Strike's M&A Platform 'SMART' Relaunched as Decision Support Hub

Strike Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kazuya Kaneda; hereinafter 'Strike') announced on Saturday, July 11, 2026, the relaunch of its M&A platform 'SMART (Smart)' as an evolved 'decision-support platform for M&A professionals.' Concurrently, the company launched 'SMART M&A Knowledge,' a knowledge media platform dedicated to professionals involved in planning and advancing M&A activities.

Image of 'SMART (Smart)'

Background and Purpose: The 'First Barrier' Faced by M&A Professionals

'SMART' is an M&A platform operated by Strike. Originally launched in 1998 as Japan's first online M&A intermediary market, 'SMART (Strike M&A Rapid Trading system)', it has since supported optimal matchmaking in M&A transactions.

In recent years, an increasing number of companies are considering M&A as a strategic option for business succession and growth. According to Tanabe Consulting's '2025 Corporate Survey on M&A Initiatives,' over half of listed companies have dedicated M&A personnel, highlighting the growing importance of M&A and its professionals in today's corporate landscape.

However, for companies and professionals new to M&A, the initial hurdle extends beyond merely searching for deals. They must gather information necessary for acquisition decisions, organize key points across business, financial, and human resource aspects, assess potential synergies and risks, and structure these insights into a format suitable for internal discussions. Many find themselves stalled at the early information-gathering stage, unsure of where to begin.

To address these challenges, Strike has relaunched SMART, evolving it into a 'decision-support platform for M&A professionals.'

Visit SMART

Key Features and Highlights

Feature ①: Launch of Knowledge Media 'SMART M&A Knowledge' for M&A Professionals

Strike has launched 'SMART M&A Knowledge,' a new knowledge media platform specifically for M&A professionals. It will continuously deliver practical information to help M&A professionals make confident, step-by-step decisions, covering M&A fundamentals, industry-specific market conditions and trends, synergy and risk assessment, and preparations considering due diligence (DD) and post-merger integration (PMI).

Feature ②: Reliability Backed by Over 29 Years of Experience

Leveraging insights from Strike's 29+ years of M&A intermediary services and over 3,600 successful transactions, the platform delivers information that is truly valuable and relevant to practitioners.

Feature ③: Industry Analysis Reports by Experts

In the future, the platform plans to distribute a series of 'Industry Analysis Reports' produced by Strike Strategic Consulting Co., Ltd. (STSC), a member of the Strike Group responsible for M&A strategy consulting. Timely updates can be received by following the SMART Magazine on Strike's official note pro platform, 'STRIKE+'.

Visit STRIKE+

Overview of the M&A Platform 'SMART'

Service Name: M&A Platform 'SMART'

Launch Date: Originally launched in 1998; relaunched in July 2026

Target Audience: Executives and M&A practitioners

URL: https://www.strike.co.jp/smart/

Relaunch Commemoration: Special Dialogue 'Tracing the Origins of SMART'

Special Dialogue: 'Zero-to-One Product Development with Strike's Founder'

As a commemorative initiative, Strike will publish a special dialogue between Kunihiko Arai, President & CEO of Strike Group, and Shin Yamamoto, CEO of CoPalette Inc., operator of CraftStadium.

The theme is 'The Origins of SMART.' The discussion will cover Arai's personal journey of learning HTML nearly 30 years ago to create the first-generation SMART, the challenges of handling M&A information online, balancing anonymity with usefulness, principles of information design, and the critical role of sales in delivering a product.

Special Dialogue: 'Zero-to-One Product Development with Strike's Founder'

Read the Article Here

About the New Product Logo

Old and new logos of SMART

For this relaunch, Strike collaborated with Lightlight Co., Ltd. and Hazama Design LLC, with designer Isamu Yabuki, to refresh the website and logo design. The new product logo embodies SMART's vision of becoming a 'comprehensive M&A platform that brings users closer to confident decisions.'

・Lightlight Co., Ltd.

Lightlight Co., Ltd.

Operating the business succession matching platform 'relay (Relay),' Lightlight promotes 'open business succession.' Through its 'open-name' model, the company publicly shares information from business owners seeking succession, including their motivations and backgrounds, supporting the succession of small businesses in sectors like restaurants, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.

Lightlight Co., Ltd.

・Hazama Design LLC

Hazama Design LLC

A design studio based in the countryside of Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, Hazama Design works across diverse fields including print, websites, products, and publishing. The studio runs initiatives such as the 'Zairin' research project on local timber, the self-publishing label 'between in between,' and the publishing label 'Dōonsha,' focusing on creation rooted in regional materials and culture.

Hazama Design LLC

Upcoming Lineup Announcement

Future distributions will include the 'Industry Analysis Report' series by Strike Strategic Consulting Co., Ltd. (STSC) (link: https://www.strike.co.jp/stsc/), the M&A strategy consulting arm of the Strike Group. Updates can be received promptly by following SMART Magazine on Strike's official note pro platform, 'STRIKE+'.

Visit STRIKE+

Inquiries Regarding This Announcement

Strike Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Strike Co., Ltd.

Business: M&A intermediation

Representative: President & CEO Kazuya Kaneda

TEL: 03-6848-010

Email: [email protected]

Strike Group Co., Ltd.

Company Overview: Strike Group Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Strike Group Co., Ltd.

Stock Exchange: Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities Code: 6196)

Headquarters: 15th Floor, Mitsui Sumitomo Building, 1-2-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Established: July 1997

Capital: 823.74 million yen

Representative: President & CEO Kunihiko Arai

Business: M&A support (M&A intermediation, operation of the M&A platform 'SMART,' M&A strategy consulting, etc.)

URL: https://www.strike.co.jp/group/