founded in 2012 by Eiko Hashiba, Tatsuya Aizawa, and Soshi Hanamura, VisasQ pioneered spot consulting in Japan and went global through its $102M acquisition of Coleman Research in 2021.

  • Japan market leadership
  • Only listed expert network
  • East-West bridge
  • 700K+ global experts
Compare VisasQVisit website(opens in a new tab)
Experts
800K+Verified confidence
LinkedIn (2025)
~500Verified confidence
Per-call pricing with spot consulting marketplace model in Japan
Per-callVerified confidence

Services

  • Expert Calls
  • Spot Consulting
  • Surveys
  • Asia Research
  • Events
  • Text Q&A
Verified confidence

Buyer fit

Best for

  • Japanese Market
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Cross-Border Research
  • Life Sciences

When not ideal

  • No Asia research needs
  • Want pure-tech AI platform
  • Concerned about financial stability
  • US-only focus

Key strengths Verified confidence

  • Only publicly listed pure-play expert network company globally — unmatched transparency and governance
  • Dominant position in Japan with 175,000+ experts — no competitor comes close in Japanese market coverage
  • Combined VISASQ/COLEMAN creates unique East-West bridge with 700,000+ experts in 190 countries
  • Self-service spot consulting marketplace in Japan enables rapid, low-friction expert access
  • Diversified service portfolio: Interview, Now (text Q&A), Lite, Report, and Partner offerings
  • Founder-led: CEO Eiko Hashiba's vision and leadership since 2012 provides strategic continuity
  • Dedicated Life Sciences team strengthens healthcare and pharma coverage globally
  • 7 global offices ensure local presence in major financial centers across Asia, US, and Europe
  • Advisory board includes Prof. Motoshige Itoh (U. Tokyo) and Shinjiro Iwata (former Nintendo executive)

Watch-outs Verified confidence

  • JPY 14.6B goodwill write-off in April 2024 signals challenges in Coleman integration
  • Stock price down 84%+ from September 2021 peak, trading below IPO price
  • Current market cap (~$42.7M) is less than half the $102M paid for Coleman alone
  • US revenue underperformance due to M&A market slowdown pressured overall growth
  • Dual-platform architecture (VisasQ marketplace + Coleman service model) creates integration complexity
  • Net worth dropped to JPY 302M after goodwill write-off, though cash position remains strong
  • Brand recognition outside Japan is primarily through the Coleman name, not VisasQ

Deep dive

1OverviewVerified confidence

VisasQ is the only publicly listed pure-play expert network company in the world, trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since March 2020. Co-founded in 2012 by Eiko Hashiba, Tatsuya Aizawa, and Soshi Hanamura, VisasQ pioneered the concept of 'spot consulting' in Japan, creating a marketplace where professionals could share their expertise in short, focused consultations. Hashiba — a Goldman Sachs, L'Oréal, and Unison Capital alumna with an MIT Sloan MBA — serves as CEO and Representative Director.

The company's defining moment came in August 2021 when it acquired US-based Coleman Research for $102 million — a bold move given that Coleman had more than twice VisasQ's revenue at the time. The combined entity, operating as VISASQ/COLEMAN, now has 700,000+ experts globally (175,000+ in Japan alone), approximately 500 employees, and 7 offices spanning Tokyo, New York, Raleigh, Boston, San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong, and London.

VisasQ's trailing twelve-month revenue stands at approximately $64.6 million, though the company has faced challenges. A prolonged US M&A slowdown caused Coleman's revenue to underperform, leading to a JPY 14.6 billion goodwill write-off in April 2024 and a decline in VisasQ's stock price of over 84% from its September 2021 peak. Despite these headwinds, VisasQ maintains a strong cash position and continues to invest in platform integration, AI capabilities (including the appointment of a Chief AI Officer in January 2025), and global expansion.

The company's advisory board includes notable figures such as Prof. Motoshige Itoh (University of Tokyo economist and former government advisor) and Shinjiro Iwata (former Nintendo executive), reflecting VisasQ's connections to Japan's business and academic elite.

2HistoryVerified confidence

Eiko Hashiba co-founded VisasQ (originally as Walkntalk Inc.) in 2012 alongside Tatsuya Aizawa and Soshi Hanamura, after a career spanning Goldman Sachs, L'Oréal Japan, and private equity firm Unison Capital. Hashiba, a University of Tokyo economics graduate who later attended MIT Sloan, was inspired by Steve Jobs' 'connecting the dots' philosophy. She recognized that Japan had no equivalent to the expert network services common in Western finance, and set out to build one.

