Research

Startia Holdings: Office IT seller pursues roll-up M&A under a new president

Startia Holdings, Inc. (3393) · Initiated coverage 2026-10-21 · Beluuga AI Research Team · Independent research

Not investment advice or a solicitation. See Important disclosures below.

Business overview

  • Startia Holdings is a holding company with ten consolidated subsidiaries. Its customers are mainly small and mid-sized companies in Japan. It reports three segments: IT Infrastructure, DX Solutions and CVC (corporate venture capital).
  • IT Infrastructure is the larger segment. It sells, installs and maintains multifunction printers and business phones, builds networks and cloud systems, resells fiber and ISP services, and supplies retail electricity and LED lighting. It also earns incentive fees from carriers for signing up phone lines. Its subsidiaries include a majority-owned joint venture with Fujifilm Business Innovation Japan in Nara, which began operating in April 2024.
  • DX Solutions sells the Cloud CIRCUS marketing SaaS suite, the RoboTANGO automation tool, the JENKA integration tool, web production and AI-related consulting. The CVC segment invests in IT start-ups, has no revenue, and has no dedicated staff. The group had 974 employees at March 31, 2026.
  • Segments were redrawn twice. From the year to March 2026, the automation and integration tools moved from IT Infrastructure into the former Digital Marketing segment, which was renamed DX Solutions. From the first quarter of the year to March 2027, a web-solutions business moved into DX Solutions, and the subsidiary renamed Startia Technos now reports in both segments.

Investment case

  1. The annual securities report for the year to March 2026 states that revenue and profit rose to record highs. The first-quarter earnings release for the year to March 2027 reports the same for that quarter (see Performance & Balance).
  2. Cash exceeds borrowings at both the year-end and the first-quarter balance sheet dates (see Performance & Balance). In the year to March 2026 the company paid dividends and bought back its own shares. Its articles let the board, rather than the shareholders' meeting, decide dividends.
  3. The medium-term plan announced on May 22, 2025, covering the years to March 2028, sets separate revenue and operating-profit targets for existing businesses and for acquisitions and synergies. It also sets a return-on-equity target, which makes capital efficiency a stated, measurable goal.
  4. In IT Infrastructure, the company reports that customers kept their maintenance contracts after a price increase. It also reports rising orders for recurring products such as retail electricity, fiber services and its corporate support service.

Bear case

  1. The company's own risk disclosure states that demand for multifunction printers and their maintenance is gradually declining. It cites office paperless initiatives and the consolidation of regional offices, along with price competition on equipment and per-page service fees.
  2. A large part of the plan's growth target depends on acquisitions that have not yet been made. The company warns that deals may proceed more slowly than planned, and that weak post-merger integration could lead to goodwill impairments (see Performance & Balance).
  3. For DX Solutions, the company states that its business model sits between AI infrastructure providers and customers. If AI and customer skills advance faster than expected, the value it adds could shrink. It also reports higher costs from overseas cloud and API vendors because of inflation and the weak yen.
  4. The first-quarter release notes that IT Infrastructure was affected by changes in regional staffing. The annual report states that hiring has not kept pace with plans in recent years.

Catalysts

  • Results for the six months to September 2026, for which the company has published a first-half forecast. The second quarter is also one of the two quarters in which manufacturer volume rebates are normally booked.
  • Announcements of roll-up acquisitions in IT Infrastructure and of acquisitions in AI, digital marketing and business-process services in DX Solutions. These are measured against the plan's targets for the year to March 2028.
  • Investment exits from the CVC portfolio, which the company says will be its focus. Separately, the company sold its entire equity-method stake in kubell Storage in January 2026.

Key risks

  • Manufacturer rebates on equipment purchases are normally booked in the second and fourth quarters. The company states that this makes quarterly operating profit swing widely.
  • In retail electricity, the group buys power mainly on the Japan Electric Power Exchange and from generators. A lag between price spikes and pass-through to customers could weaken short-term cash flow.
  • The company holds listed and unlisted, mostly IT-related, investment securities, and some unlisted holdings are in foreign currencies. Market declines, failures of investee companies or currency moves could reduce their value.
  • Control and succession: the largest shareholder is an individual who chaired the board as representative director and president. Under a June 2026 shareholders' meeting proposal, that person became representative chairman and the executive vice president became representative president. The company has not adopted a basic policy on persons who control its financial and business decisions (see Shareholders).

