Challenge to "truly inherit" a business with a 5 million yen succession support fund. Tranbi begins accepting applications for "Keigyo QUEST," a business succession practical program.

Tranbi Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Satoshi Takahashi), which operates "TRANBI," a business succession and M&A platform with over 230,000 registered users, will host "Keigyo QUEST," a practical business succession program offering a total of 5 million yen in business succession support funds. This initiative, part of the "Keigyo Career Promotion Project," aims to solve the issue of successor absence and support new challenges through business succession. Applications for participation will open on July 9, 2026 (Thu).

Special Website URL: https://www.tranbi.com/service/inherit-quest/

In this initiative, selected challengers will undertake business succession, from deal searching to negotiation and closing, with the support of mentors. Mentors will include experienced business successors and business owners with expertise in various industries. Furthermore, freee K.K. and CAMPFIRE Inc. will newly join as partner companies for the Keigyo Career Promotion Project. Both companies will support the challengers through pitch evaluations and corporate awards. By openly sharing the process of these challenges and support, we aim to foster new successors who will take on business succession.

Background: Deepening Successor Absence and "Keigyo" as a "Fourth Career"

In Japan, the aging of small and medium-sized enterprise owners and the absence of successors remain significant challenges. According to a survey by Teikoku Databank, while the successor absence rate is projected to be 50.1% in 2025, showing a trend of improvement, about half of all companies nationwide still do not have a designated successor (Note 1). "Successor-shortage bankruptcies" due to successor absence and other factors exceeded 500 cases for three consecutive years, reaching 503 cases in 2025 (Note 2). This means many companies, even profitable ones, are forced to close, and unique local technologies, products, services, and employment opportunities are not passed on.

On the other hand, "Keigyo," which involves inheriting an existing business and aiming for new growth by combining one's own or one's company's experience and expertise, not only helps solve the successor absence problem but also offers individuals a chance to shift from being an "employee" to a "manager," providing new fulfillment, income potential, and a different perspective. For corporations, it's an opportunity to expand their business beyond existing operations into new growth areas, essentially broadening their own or their company's stage.

However, pursuing Keigyo requires specialized knowledge and decision-making skills, including securing funds, searching for suitable businesses, assessing business viability, negotiating with sellers, and developing post-succession management plans. For first-time challengers, a significant challenge is proceeding without adequate support or consultation.

Against this backdrop, to address the successor absence issue and promote "Keigyo" as a viable career and business growth option, the "Keigyo Career Promotion Project" was launched in October 2025, with the participation of Professor Shoei Iriyama from the Graduate School of Business Administration/Waseda Business School, Waseda University, and Professor Kensuke Tanaka from the Faculty of Career Design, Hosei University, and Representative Director of the Japan Career Design Association.

And, as part of this project, "Keigyo QUEST," a practical program, was created to support challenges in Keigyo through hands-on experience.

Note 1: Teikoku Databank, "National Survey on Successor Absence Rate (2025)" (Published November 21, 2025)

Note 2: Teikoku Databank, "Bankruptcy Statistics 2025 Annual Report (January-December)" (Published January 13, 2026)

About "Keigyo QUEST"

This initiative is a practical business succession program that provides comprehensive support from deal searching to negotiation and closing for individuals who wish to inherit a business and advance themselves or their companies to the next stage. It emphasizes making the often solitary and behind-the-scenes challenge of business succession open, allowing participants to share their journey with mentors and peers, fostering mutual support, and openly communicating the process of their challenges.

Challengers will be selected from applicants through document screening and online evaluations.

Selected challengers will engage in deal searching and owner interviews, working towards concrete business succession plans with the support of Tranbi community core members who have experience in business succession and management.

Subsequently, they will proceed with negotiations and post-succession business plan development, culminating in a final pitch event where they will present their growth strategies for the business they intend to inherit.

