visasQ
VisasQ is an expert network specialized on Japan. It was launched in 2012 as Walkntalk Inc. and later rebranded to VisasQ.
In August 2021, VisasQ acquired Coleman Research for $102m. At the time, Coleman had more than twice the revenues of VisasQ. The combined entity has a strong presence in Japan and the US. In January 2023, the combined entity had a database of 540,000+ experts and more than 500 employees in 7 office locations (Tokyo, New York, California, North Carolina, Singapore, Hong Kong, and London), supporting more than 1,000 clients.
The company operates two business areas:
A standard expert network
A DIY marketplace called “spot consulting”
Aside from standard expert calls, VisasQ offering also includes expert surveys, on-site visits accompanied by experts, and the possibility to hire advisors for short term assignments.
The founders and management team combine experience from investment banks (Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan) and investment firms (Sumitomo, Unison). VisasQ is the leader in the Japanese expert network market, which has seen strong growth in recent years as both GLG, AlphaSights, Atheneum and Guidepoint established offices in Tokyo.
In July 2020, the firm invested $0.3m in Boston-based DeepBench. VisasQ intends to use Deepbench's technology to streamline its matching capabilities and process overseas advisors.
VisasQ shares the focus on Japan with its domestic competitor Mimir Expert Research. In 2020, Mimir's owner Uzabase Inc. made a similar step to VisasQ and also acquired a US-based expert network, Enquire.
Inex One identified VisasQ-Coleman as a regional champion in our review of the 2023 expert network market size. Regional champions have a particularly strong foothold in their respective regions.