Venture kigyou: Startup with a small number of staff

“Venture kigyou,” or literally translated as “venture company”, refers to a startup with a small number of staff. It is a loanword, and doesn’t necessarily mean a venture capital firm. When we say “venture kigyou” in Japan, it generally means a company newly established, within under 10 years, and the number of staff can range from the tens to hundreds. Different from small and medium-sized enterprises, it often refers to a company with a strong willingness of business growth and expansion.

The salary and social welfare at a startup is often not as good as that at a major enterprise, although you can add your voice at the table more and you can join decision-making from very early on. Your evaluation is normally based on meritocracy. If you prefer this kind of working environment, you might find working at a startup a more rewarding experience.

A startup can be called “mega venture” when it has rapidly expanded and hires several hundreds to over a thousand employees.

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