X Mile Raises JPY 3.17 Billion Series C to Scale Vertical AI and M&A Push in Japan's Non-Desk Sector

Vertex Growth leads round, taking Tokyo-based workforce platform’s total funding to JPY 6.96 billion

TOKYO, Aug 4, 2026 — X Mile Inc., a Tokyo-based platform serving Japan’s “non-desk” industries of logistics, construction and manufacturing, has raised JPY 3.17 billion in a Series C round led by Vertex Growth, the dedicated growth-stage platform of the Vertex global network of venture capital funds, the company announced today. The round takes X Mile’s total funding to date to JPY 6.96 billion.

Existing backers and a number of new investors also joined the round, including ALPHA, SMBC Nikko Securities, SOMPO Growth Partners, University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners (UTEC), SMBC Venture Capital, Minerva Growth Partners, Japan Post Capital and JPS Growth Investment.

X Mile said the capital will go toward expanding its “vertical AI” product line, tailored to non-desk industries, and toward acquisitions that add complementary products and teams. The company’s DX platform, aimed at transportation and logistics operators, has grown annual recurring revenue more than 90% year-on-year.

Founded in 2019, X Mile started as a staffing platform matching workers with employers in labour-short non-desk industries, and has since expanded into software and AI tools for the sector, as well as M&A advisory and vehicle sales for operators. It says it now has more than 1.2 million registered job seekers and over 30,000 client business locations on its platform.

“These industries are on the brink of major structural change, facing severe labour shortages, an ageing workforce, and business succession challenges,” said Hiroyuki Noro, Representative Director and CEO of X Mile. “With this funding, we will invest further in vertical AI, expand our M&A and business-support capabilities, and deepen partnerships with major corporations as we build toward becoming the core management infrastructure for non-desk industries.”

“Vertex Growth is excited to announce our investment in X Mile, a company addressing some of Japan’s most acute labour shortages in transportation, construction, and manufacturing,” said Tam Hock Chuan, General Partner at Vertex Growth. “We were particularly drawn to X Mile’s expansion from its proven staffing model in transportation into construction and manufacturing, evolving into a platform that serves multiple non-desk industries. Beyond staffing, X Mile is building a promising software business for the transportation sector, one that has strong potential for both profitability and scale. We believe X Mile’s business model, combined with its valuable data from successfully matching candidates with vacancies, positions the company to deliver even greater value to customers through automation and AI. We look forward to continuing to support Noro-san and his team as they build critical infrastructure for Japan’s non-desk industries.”

“As AI becomes more widespread, non-desk workers are taking on an even greater presence. Amid this shift, X Mile and Noro-san have taken the challenge of labor shortages head-on, supporting the non-desk industries through both HR and DX. Building on this funding round, we look forward to seeing the company use AI and other technologies to help shape the future of the non-desk industries that underpin our social infrastructure. ALPHA will continue to stand alongside X Mile in this endeavor,” said Masato Tanaka, General Partner at ALPHA.

“In the roughly two and a half years since our initial investment, X Mile has confronted head-on the structural challenges of labor shortages and low productivity in Japan’s non-desk industries, achieving strong growth across both its HR and DX businesses. This is the result of the strong vision and disciplined execution of the team led by Noro-san,” said Kensuke Murashima, Founding Partner at Minerva Growth Partners. “Minerva sees X Mile as a ‘Category Definer,’ a company defining an entirely new category within the non-desk industries. By combining its proprietary data on people, customers, and operations with deep on-the-ground insight and AI, we believe X Mile has the potential not only to improve efficiency in existing operations, but to fundamentally redesign how work and management are done across non-desk industries. Building on this funding round, we look forward to X Mile’s next stage of growth through investment in AI and M&A. Minerva will continue to draw on our network and resources, both in Japan and overseas, to support the company’s further advance as a Category Definer.”

 

About X Mile Inc.

X Mile Inc. operates a management platform for Japan’s non-desk industries, spanning logistics, construction and manufacturing. Since its founding in February 2019, the company has expanded from staffing services into industry-specific software, business-support solutions and vertical AI. X Mile is headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, and is led by Representative Director and CEO Hiroyuki Noro.

Website: https://xmile.co.jp/