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Investing in SpeakBUDDY Ltd., the Developer and Operator of “AI SpeakBuddy”

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  • Press Release
2025.12.08

The corporate mission of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd. (Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuhiko Goto; referred to as “our group” from here on), is to multiply the number of growth companies (so-called “unicorn companies”) that will revolutionize society. In accordance with this, our group has made an investment in SpeakBUDDY Ltd. (Chuo, Tokyo; CEO: Takeshi Tateishi; https://www.speakbuddy.com/en), the developer and operator of the AI-driven English conversation tool “AI SpeakBuddy”.

Background

Since 2017, our group has actively promoted the business strategies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate venture capital (CVC) with the intention of realizing a Venture Ecosystem. We have now grown into a conglomerate with 25 group companies and 35 investment companies (at the time of publishing), resulting in an expansion of our ability to support venture companies (i.e., startup companies).

The corporate mission of SpeakBUDDY Ltd. is to “Open a world of opportunities by achieving true language acquisition”. Accordingly, they develop and operate the online language learning and coaching services “AI SpeakBuddy” and “CoachBuddy”. By combining Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory with the latest technological advances in generative AI, “AI SpeakBuddy” offers an unprecedented, groundbreaking learning experience. The app has surpassed 5 million cumulative downloads and is (at the time of publication) ranked number 1 in the education category on the Japanese App Store.

Our group prioritizes investment activities that value the intersection of “Real Business × Technology × Group Synergy” and, most foundationally, “ × People”. We deeply resonate with SpeakBUDDY’s business of increasing educational opportunities through technology and believe it will generate significant synergies within our Venture Ecosystem. Furthermore, we wish to support President Tateishi—who possesses extensive international experience and a passion for English education in Japan—as well as his team of diverse and talented individuals from around the world.

Comment from Takeshi Tateishi, President and CEO of SpeakBUDDY Ltd.

I am deeply honored and encouraged to receive this investment from everyone at D-POPS GROUP. I have always believed that our investors should be individuals I truly respect from the heart, but after having the pleasure of conversing multiple times with President Goto and Advisor Sugihara, I definitely hoped they would become our shareholders.

President Goto has experience studying in the UK, and Advisor Sugihara has long been active in foreign-affiliated companies like Google. Their deep understanding and empathy for our mission of increasing the potential of individuals through language acquisition have become a great source of encouragement. I am also strongly drawn to D-POPS GROUP’s exceptional sense of branding, represented by their unicorn symbolism and office design. This has further solidified our firm resolve to seriously aim for becoming a 100-billion-yen company. As a business owner, I have much to learn from President Goto’s thoughts and perspectives. Through the chance we have obtained by receiving this investment, I am committed to accelerating our business to meet everyone’s high expectations.

Comment from Kazuhiro Goto, President and CEO of D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.

We are delighted to invest in SpeakBuddy Ltd. and welcome another promising partner into the Venture Ecosystem we are promoting.

While our group operates various businesses in the ICT industry, my long-standing involvement in our founding businesses in shops and human resources has taught me the vital importance of personnel education and training. For that reason, our investment policy of “Real Business × Technology × Group Synergy” has come to include the concept that “ × People” is at the foundation of where those other three intersect. When I first met President Tateishi and heard his vision of using technology to create learning opportunities, I was deeply impressed and felt an empathetic connection at the same instant.

While online English conversation has spread rapidly since the pandemic, it is still evolving. Having studied abroad myself, I know how difficult it is to master English, and also understand that no matter what English level someone reaches, without opportunities to use it in one’s daily life, it will be forgotten after a few years. Therefore, an AI-driven English conversation app that allows someone to practice speaking anytime, even if one is unable to meet with a native-level English speaker on a daily basis, can certainly be considered a revolutionary learning method and business model.

Meeting President Tateishi and hearing how he mastered professional-level English through his own effort without living abroad was astonishing, but at the same time, I could easily picture him utilizing that experience to guide SpeakBUDDY into growing in leaps and bounds, which is why I decided to cheer on his company with our investment.

The vision our company is promoting, of “realizing a Venture Ecosystem”, is to support the growth of startups by providing the stage and environment that serves as the fertile soil where startups can thrive and flourish, and in so doing, to make a lasting contribution to society. Moving forward, we will grow together with SpeakBUDDY and work to enhance the value of both our companies.

Comment from Genta Sugihara, Advisor to D-POPS GROUP Co., Ltd.

I personally feel that my global career was made possible because I was able to become somewhat capable of using English. As a result, I am very glad to invest in SpeakBUDDY Ltd.

With increasing globalization and inbound tourism, we have entered an era where the need for English skills is rising—not only for business professionals, but for ordinary people working in sight-seeing areas and business districts. In particular, rather than reading and writing, speaking and listening (i.e., conversational skills) are going to become more and more crucial. While translation devices are certainly popular, no form of communication is better than a conversation by means of a living human’s voice. Since SpeakBUDDY’s app is utilizing technology for the purpose of enhancing human capability, I was definitely pleased for them to become a member of our Venture Ecosystem.

There are several similar growing companies that originated in the US. However, SpeakBUDDY stands out from the competition with its systematic curriculum optimized for Japanese learners and its meticulous AI feedback on pronunciation that feels very typical of Japan. I was also drawn to the intellectual clarity, integrity, and humility of President Tateishi and his management team through our conversations. No matter what changes in the environment or hurdles they encounter, I am convinced they will overcome them through relentless effort.

I am grateful for companies like SpeakBUDDY to be added to our Venture Ecosystem, and I look forward to creating synergies that contribute to their continued success as much as I can.

Company Name: SpeakBUDDY Ltd.
Company President and CEO: Takeshi Tateishi
Address: 5F COREDO Nihonbashi, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo
Established: May 2013
Company Website: https://www.speakbuddy.com/en

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