AI-native cloud and identity security. Japan market entry
Founding team, Shinka Security Japan
Shinka Security protects the identities that now outnumber employees in every large enterprise: people, service accounts, API keys and the AI agents acting on their behalf. Founded in 2019, the company passed US$200 million in annual recurring revenue in the second quarter of 2026. Japanese subsidiaries of its global customers already run the platform, and in July 2026 the company established a Tokyo entity. Three founding seats follow: a Country Manager to own the business, a channel leader to build the partner route to market, and the first sales engineer to win the technical evaluations.
- Location
- Tokyo
- Seats
- Country Manager, Channel Sales Leader, Sales Engineer
- Reports to
- Helena Okafor, SVP Asia Pacific and Japan
- Language
- Japanese and English
Overview
Shinka Security was founded in San Francisco in 2019 by a group of former incident responders who found the same pattern behind most of the breaches they investigated: an attacker logging in with a valid identity rather than breaking in. The company builds a single identity graph across directories, clouds and SaaS applications, then uses it to detect and stop identity attacks in progress.
The detection models are trained on identity behaviour rather than on signatures, which is what the company means by AI-native. In 2025 it extended the same graph to AI agents, which now hold credentials and privileges of their own and are governed as identities alongside people and service accounts.
The business has grown at roughly 50% a year. It serves more than 1,100 customers, a quarter of them in the Fortune 500, with net revenue retention of 127%. Research and development is split between San Francisco and Tel Aviv, with go-to-market teams in London, Sydney and Singapore.
Japan is the first new country since Singapore opened in 2024. Fourteen Japanese-headquartered companies are already customers, served from Singapore, along with the Japanese subsidiaries of more than sixty global customers. Shinka Security Japan KK was established in Tokyo in July 2026, and the founding team turns that base into a Japanese business.
Growth
The numbers behind the decision
Japan entry follows a business that has doubled in under two years and is now profitable on a contribution basis in each established region.
Annual recurring revenue, Q2 2026
US$203M
Up 50% year on year, and 2.1 times the level of the third quarter of 2024.
127%
Net revenue retention
1,100+
Customers worldwide
US$464M
Raised across five rounds
870
Employees, five offices
Quarterly ARR
US$ millions, end of quarter
Shinka Security board reporting, Q2 2026.
ARR by product line
US$ millions, Q2 2026
Agent identity governance reached US$31M within twelve months of launch, the fastest of the four lines.
Market position
Where Shinka Security competes
Identity security has split into point tools and suites. Shinka Security competes as a platform: broad coverage of identity types, with detection and response deep enough to replace a point tool.
Identity security positioning
Coverage of identity types against depth of detection and response
Positioning prepared for this sample. Other vendor names are invented.
Against identity governance suites
Suites cover every identity but act on a review cycle measured in months. Shinka Security detects misuse as it happens and is often deployed alongside them.
Against privileged access tools
Vaulting protects a known set of administrator accounts. Most compromised identities are ordinary users, service accounts and keys that never enter the vault.
Against cloud posture platforms
Posture tools see misconfiguration in one cloud. Shinka Security follows the identity across directories, clouds and SaaS, which is where an attack actually travels.
The company
Shinka Security
One identity graph across people, service accounts, keys and AI agents, used to find exposure, detect attacks in progress and govern what each identity is allowed to do.
- Founded
- 2019San Francisco, with research and development in Tel Aviv.
- Chief executive
- Adrian ValeCo-founder. Previously led incident response for a global consultancy.
- Funding
- US$464MSeries D of US$180M in October 2025.
- Customers
- 1,100+A quarter in the Fortune 500. Net revenue retention 127%.
- Deployment
- SaaS, regionalData residency in Tokyo since April 2025. Integrates with Active Directory, Entra ID, Okta and the three major clouds.
- Japan
- Japan KK, July 202614 Japanese-headquartered customers served from Singapore until now.
Detect
Identity threat detection and response watches sign-ins, privilege changes and token use across every directory and cloud, and stops a session or revokes a credential when behaviour turns hostile.
Reduce exposure
Cloud entitlement management finds the permissions nobody uses and the paths an attacker would take from a low-value account to a high-value system, and closes them.
Govern agents
Agent identity governance discovers AI agents and the credentials they hold, maps what each can reach, and enforces limits on what they are allowed to do on a person's behalf.
Funding and acquisitions
Founded in San Francisco. US$9M seed round.
US$40M Series A. First Fortune 500 customer.