Trading liquidity

Median daily trading value US$0.58mn
Average daily volume 37,172 shares

2025-10-03 to 2026-10-20 (250 trading days). Trading value is daily closing price × daily volume on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Assumptions

  • Financial figures on this page come from beluuga.ai's daily data set; trading liquidity is measured over the period shown. We do not use consensus estimates.
  • Segment results are not directly comparable with earlier reports, because segment boundaries changed in the year to March 2026 and again in the first quarter of the year to March 2027. Prior-period figures were restated on the new basis only in the document that introduced each change.
  • The first-quarter figures for the year to March 2027 were not reviewed by an auditor. That quarterly release includes no cash-flow statement.
  • Qualitative statements are taken from the annual securities report for the year to March 2026, filed June 16, 2026, and the first-quarter earnings release for the year to March 2027, filed August 7, 2026.

This is independent research. No company paid for or reviewed it. We do not publish ratings, price targets or buy/sell views. Figures on the other slides of this page come from beluuga.ai's daily data set.

Important disclosures

No offer or solicitation. This material is provided for information purposes only. It is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security or other financial instrument in the United States or in any other jurisdiction, and it is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. It is not directed at, and may not be relied on by, any person in any jurisdiction where its publication or availability would be contrary to law or regulation.

Not investment advice. This material is general and impersonal. It does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any reader, and it is not tailored to any person. It is published to all readers on the same terms and on a regular basis, and no reader receives advice on the merits of any security for their own account. Readers should make their own independent decisions and consult their own legal, tax, accounting and investment advisers before making any investment.

Regulatory status. Beluuga AI, Inc. is not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any state securities authority as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, is not registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is not a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). It is not registered as a Financial Instruments Business Operator under Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. This material is not a research report prepared by a FINRA member firm and is not subject to FINRA Rule 2241, Regulation Analyst Certification (Regulation AC) or the other U.S. rules that govern broker-dealer research. The SEC, FINRA and the Financial Services Agency of Japan have not reviewed, approved or passed on the merits or accuracy of this material.

European Union and European Economic Area. Beluuga AI, Inc. is not authorised or supervised by any national competent authority in the European Union or the European Economic Area, including under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II). This material is not investment advice, a personal recommendation or investment research within the meaning of MiFID II, and it is not a prospectus or other offering document under the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129. It has not been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) for investment recommendations and is not intended to be relied on as one.

United Kingdom. Beluuga AI, Inc. is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This material has not been approved by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and is not intended as an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity.

Singapore. Beluuga AI, Inc. does not hold a capital markets services licence under the Securities and Futures Act 2001 or a financial adviser's licence under the Financial Advisers Act 2001, and is not regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). This material is not an offer or invitation for subscription or purchase of securities, has not been registered as a prospectus with the MAS, and is not advice on investment products within the meaning of the Financial Advisers Act 2001.

Other jurisdictions. Beluuga AI, Inc. is not licensed or registered to provide investment advice or dealing services in any jurisdiction. Readers are responsible for complying with the laws and regulations that apply to them where they are located.

Securities of Japanese issuers. The securities discussed are issued by companies incorporated in Japan and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. They may not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, and the issuers may not be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Information about these issuers may be less extensive than information about U.S. issuers, and their financial statements are prepared under Japanese GAAP, IFRS or U.S. GAAP as each issuer elects. U.S. persons may face restrictions, tax consequences and practical limits on buying, holding or selling these securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve risks that include currency movements, lower trading liquidity, and differences in market practice, corporate governance and legal protection.

Currency. Amounts shown in US$ are converted from Japanese yen at a mid-market rate for convenience only. They are not the amounts an investor would receive, and changes in exchange rates may cause the value of a yen-denominated investment to fall in US$ terms even if its value in yen does not.

Sources, accuracy and forward-looking statements. This material is based on the issuers' public disclosure documents and on market data, and it was prepared with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by the Beluuga AI Research Team. We believe the sources to be reliable but do not guarantee that the information is accurate, complete or current, and the material may contain errors. Statements about the future, including catalysts and risks, are assumptions and are not guarantees; actual results may differ materially. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The material speaks only as of its date, and we have no obligation to update it. Where the issuer's original disclosure is in Japanese, the Japanese original prevails over any English description given here.

Interests. Beluuga AI, Inc., its affiliates, and their officers and employees may hold, buy or sell securities of the companies discussed, and may provide services to those companies or to other parties with interests in them. Where a company paid for the research, this is stated at the top of this page and above.

Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Beluuga AI, Inc. nor its affiliates accept any liability for any loss arising from the use of this material or its contents. This material may not be reproduced or redistributed, in whole or in part, without our prior written consent, except through the share functions on this page.

Overview
Wholesale Trade

Startia Holdings,Inc.

Startia Holdings is a holding company operating across three segments: Digital Marketing, IT Infrastructure, and CVC. Its Digital Marketing segment offers Cloud CIRCUS, an integrated SaaS suite targeting SMEs with tools covering content publishing, lead generation, customer engagement, and churn prevention. Its IT Infrastructure segment provides network and system integration, business phones, MFPs, and cloud solutions under a 'Total Office Solution' framework, while its CVC segment invests in and supports IT venture companies leveraging the group's customer base and solution capabilities.

Market Cap
¥30.5B
US$194M
EV
¥26.3B
US$167M
Stock¥3,245▲+2.20%
US$1 = ¥157.05 (2026-10-22)
LTM EV/EBITDA
7.0
x
LTM EV/EBIT
7.8
x
LTM PER
12.6
x
LTM PBR
3.8
x
Stock vs TOPIX (1Y, base=100)vs TOPIX ▼-6.9%pt
1001
Oct 22, 25 – Oct 22, 26StockTOPIX
1Feb 16, 26Strong Q3 earnings
MC → EV Bridge
30.5BUS$194MMarket Cap2.56BUS$16.3M+ Debt6.72BUS$42.8M− Cash0.13BUS$0.80M− Inv. Sec.0.08BUS$0.51M+ NCI26.3BUS$167MEV
AI Briefing
Startia HD: holding company pairing Cloud CIRCUS digital marketing SaaS with IT infrastructure/office solutions for Japanese SMEs. FY26/3 revenue ¥23.8B, OP ¥3.2B (13.6% margin), steadily improving profitability and margins over four years. Founder-controlled (25.5% stake) small-cap at ¥29.8B market cap; recurring SaaS mix supports a steady growth narrative.
Performance & Balance
Revenue 5Y (¥B)
16.0US$102M'22/320.0US$127M'23/319.6US$125M'24/322.2US$141M'25/323.8US$151M'26/3
EBITDA 5Y (¥B)
0.63US$3.99M'22/32.20US$14.0M'23/32.65US$16.8M'24/33.16US$20.1M'25/33.67US$23.4M'26/3
Net Income 5Y (¥B)
0.96US$6.10M'22/31.21US$7.72M'23/31.55US$9.84M'24/31.96US$12.5M'25/32.32US$14.8M'26/3
Capital Structure
76%
24%
EquityD/E 0.32xDebt
Liquidity vs Debt 5Y (¥B)▲ Net Cash
CashInv. Sec.Debt
4.06US$25.8M3.53US$22.5M'22/35.23US$33.3M3.14US$20.0M'23/37.75US$49.4M4.15US$26.4M'24/36.72US$42.8M3.11US$19.8M'25/37.81US$49.7M2.90US$18.4M'26/3
Shareholders
Top 10 hold 47.6%
1
Hideyuki HONGO
25.52%
2
Custody Bank of Japan, Ltd. (Trust Account E)
4.16%
3
Startia Holdings,Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Association
3.70%
4
BNY GCM CLIENT ACCOUNT JPRD AC ISG (FE-AC) (Standing Proxy: MUFG Bank, Ltd.)
2.39%
5
Akira ZAIGA
2.28%
6
Masakatsu FURUKAWA
2.12%
7
Tomohiro YOSHIDA
1.95%
8
Satoru GENNAI
1.90%
9
HIKARI TSUSHIN,INC.
1.82%
10
Custody Bank of Japan, Ltd. (Trust Account)
1.74%
Management
7 officers
Hideyuki HONGO
Representative Director, Chairman
Oct 1986 Joined Kita-Nihon Maruhachi Mawata Co., Ltd. Aug 1992 Joined Shigai Denwa Service Co., Ltd. Sep 1993 Joined General Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd. Jul 1994 Joined Nihon Digital Tsushin Co., Ltd. Feb 1996 Established Telecom Net Ltd. (now the Company), Representative Director, President Oct 1996 Reorganized into N.D. Telecom Co., Ltd. (now the Company), Representative Director, President Apr 2006 Director, Startia Energy Co., Ltd. Apr 2007 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Apr 2009 Director, Startia Labo Co., Ltd. (now Cloud Circus Co., Ltd.) Mar 2013 Executive Director, Shanghai Sida Dianya Information System Co., Ltd. Jun 2013 Director, Hongma Digital Technology Co., Ltd.; Director, Gendai Agency Co., Ltd. Feb 2017 Director, IMJ Investment Partners Pte. Ltd. (now Spiral Ventures Pte. Ltd.) Feb 2017 Director, Y&P Holdings Pte. Ltd. Mar 2018 Representative Director, General Incorporated Foundation Hoshinowa (now Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Hoshinowa) (current) Sep 