The early years were challenging — Hashiba personally attended business events and made cold calls to recruit experts. But by acting first in an unserved market, VisasQ achieved dominance in Japanese spot consulting. In 2013, the company was selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a promising startup. The company rebranded from Walkntalk to VisasQ in 2015 and continued growing, earning J-Startup designation from METI in 2018.

VisasQ went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers market on March 10, 2020. Just months after the IPO, in July 2020, VisasQ partnered with DeepBench, investing $300K in the AI-powered expert matching platform. Eighteen months after the IPO, in August 2021, the company made its boldest move: acquiring US-based Coleman Research for $102 million. Coleman had $43.8 million in revenue — more than double VisasQ's — and brought 260,000+ experts and 300+ clients. Kevin Coleman remained as CEO. The deal was funded partly through new share issuance.

Post-acquisition, the combined entity expanded capabilities, launching a dedicated US Life Sciences team in July 2023. However, integration faced headwinds. A US M&A slowdown dragged Coleman's revenues below expectations, forcing VisasQ to write off JPY 14.6 billion in goodwill in April 2024. VisasQ's net worth dropped to JPY 302 million, though a strong cash position maintained creditor confidence.

In January 2025, VisasQ appointed Ilya Vadeiko as Chief AI Officer (CAIO), signaling a renewed focus on AI-driven platform capabilities and expert matching technology.

  1. 2012Co-founded as Walkntalk Inc. by Eiko Hashiba, Tatsuya Aizawa, and Soshi Hanamura in Tokyo
  2. 2013Selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a promising startup
  3. 2015Rebranded from Walkntalk to VisasQ
  4. 2018Earned J-Startup designation from METI
  5. 2020 (March 10)IPO on Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market at JPY 1,300 per share
  6. 2020 (July)Partnered with DeepBench, investing $300K in AI-powered expert matching platform
  7. 2021 (August)Announced acquisition of US-based Coleman Research for $102 million
  8. 2021 (November)Coleman acquisition completed; combined entity reached 400,000+ experts
  9. 2023 (January)Co-branded as VISASQ/COLEMAN with new unified visual identity
  10. 2023 (July)Launched dedicated US Life Sciences team to expand healthcare and pharma coverage
  11. 2024 (April)Recorded JPY 14.6B goodwill write-off on Coleman due to US market slowdown
  12. 2024 (November)Combined entity reached 700,000+ experts across 7 global offices
  13. 2025 (January)Appointed Ilya Vadeiko as Chief AI Officer (CAIO) to lead AI strategy
  14. 2026 (March)Launched AI Scout, giving clients direct 24/7 access to its AI expert-matching engine with profiles returned in under five minutes
  15. 2026 (August)Opened first Latin American office in Bogotá, Colombia, to support U.S. business; network reported at over 800,000 experts across 190 countries (as of end of March 2026)
3Services in detailVerified confidence
VisasQ Interview (Spot Consulting)
VisasQ's original and flagship service — a marketplace platform enabling companies to book 1-hour focused consultations with industry experts. The self-service model allows clients to browse expert profiles, request consultations, and schedule calls directly through the platform. Available as both self-service (Japan) and full-service (global via Coleman).
VisasQ Now (Text Q&A)
An asynchronous text-based Q&A service where clients submit questions and receive written expert responses. Designed for quick, targeted insights when a full consultation call isn't necessary. Popular with Japanese corporate clients for rapid market intelligence.
VisasQ Lite
A streamlined, lower-cost consultation format for shorter engagements and smaller budgets. Provides access to the same expert network with simplified booking and reduced overhead.
VisasQ Report
Custom research reports compiled by VisasQ's in-house team, combining expert insights with desk research for comprehensive industry analysis and market assessment.
VisasQ Partner
An enterprise partnership program offering dedicated account management, volume-based pricing, and customized workflows for institutional clients with recurring expert network needs.
Expert Consultations (Global via Coleman)
Traditional expert network service provided through the Coleman platform, connecting clients with vetted industry experts for one-on-one calls. Supported by dedicated project managers in 7 global offices with deep coverage across financial services, healthcare, technology, and industrials.
Cross-Border Asia Research
The combined entity's unique capability — bridging 175,000+ Japanese experts with Coleman's US/European network for seamless cross-border research. Particularly valuable for investors evaluating Japan market entry, M&A targets, or Asia-Pacific competitive dynamics.
Survey Services
Quantitative survey research leveraging the 700,000+ combined expert network for targeted B2B sampling across Japanese, Asian, US, and European markets.
Industry Events & Roundtables
Curated events connecting clients with senior industry experts for group discussions and networking, leveraging VisasQ's deep relationships in the Japanese business community.
4AI & platformVerified confidence

