IVRy CEO Okunishi on Building Third-Generation SaaS in Japan

IVRy CEO Ryoga Okunishi explains how a ¥3,000/month phone-automation startup built 78,000 accounts and positioned itself as a data-first compound SaaS.

• IVRy replaces legacy IVR systems costing millions of yen with a no-code cloud service starting at a few thousand yen per month.
• Cumulative account registrations exceed 78,000; over 90% are small businesses, but chain stores like Toyo Coin also use it across nearly all locations.
• Okunishi founded IVRy in 2019 after ignoring his bank’s identity-verification call and losing a loan — he realized businesses need to control which calls get through.
• PMF signal was unusually low post-signup support volume and unsolicited positive Twitter mentions, not just signup velocity.
• The 2021 COVID vaccine rollout drove a surge of clinic signups, confirming cross-industry demand and becoming the first clear acquisition channel.
• Core strategy since inception: accumulate accounts and call-data first, deploy AI analysis later — ChatGPT arrived earlier than expected but the data moat was already built.
• Japan averages 23 SaaS tools per company versus 230 globally, implying roughly 10x whitespace; ERP unbundling is seen as a Japan-specific 5-year tailwind.
• 2016–2022 data shows 35% of single-product listed SaaS companies were acquired; few successfully launched a second product post-IPO, reinforcing the case for compound thinking from the earliest stages.
• Roughly 90% of IVRy hires come via referrals with zero referral bonuses — Okunishi attributes this to obsessive attention to every employee’s individual concerns.

2025-06-26 · Watch on YouTube