The recipients selected at the final judging will receive a total of 5 million yen in succession support funds. Additionally, freee K.K. will present the "freee Award," offering one year of free use of "freee Accounting," and CAMPFIRE Inc. will present the "CAMPFIRE Award," providing support for fundraising through crowdfunding.

Even after the pitch event, continuous mentoring will be provided for negotiations towards closing and post-succession management to facilitate business succession.

* The number of participants advancing through each selection stage and the final award recipients may change depending on application and selection status.

* Specific conditions apply to the succession support funds and support provided by partner companies.

Program Features

Individuals and corporations with the intention to inherit a business can participate, regardless of experience or background.

Anyone with the intention to inherit a business can apply, regardless of individual or corporate status, age, experience, or industry. This includes company employees looking to leverage their experience in management, individuals seeking to utilize their business experience after early retirement, and corporations aiming to enter new business areas.

Conceive post-succession growth plans based on inheriting a deal from TRANBI.

Participants will pitch their plans based on the premise of inheriting and negotiating a deal listed on TRANBI. Challengers will analyze the value and potential of the target business and devise post-succession growth plans utilizing their own experience, skills, and corporate resources.

Mentors with business succession experience and industry expertise will provide support from deal searching to post-succession.

Mentors, including experienced business successors and business owners from the TRANBI user community, will provide support throughout the process, from deal searching and negotiation to refining pitches for the final presentation and post-succession management mentoring. Instead of struggling alone, participants can take their first step towards business succession by learning from experienced individuals and peers.

Total of 5 million yen in business succession support funds will be provided to winners of the final pitch competition.

Winners of the final pitch competition will receive a total of 5 million yen in succession support funds to aid their business succession endeavors. These funds are provided as grants, generally non-repayable (repayment may be required in cases of fraudulent activity or early resale after closing, as stipulated in the application guidelines). Additionally, corporate awards and benefits from partner companies will be provided.

Tentative Schedule

Event Overview

Name: Keigyo QUEST

Organizer: Tranbi Inc.

Keigyo Career Promotion Project Partners: freee K.K., CAMPFIRE Inc.

Content: A practical business succession program providing support from deal searching to closing and post-succession management mentoring.

Duration: July 2026 (Application Start) - February 2027 (Expected Closing). Reporting sessions and management mentoring will be held after closing.

Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 (Fri) 23:59

Participation Fee: Free

Application Requirements: Individuals with the intention to inherit a business. Open to individuals and corporations, regardless of age, experience, or industry.

* Participation in the secondary online screening and final pitch screening is mandatory.

Financial Support: A total of 5 million yen in succession support funds will be provided to the winners (3 individuals planned) of the final pitch screening.

Selection Method: Three stages: primary document screening, secondary online screening, and final pitch screening.

Special Page & Application: https://www.tranbi.com/service/inherit-quest/

Representative's Comment

Satoshi Takahashi, Representative Director, CEO of Tranbi Inc.

"Keigyo QUEST" was created in response to the desire of many individuals who say, "I want to inherit a business someday" or "I want to challenge myself in management." While we've received many such aspirations, we've felt that the biggest hurdles have been handling deal searching, negotiations, and post-succession management alone.

Under the slogan "For your first M&A, choose TRANBI," we have been working to make M&A an accessible option for everyone. "Keigyo QUEST" is a platform that opens up these challenges and provides support with mentors and peers. We believe that transforming business succession into a more familiar option as a "fourth career" and fostering a continuous stream of new successors is precisely the future we aim to create: "A society overflowing with challengers."

Through this program, we hope to contribute to solving the successor absence issue and to the new steps taken by each individual challenger.

Messages from Keigyo Career Promotion Project Partner Companies

freee K.K. and CAMPFIRE Inc. have newly joined as partner companies for the "Keigyo Career Promotion Project." Both companies resonate with the concept of "Keigyo Career," which expands new career formation through business succession, and support "Keigyo QUEST."