2018 Representative Director, Kumamoto Sosei Kigyoka Network General Incorporated Association (now Kumamoto Innovation Base General Incorporated Association) May 2019 Group Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO) Jun 2021 President/Director, Startia Asia Pte. Ltd. Jun 2021 Director, Startia Will Co., Ltd. Jul 2021 Director, SIKI Co., Ltd. Dec 2021 Founding Director, Kumamoto Sosei Kigyoka Network General Incorporated Association (now Kumamoto Innovation Base General Incorporated Association) Apr 2022 Director, Startia Asia Pte. Ltd. (current) Jan 2023 Director, xIB JAPAN General Incorporated Association (current) Apr 2023 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jun 2023 Representative Director, Kumamoto Innovation Base General Incorporated Association (current) Jun 2026 Representative Director, Chairman (current)
1966-05-01
Kenichi KITAMURA
Representative Director, President
Jun 2001 Joined N.D. Telecom Co., Ltd. (now the Company) Apr 2008 Executive Officer, the Company; General Manager, Internet Media Content Business Division Apr 2009 Representative Director, President, Startia Labo Co., Ltd. (now Cloud Circus Co., Ltd.) Apr 2010 General Manager, Web Solutions Business Division, the Company Apr 2012 Managing Executive Officer, the Company Jan 2019 Director, Asia Quest Co., Ltd. May 2019 Managing Executive Officer of the Group (in charge of Digital Marketing Business) Jun 2020 Director, the Company Jun 2020 Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Startia Labo Co., Ltd. (now Cloud Circus Co., Ltd.) Jul 2021 Representative Director, CEO, Cloud Circus Co., Ltd. Jun 2024 Director, the Company Jun 2024 Director, Startia Raise Co., Ltd. (now Startia Technos Co., Ltd.) Apr 2025 Executive Officer, COO and General Manager, Business Strategy Headquarters, the Company Apr 2025 Director, Cloud Circus Co., Ltd. Apr 2025 Director, Startia Co., Ltd. Apr 2026 Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, the Company Jun 2026 Representative Director, President (current)
1977-09-23
Tetsuhiro NAKAMOTO
Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member
Apr 1996 Joined Nippon Kogyo Ginko (now Mizuho Bank, Ltd.) Feb 2006 Director, IBJ Inc. Oct 2007 Representative Director, Bridal Net Co., Ltd. Dec 2008 Representative Director and Executive Vice President, IBJ Inc. Aug 2013 Representative Director, TNnetwork Co., Ltd. (current) Apr 2014 Representative Director, Ai Konkatsu Co., Ltd. Dec 2016 Representative Director, Kamome Co., Ltd. Mar 2017 Representative Director, IBJ Life Design Support Co., Ltd. Apr 2017 Representative Director, IBJ Wedding Co., Ltd. May 2020 Representative Director, ZWEI Co., Ltd. Jul 2022 Outside Director, RITA Group Holdings Co., Ltd. (current) Oct 2022 Representative Director, Wellness Dining Co., Ltd. (current) Jun 2023 Outside Director, the Company Jan 2024 Outside Director, Daiken Biomedical Co., Ltd. (current) Jun 2026 Outside Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member, the Company (current)
1973-04-13
Hiroshi KURIHARA
Director
Apr 1978 Joined Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (now Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp.) Oct 2004 Executive Officer, Production Services Business Division, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Jun 2009 Director, Managing Executive Officer, Domestic Sales Headquarters, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Jun 2013 Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Jun 2015 Representative Director, President, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Jun 2018 Special Advisor, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Jun 2020 Chairman, Japan Telework Association General Incorporated Association Jan 2021 Director, GIG WORKS Inc. (current) Apr 2021 Director, Human Life Co., Ltd. (current) Mar 2023 Director, Cybersecurity Cloud, Inc. (current) Jun 2023 Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member, ASTI Corp. (current) Jun 2024 Director, Sintokogio, Ltd. (current) Oct 2024 Advisor, the Company Jun 2025 Director, the Company (current) Jun 2025 Advisor, Japan Telework Association General Incorporated Association (current)