US$95M Series B. London office and Tel Aviv research centre open.
AcquisitionKeyvane, secrets discovery across code repositories and build pipelines. Became the secrets and non-human identity product line.
US$140M Series C. Sydney and Singapore open. ARR passes US$100M in the fourth quarter.
AcquisitionHalyard AI, behaviour analytics for autonomous agents. Agent identity governance launches in June.
US$180M Series D, bringing total funding to US$464M.
Shinka Security Japan KK established in Tokyo. The three founding seats on this page are the first hires.
The market
Japan's security spend, and where it is growing
IDC Japan measured the domestic security software market at ¥327.2 billion for the first half of 2025, up 14.1% on a year earlier, and forecasts it to reach ¥1.049 trillion by 2029. Identity and security analytics, the categories Shinka Security sells into, are growing fastest.
Growth by segment
Japan security software, year on year, January to June 2025
IDC Japan, Worldwide Semiannual Software Tracker, December 2025.
Segment size
Japan security software, ¥ billion, January to June 2025
IDC Japan, December 2025. Total market ¥327.2bn for the half.
Identity ahead of endpoint
Japanese enterprises have largely completed their endpoint detection rollouts. Budget growth has moved to identity and analytics, which is where Shinka Security sells, and where most buyers do not yet have an incumbent.
A new legal baseline
Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law was enacted on 16 May 2025 and takes full effect by 2027 in phases. It strengthens cooperation and information sharing between government and private operators, and raises the profile of detection and response in Japanese boardrooms.
Bought through partners
Most Japanese enterprises buy security through a distributor and a systems integrator they already trust. A credible partner route is a condition of entry rather than an option, which is why the channel seat is a founding hire.
Shinka Security in Japan
What the founding team inherits
A customer base served from Singapore, a product already localised for Japan, and a partner route still to be built.
-
40,000 identities under detection
Japanese financial group
Replaced a stalled privileged access rollout with identity threat detection across its banking and securities businesses. Contracted through Singapore in 2024 and expanded twice since.
-
9,000 service accounts and agents governed
Global electronics manufacturer
One of the first Japanese customers for agent identity governance, covering automation and AI agents across three clouds and an on-premises Active Directory estate.
The partner route to market, to be built
- Year oneDistributorOne security distributor for credit, logistics and reseller reach.
- Year oneTier-one SIersTwo or three integrators with identity and cloud practices.
- Year oneSpecialist resellersSecurity-focused resellers for the mid-enterprise.
- Year twoManaged servicesMSSPs offering identity detection as a managed service.
- LiveCloud marketplacesPrivate offers through the hyperscaler marketplaces in Japan.
First Japanese deployment, through a global customer's Japanese subsidiary.
First Japanese-headquartered customers, contracted through Singapore. Japanese-language console released.
Data residency in a Tokyo cloud region.
Board approves Japan entry and the founding team.
Shinka Security Japan KK established in Tokyo.
Search open for the Country Manager, Channel Sales Leader and Sales Engineer.
Leadership
Who you would work with
The Country Manager reports to the head of Asia Pacific and Japan, who has built the region from its first hire. The chief executive meets every Country Manager finalist.
Helena Okafor
SVP Asia Pacific and Japan, Singapore
Hiring manager. First interview for all three seats.
Joined in 2022 as the first hire outside North America and Europe, and opened Sydney and Singapore. Asia Pacific and Japan is now the company's fastest-growing region. Before Shinka Security, ten years running Australia and New Zealand, then Southeast Asia, for a cloud security vendor through its public listing.
Our global customers already run Shinka Security in their Japanese businesses. The founding team turns that into a company that Japanese customers buy from directly.
Helena OkaforAdrian Vale
Co-founder and Chief Executive
Final interview for the Country Manager seat.
Led incident response for a global consultancy before founding Shinka Security in 2019. Spends a week in Tokyo each quarter during the first year of the Japan business, with customers and with the Country Manager.
The roles
Three founding seats
The Country Manager leads the business and carries the Japan number. The Channel Sales Leader builds the partner route through which most Japanese enterprises buy. The Sales Engineer wins the technical evaluations and enables partner engineers to run their own.
Country Manager, Japan
Leads the Japan businessThe first leader on the ground in Japan, reporting to Helena Okafor. Owns Japan revenue and the operating plan from the first quarter, sells personally into the first strategic accounts, and leads the channel leader and sales engineer on this page and the hires that follow them.