Daisuke Sasaki, Representative Director, CEO of freee K.K.

Business succession not only connects the value of a company and its business to the future but also provides an opportunity for the successor to challenge new management. On the other hand, after succession, establishing a foundation to support daily management, such as accounting, HR, and financial management, becomes crucial. We will support the creation of an environment where those challenging Keigyo can proactively engage in post-succession management.

Masaru Nakajima, Representative Director, Executive Officer, CEO of CAMPFIRE Inc.

Business succession is a challenge that involves protecting the business and aspirations built by the previous generation while breathing new life into the business, akin to a "second founding." To ensure a solid first step after succession, securing funds is essential, but so is gathering fans and supporters for the business. Through crowdfunding, we will deliver the passionate aspirations and business appeal of the challengers to society, strongly supporting their endeavors through both funding and fan engagement.

Sponsorship and Patronage

We are seeking sponsoring companies and patrons who agree with our mission to solve the social issue of successor absence and promote Keigyo as a "fourth career" option alongside changing jobs, starting a business, and side hustles.

For sponsorship applications and inquiries: Keigyo QUEST 2026 Secretariat ([email protected])

Keigyo Career Promotion Project Overview

Project Name: Keigyo Career Promotion Project (https://www.tranbi.com/buy/inherit/)

Members:

Tranbi Inc.

Professor Shoei Iriyama, Graduate School of Business Administration/Waseda Business School, Waseda University

Professor Kensuke Tanaka, Faculty of Career Design, Hosei University / Representative Director, Japan Career Design Association

This project aims to promote "Keigyo" as an option that addresses the social issue of successor absence and facilitates career advancement for business professionals amidst diversifying work styles and career paths.

By inheriting an existing business, individuals can acquire management experience and decision-making skills that are difficult to obtain through starting a business from scratch. "Decision-making," a skill unlikely to be replaced by AI, is a crucial skill cultivated in the field of management. Keigyo Career connects business succession with proactive career formation as a new option.

About the Business Succession and M&A Matching Platform "TRANBI"

TRANBI launched in 2011 as a business succession and M&A matching platform. It provides an online space where anyone, anywhere in the country, can connect with those looking to "sell" and those looking to "buy" businesses, regardless of whether they are corporations or individuals, or their industry or business size, aiming to realize a society where anyone can challenge M&A.

It offers sellers the ability to anonymously list their businesses and provides support services, while buyers can search for and negotiate businesses that meet their criteria. Furthermore, in collaboration with financial institutions, local governments, and business succession support centers nationwide, TRANBI focuses on supporting regional small M&A deals and companies facing successor absence.

In 2021, the fee structure was revamped from a traditional success fee model to a monthly flat-rate system, making it more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals.

Under the slogan "For your first M&A, choose TRANBI," TRANBI is expanding the reach of M&A through initiatives such as support services for sellers and an online community (over 6,000 participants) connecting users aspiring to engage in side businesses and M&A. Currently, the platform has over 230,000 registered users and is utilized by a wide range of people.

【Company Name】: Tranbi Inc. (https://www.tranbi.com)

【Representative Director】Satoshi Takahashi

【Established】: April 2016

【Business Description】: Planning and operation of the M&A platform "TRANBI," and other related businesses.

Primarily provides a service that directly matches business sellers and buyers online. By abolishing success fees, it operates as an M&A platform accessible to small businesses regardless of scale.

* Official note https://note.com/tranbi

* Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tranbima/

* X https://twitter.com/tranbi_tw

* Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tranbi_ma/

* Success and Case Study Interviews https://www.tranbi.com/school/successful/

* Keigyo QUEST Special Page https://www.tranbi.com/service/inherit-quest/

<Inquiries regarding the Keigyo Career Promotion Project and Keigyo QUEST>

Keigyo QUEST 2026 Secretariat [email protected]

<Inquiries from Media and Press>

Tranbi Inc. Public Relations [email protected]