1953-09-12
Norihiro SHIMOGAKI
Director
Apr 1986 Joined IBM Japan, Ltd. Jan 2005 Officer, IBM Japan, Ltd. Jan 2005 Executive Officer, IBM Business Consulting Services Ltd. Dec 2010 Senior Managing Executive Officer, Bell System 24 Co., Ltd. Sep 2012 Senior Managing Executive Officer, Oracle Corporation Japan Jan 2018 Executive Officer, Amazon Web Services Japan K.K. Feb 2020 Advisor, Japan Startup Support Association Feb 2020 Director, President and COO, Yext K.K. Apr 2022 Representative Director, Chairman, ZVC JAPAN Co., Ltd. Mar 2023 Representative Director, Chairman and President, ZVC JAPAN Co., Ltd. (current) Oct 2025 Advisor, the Company Jun 2026 Director, the Company (current)
1963-10-09
Makiko MIZUNO
Director, Full-time Audit and Supervisory Committee Member
Apr 1991 Joined Tohmatsu & Co. (now Tohmatsu LLC) Mar 1994 Registered as Certified Public Accountant Sep 2000 Joined Cyberbird Co., Ltd. Jun 2025 Outside Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member, the Company (current)
1968-05-11
Akita MATSUNAGA
Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member
Apr 2000 Joined Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court Oct 2001 Registered as Attorney-at-Law; joined Fuji Godo Law Office Jun 2006 Non-Standing Audit & Supervisory Board Member, the Company Jun 2012 Retired as Non-Standing Audit & Supervisory Board Member, the Company Jun 2012 Outside Director, the Company Jun 2013 Non-Standing Audit & Supervisory Board Member, the Company Aug 2021 Non-Standing Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Kusuri no Madoguchi Co., Ltd. (current) Mar 2022 Outside Director, AI CROSS Co., Ltd. (current) Jun 2025 Outside Director, Audit and Supervisory Committee Member, the Company (current)
1972-05-11
Large Shareholding Reports
No filings
Disclosures
No disclosures
Primary Source Filings
TDnet
2026-08-07
Q1 Earnings Flash
FY ending Mar 2027
EDINET
2026-06-16
Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2025 – Mar 2026
TDnet
2026-02-13
Q3 Earnings Flash
FY ending Mar 2026
EDINET
2025-11-07
Semi-Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2025 – Mar 2026
TDnet
2025-08-08
Q1 Earnings Flash
FY ending Mar 2026
EDINET
2025-06-18
Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2024 – Mar 2025
TDnet
2025-02-14
Q3 Earnings Flash
FY ending Mar 2025
EDINET
2024-11-08
Semi-Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2024 – Mar 2025
TDnet
2024-08-09
Q1 Earnings Flash
FY ending Mar 2025
EDINET
2024-06-21
Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2023 – Mar 2024
EDINET
2024-02-09
Quarterly Securities Report
Period: Oct 2023 – Dec 2023
EDINET
2023-11-10
Quarterly Securities Report
Period: Jul 2023 – Sep 2023
EDINET
2023-08-10
Quarterly Securities Report
Period: Apr 2023 – Jun 2023
EDINET
2023-06-22
Annual Securities Report
Period: Apr 2022 – Mar 2023
EDINET
2023-02-10
Quarterly Securities Report
Period: Oct 2022 – Dec 2022
EDINET
2022-11-11
Quarterly Securities Report
EDINET
2022-08-10
Quarterly Securities Report
EDINET
2022-06-23
Annual Securities Report
EDINET
2022-02-14
Quarterly Securities Report
EDINET
2021-11-12
Quarterly Securities Report
EDINET
2021-08-13
Quarterly Securities Report
EDINET
2021-06-24
Annual Securities Report
EDINET
2021-02-12
Quarterly Securities Report
Ask AI
I have this company's financials, ownership, and management on hand. Ask me anything from an M&A perspective.
End of Preview

Try the full product

Free demo (no time limit, up to 10 companies). Explore Comps, DCF, LBO, WACC on every screen. Excel export is on the paid plan.

Free Demo (No Time Limit, 10 Companies) →