What the work looks like
- Own Japan bookings, revenue and the annual operating plan, and report on them to the regional and executive leadership
- Sell personally into the first strategic accounts while the pipeline grows to support a team
- Bring the Japanese subsidiaries of global customers into direct relationships with the Japan entity
- Set the partner strategy with the Channel Sales Leader and make the first distributor and SIer appointments
- Represent the company to Japanese CISOs, partners and press, and represent Japan's requirements to headquarters
- Ten or more years selling enterprise security or infrastructure software in Japan, including country or first-line leadership
- Business-level English for board and headquarters reporting
Read the full job description
About Shinka Security
Shinka Security protects the identities enterprises depend on: people, service accounts, API keys and AI agents. Its platform builds a single identity graph across directories, clouds and SaaS applications, and uses it to reduce exposure, detect identity attacks in progress and govern what each identity is allowed to do. The company serves more than 1,100 customers and established Shinka Security Japan KK in Tokyo in July 2026.
The role
The Country Manager is the first leader of the Japan business. The role combines ownership of the Japan number with building the organisation that will carry it: the partner route to market, the first customers contracted in Japan, and the team. It reports to the SVP Asia Pacific and Japan.
Responsibilities
- Own Japan bookings, revenue and the annual operating plan
- Personally lead the largest opportunities through to close, working with the sales engineer and regional specialists
- Convert existing Japanese subsidiaries of global customers into Japan-contracted relationships and expand them
- Define the Japan partner strategy with the Channel Sales Leader, and lead executive relationships with the distributor and tier-one SIers
- Recruit and lead the Japan team as it grows beyond the founding three
- Establish Japan's commercial, legal and operational processes with headquarters, including pricing, contracting and support
- Act as the company's voice in Japan with customers, partners, analysts and the press
- Feed Japan product requirements, such as language, data residency and audit, to product leadership
Requirements
- Ten or more years of enterprise software sales in Japan, with a substantial part in security, identity or infrastructure
- Experience as a country manager, or as a first-line sales leader with a number of their own
- A record of closing large enterprise agreements with Japanese customers, including through partners
- Executive relationships with Japanese CISOs and with distributors or tier-one SIers
- Experience building a business or team from an early stage, ideally for a foreign company entering Japan
- Native-level Japanese and business-level English
Preferred
- Identity security, privileged access, cloud security or SIEM and XDR backgrounds
- Experience reporting to a regional or global headquarters outside Japan
- Experience in a high-growth, venture-funded company
Job description prepared by Shinka Talent for this sample brief.
Channel Sales Leader, Japan
Partner route to marketBuilds the route through which most Japanese enterprises buy security: a distributor, two or three tier-one SIers, specialist resellers, and in time managed security providers. Reports to the Country Manager, and to Helena Okafor until the Country Manager is in seat.
What the work looks like
- Recruit and onboard the first distributor and tier-one SIers, with joint business plans and partner targets
- Own partner-sourced pipeline and partner-influenced revenue for Japan
- Run partner enablement with the Sales Engineer so partner teams can sell and run evaluations themselves
- Set deal registration and rules of engagement between partners and direct sales
- Shape a managed service offer for MSSPs in the second year
- Eight or more years in channel or alliances roles in Japan, in security or infrastructure software
- Working English for regional partner reviews
Read the full job description
The role
The Channel Sales Leader is a founding member of the Japan team, responsible for designing and building the partner ecosystem through which the majority of Japan revenue will be transacted. The role carries a partner revenue target and combines partner recruitment, business planning and enablement.
Responsibilities
- Develop the Japan partner strategy with the Country Manager, covering distribution, SIers, resellers, managed services and cloud marketplaces
- Identify, recruit and contract the first distributor and tier-one SIer partners
- Build joint business plans with partner executives, with clear pipeline and revenue targets
- Drive partner-sourced pipeline through joint account planning, campaigns, events and workshops
- Lead partner sales and technical enablement, working with the Sales Engineer
- Define deal registration, partner pricing and rules of engagement with the direct team
- Run quarterly business reviews with each strategic partner
- Bring partner and market insight back to regional leadership and product teams
Requirements
- Eight or more years in channel sales, alliances or partner management in Japan
- Direct experience managing Japanese distributors and tier-one SIers, in security, identity, cloud or infrastructure software
- A record of building partner-sourced pipeline and revenue against a target
- Experience recruiting new partners, not only managing established ones
- Ability to secure partner resources and drive action without direct authority
- Native-level Japanese and working English
Preferred
- Experience launching a foreign vendor's channel in Japan
- Familiarity with MSSP business models and cloud marketplace private offers
Job description prepared by Shinka Talent for this sample brief.
