US Company Zendesk Establishes Japanese Subsidiary Incorporating as Zendesk KK

March 12, 2013

February 28, 2013 – Zendesk, Inc., a provider of cloud-based customer service software (headquarters: California, USA; founder and CEO: Mikkel Svane) established Zendesk KK in Japan, its fifth overseas subsidiary following Denmark, UK, Australia and Ireland.

Zendesk is a customer service tool featuring a system for cloud-based consolidated management of customer requests and service-related communications from all contact points. Users can start without any initial investment cost, and the system can be customized to match the needs and scale of the adopting company. In the user company, request handling status and customer information can be shared by the customer support, sales and marketing groups. Features like this make Zendesk a groundbreaking customer service tool capable of multi-channel request handling, something not seen before in Japan. At present, Zendesk has been deployed in 140 countries and adopted by over 25,000 companies. In May 2012, the company began offering a Japanese language version; now that more than 100 Japanese companies have adopted Zendesk, the company has established a Japanese subsidiary.

As the background for establishing a Japanese company, Zendesk points to the high quality of customer service in Japan, as indicated by Japan being consistently chosen by foreign travelers as the number 1 country for providing the highest level of service. (Data source: The New York Times, August 7, 2011)

In Japan, which already has an outstanding history and tradition of customer support, adoption of Zendesk will enable further enhancement of the service provided. In addition, Zendesk understands (based on the company’s own research) that Japanese customers tend to use social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) as the contact channel for requests at a rate more than double that of the US. That is highly compatible with Zendesk service – another supporting factor in the decision to incorporate.

Along with the establishment of the Japanese subsidiary, Kan Kunimura has been appointed as Country Manager for Japan. As another indication of the company’s commitment to expand further in the Japanese market, Zendesk plans to hire 7 more employees in 2013.

Furthermore, to expand its business in Japan, Zendesk is working to provide its Japanese users with outstanding customer support and an even higher level of customer satisfaction. To that end the company will continue its efforts to achieve further innovations.

Kan Kunimura, Zendesk Japan Country Manager: In April, 2012, Kan Kunimura became Zendesk’s first employee in Japan, focusing on business development and sales in Japan. Previously based in Canada, he was involved in establishing new branches for Apollo Studios, Inc. Working for foreign-capital companies in Japan, he was in charge of sales and brand strategies for the Japanese market and was active as a bridge between Japan and foreign countries.

About Zendesk

Zendesk is the leading provider of proven, cloud-based customer service software. For growing organizations, Zendesk is the fastest way to enable great customer service. More than 25,000 Zendesk customers, including Gilt Groupe, Box, and Disney, trust Zendesk with their most valuable assets: their customers, partners, and employees. Founded in 2007, Zendesk is funded by Charles River Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Goldman Sachs, GGV Capital, Index Ventures, Matrix Partners, and Redpoint Ventures. Learn more at www.zendesk.com.

This is a translation of a press release originally issued in Japanese.