VisasQ operates a dual-platform architecture: the original VisasQ spot consulting marketplace (optimized for the Japanese market with self-service expert search and booking) and the Coleman platform (a service-led model with project manager support for global clients). The company is progressively integrating these platforms, with AI-driven expert search spanning the combined 700,000+ expert database. In July 2020, VisasQ invested $300K in DeepBench, an AI-powered expert matching platform, to enhance its technology capabilities. In January 2025, the company appointed Ilya Vadeiko as Chief AI Officer (CAIO), signaling a strategic commitment to AI-driven expert matching and platform innovation. Multilingual capabilities support Japanese, English, and other languages for cross-border research.

  • Self-service spot consulting marketplace with direct expert booking (Japan)
  • AI-driven expert search across 700,000+ professionals in 190 countries
  • DeepBench partnership ($300K investment) for AI-powered expert matching technology
  • Chief AI Officer (CAIO) appointed January 2025 to lead AI strategy
  • Multilingual platform supporting Japanese, English, and other languages
  • Integrated cross-border research tools spanning Asian and Western markets
  • Compliance screening automation across multiple regulatory jurisdictions
  • Centralized project management across 7 global offices
5ComplianceVerified confidence

As the only publicly listed pure-play expert network company, VisasQ operates under the enhanced governance and transparency requirements of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Chief Compliance Officer Conrad Gordon oversees the combined VISASQ/COLEMAN entity's compliance frameworks, which are aligned with Japanese FSA regulations, US SEC requirements, and European/Asian regulatory standards. The compliance program includes expert identity protection protocols, anti-circumvention policies, and specific MNPI controls for each interaction type. Coleman's 20+ year compliance culture provides a strong foundation for the combined entity's global operations. Quarterly financial reporting and audited disclosures provide clients and investors with unprecedented transparency into the company's operations.

  • Publicly listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange — highest governance standards in the expert network industry
  • CCO Conrad Gordon leads global compliance across all jurisdictions
  • Japanese FSA-aligned compliance policies for domestic operations
  • Coleman's 20+ year compliance culture for US and European operations
  • Expert identity protection protocols across all engagement types
  • Anti-circumvention policies to prevent unauthorized direct contact
  • Multi-jurisdictional compliance spanning Japan, US, UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore
  • MNPI monitoring and specific controls for each expert interaction
  • Enforced cooling-off periods with regulatory-specific adaptations
  • Quarterly audited financial reporting as a public company
  • Complete audit trail across all platforms
6Client fitInference confidence

VisasQ's combined platform is uniquely positioned for clients needing cross-border research spanning Japan/Asia and Western markets. The spot consulting marketplace is ideal for Japanese companies seeking quick expert access, while the Coleman service model serves global institutional clients. The dedicated US Life Sciences team (launched July 2023) strengthens healthcare and pharma coverage. The platform is less differentiated for clients focused exclusively on US or European markets with no Asian research needs.