Sales Engineer, Japan
First technical hireThe first sales engineer in Japan. Runs technical discovery, demonstrations and proofs of value for direct and partner opportunities, and enables partner engineers so that evaluations can scale beyond one person. Reports to the Country Manager, with a dotted line to the Asia Pacific sales engineering lead.
What the work looks like
- Lead technical evaluations from discovery to proof of value, alongside the Country Manager and partners
- Map customers' identity estates, often a mix of on-premises Active Directory, Entra ID, Okta and multiple clouds
- Localise demonstrations, evaluation plans and technical material for Japanese buyers
- Train and certify partner engineers so they can run evaluations independently
- Bring Japan requirements back to product: language, data residency, audit and local integrations
- Six or more years in pre-sales for identity, cloud security, SIEM or XDR products
- Working English for product and regional engineering teams
Read the full job description
The role
The Sales Engineer is the technical lead for Japan in the founding team. The role owns the technical side of every evaluation in Japan in the first year, and builds the partner engineering capability that allows the business to scale.
Responsibilities
- Run technical discovery, architecture sessions and demonstrations with security and infrastructure teams
- Design and deliver proofs of value with clear success criteria
- Respond to security questionnaires, RFPs and technical due diligence in Japanese and English
- Build and deliver the partner technical enablement and certification programme
- Act as the Japan voice in the global sales engineering and product communities
- Support early customers through deployment with the regional customer success team
Requirements
- Six or more years in pre-sales or solutions engineering for enterprise security software
- Hands-on knowledge of Active Directory, Entra ID or Okta, and identity in AWS, Azure or Google Cloud
- Experience running proofs of concept with large Japanese enterprises
- Ability to present to CISOs as well as engineers
- Native-level Japanese and working English
Preferred
- Identity threat detection, privileged access, CIEM or SIEM and XDR experience
- Experience enabling SIer or reseller engineering teams
- Scripting skills in Python or PowerShell
Job description prepared by Shinka Talent for this sample brief.
Fit
Who this suits
Strong signal
- Has been an early member of a foreign vendor's Japan team, and knows what the first two years require.
- Security, identity or infrastructure software sold to large Japanese enterprises, directly and through partners.
- For the Country Manager, has carried a number personally while leading others.
- For the channel seat, has recruited partners from nothing, not only managed an established programme.
- For the sales engineer, has run evaluations in mixed on-premises and cloud identity estates.
- Business or working English for regular contact with Singapore and San Francisco.
Weaker fit
- Careers spent only inside large, established Japan organisations with full support functions.
- Transactional or volume selling without long, multi-stakeholder evaluations.
- For the Country Manager, general management without recent hands-on selling.
- For the channel seat, partner programme administration without a revenue target.
Process
How this runs
Shinka Security has engaged Shinka Talent to manage this process end to end and to represent you throughout.
A call with Grant
Thirty minutes. What you are looking for, which seat fits, and what is and is not yet confirmed on each.
Submission
Nothing goes to Shinka Security without your agreement on the position and the framing.
Helena Okafor
The SVP Asia Pacific and Japan runs the first interview for all three seats.
Final rounds
For the Country Manager, the chief executive. For the other seats, the Country Manager and a technical panel.
Representation
The agent representing you
Grant Habgood
Founder, Shinka Talent
Has worked in Japan's technology recruitment market since 2006, holding full P&L responsibility through both expansions and contractions. That background means conversations with executive leadership start at the right level, and that a requirement gets read for what it actually is rather than what the job description says.
LinkedInWorth a conversation
Three founding seats in a funded company entering Japan with customers already in place. A short call is the fastest way to establish whether Shinka Security is right for you, and whether you are right for Shinka Security:
- The nuances of the role, and what a job description does not cover
- Compensation, OTE and equity
- The first-year Japan target and how it is measured
- The hiring plan beyond the founding three
- How partner-sourced and existing-customer business is credited
- Timing, and what each interview stage covers
Sources
- IDC Japan, Japan security software market in the first half of 2025, December 2025
- Baker McKenzie, Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law: what businesses need to know
- All information about Shinka Security, including its people, products, customers, funding, acquisitions, competitors and figures, is fictitious and prepared for this sample.
Shinka Talent. Japan enterprise technology recruitment. October 2026. Sample brief: Shinka Security is a fictitious company. IDC and other names belong to their owners and appear for identification only.