  • Investors evaluating Japanese and Asian market opportunities or M&A targets
  • Consulting firms conducting cross-border research spanning Asian and Western markets
  • Japanese corporations seeking domestic spot consulting and industry expertise
  • Life sciences and healthcare companies needing specialized pharma/biotech experts
  • Financial institutions needing compliance-first expert access across multiple jurisdictions
  • Companies entering or expanding in the Japan/Asia-Pacific market
7Notable factsVerified confidence
  • Only publicly listed pure-play expert network company in the world (Tokyo Stock Exchange, since March 2020)
  • Co-founded by Eiko Hashiba, Tatsuya Aizawa, and Soshi Hanamura in 2012
  • Hashiba's career spans Goldman Sachs, L'Oréal Japan, Unison Capital, and MIT Sloan
  • Acquired Coleman Research for $102M in 2021 — Coleman had more than twice VisasQ's revenue at the time
  • Combined entity has 700,000+ experts globally, with 175,000+ in Japan alone
  • Trailing twelve-month revenue of approximately $64.6 million across three business segments
  • JPY 14.6 billion goodwill write-off in April 2024 — one of the largest write-offs in expert network history
  • Originally founded as Walkntalk Inc. in 2012; rebranded to VisasQ in 2015
  • Selected by METI as promising startup (2013) and earned J-Startup designation (2018)
  • Invested $300K in DeepBench (July 2020) for AI-powered expert matching
  • Appointed Ilya Vadeiko as Chief AI Officer (CAIO) in January 2025
  • Advisory board includes Prof. Motoshige Itoh (University of Tokyo) and Shinjiro Iwata (former Nintendo exec)
  • Hashiba cites Steve Jobs' 'connecting the dots' Stanford speech as her founding inspiration
  • IPO price was JPY 1,300; stock peaked in September 2021 before declining over 84%
8Source notes & methodology
  • VisasQ corporate website (corp.visasq.co.jp) — company overview, management team, IR disclosures
  • VisasQ IR filings (Tokyo Stock Exchange) — financial reports, goodwill write-off disclosures
  • Bloomberg (August 2021) — Coleman acquisition announcement ($102M)
  • Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times — Eiko Hashiba profile and founding story
  • Eightfold Investor (Substack) — detailed financial analysis including goodwill write-off and stock performance
  • PitchBook — revenue ($64.6M TTM), market cap ($42.7M), and stock performance data
  • PR Newswire (November 2021) — acquisition completion and combined entity details
  • Canaccord Genuity — financial advisor disclosures for the Coleman sale
  • LinkedIn — management team profiles, employee count (~497), company information
  • Crunchbase — co-founder profiles and career backgrounds
  • DeepBench partnership announcement (July 2020) — $300K investment details
  • VisasQ press releases — Life Sciences team launch (July 2023), CAIO appointment (January 2025)
  • METI / J-Startup — government startup designation records
  • November 2026 refresh: AI Scout and Bogotá office sourced from VISASQ/COLEMAN press releases (March 11 and August 3, 2026). Expert count updated to 800K+ per the August release ("over 800,000 experts (as of end of March 2026)"); narrative passages citing 700,000+ reflect the November 2024 figure. Employee count was not re-verified.
9Data confidence ratings

Each data point in this profile is graded for source confidence. Here's what each badge means:

Verified confidence
Confirmed by official company disclosures, regulatory filings, or multiple independent sources.
Positioning confidence
Based on company marketing claims or self-reported data that could not be independently verified.
Inference confidence
Estimated or inferred from indirect evidence, third-party aggregators, or industry context.
Partially unverifiable confidence
Some aspects verified but full claim cannot be independently confirmed (e.g., private company financials from third-party estimates).

This profile's ratings

FoundedVerified confidence
HeadquartersVerified confidence
Expert countVerified confidence
Employee countVerified confidence
Pricing modelVerified confidence
ServicesVerified confidence
ComplianceVerified confidence
OverviewVerified confidence
HistoryVerified confidence
Services in detailVerified confidence
AI & platformVerified confidence
Compliance (detailed)Verified confidence
Client fitInference confidence
StrengthsVerified confidence
CaveatsVerified confidence
Notable factsVerified confidence
10How we researched this

This profile was researched and written by the ExpertNetworks.net editorial team using a multi-source methodology:

  1. Primary sources: Company website, press releases, SEC/regulatory filings, and official announcements
  2. Third-party verification: Industry reports (Integrity Research, Inex One), news coverage (TechCrunch, Bloomberg, FT), and data aggregators (PitchBook, Tracxn, Crunchbase)
  3. Cross-referencing: Claims were checked against multiple independent sources where possible; single-source claims are flagged
  4. Confidence grading: Each data point is rated as Verified, Positioning (company-claimed), or Inference (estimated from indirect evidence)

We do not accept payment from any expert network for inclusion or favorable coverage. If you spot an error, contact us with the correction and source.

Last fact-checked:

Industries served

  • Financial Services
  • Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Life Sciences
  • Consumer
  • Industrials
  • Manufacturing

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