Cookpad

Basic Information

Stock Code
2193
Industry
Services
Category Detail
Internet Site Operations
Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
Establishment Year
October 1997
Listing Year
July 2009
Official Website
https://cookpad.com/
TSE Information
TSE Information
Yahoo! Finance
Yahoo! Finance
Other Companies
LIFULL, ITmedia, Kakaku.com, M3, Town N, YKT, Ateam Holdings, Zaplas, MarkLines, Sharing Technology, Bengoshi.com, Rakumachi, Kamakura Shinsho

Overview

Cookpad is an internet service company that operates Japan's largest recipe posting and search service, founded in 1997, with advertising revenue and paid membership services as its main revenue sources.

Current Situation

Cookpad recorded consolidated sales of approximately ¥11.1 billion in FY2020, leading the industry with high access numbers and recipe volume. Its flagship recipe posting and search site enjoys strong support, particularly among women in their 20s and 30s, with around 60 million monthly users. In recent years, it has accelerated overseas expansion, providing services in multiple regions including Spain, the US, and Indonesia through subsidiaries. It has built a stable revenue base with advertising and paid membership models, while strengthening responses to issues like dangerous recipe postings. From a sustainability perspective, it promotes work-style reforms such as short-commute support, and in technological innovation, it deploys AI for recipe search and special sale information linkage services. Moving forward, it focuses on improving user experience, strengthening digital marketing, and expanding overseas operations. Toward 2025 and 2030, it aims to ensure platform integrity and solidify its position in growth markets.

Trivia

Interesting Facts

  • Service launched in March 1998, grew into Japan's largest recipe posting site.
  • Over 60 million monthly users, 70% of women in 20s-30s.
  • Over 5 million posted recipes, rare scale even globally.
  • Provides short-commute allowances to reduce employee commuting burden.
  • Hosts annual proprietary development contest "Development Contest 24".
  • Has multiple overseas subsidiaries for global expansion.
  • User posting diversity is a strength but also a management challenge.
  • Recipe suggestions linked with special sales info is an industry-first.
  • Company name derives from fusion of "cook" and "pad" (posting).
  • Provides new cooking experiences via SNS and video streaming linkages.
  • Platform safety management highlighted due to dangerous recipe issues.
  • Founder Sano Haruhiko holds over 46% as major shareholder.
  • Focuses on acquiring overseas users with multilingual support.
  • Once introduced free search limits to strengthen monetization.
  • Actively participates in food education activities with local collaborations.

Hidden Connections

  • Closely collaborates with multiple domestic companies in advertising agency business beyond food-related.
  • Invested in e-book distribution business to expand into digital content field.
  • Parent company-direct security and operations management contribute to platform stability.
  • Cookpad chefs and administrators are influential figures in the industry.
  • Deploys local marketing using special sales info with regional retailers.
  • Strengthens collaborations with cooking schools and food manufacturers via cooking video streaming.
  • Actively shares technology and content between Japan and overseas subsidiaries.
  • Commute allowance system influences local real estate market and residential trends.

Future Outlook

Growth Drivers

  • Platform value enhancement accompanying increase in recipe posting users.
  • Digital ad market expansion and improved targeting precision.
  • Accelerated multilingual platform deployment in overseas markets.
  • New service development via special sales and local data linkages.
  • Strengthening new content like videos and live streaming.
  • Personalized recipe suggestions via AI technology.
  • Rising sustainable food culture and health consciousness.
  • Productivity improvements via work-style reform promotion.
  • Strengthened collaborations with user community.
  • Ensuring platform safety and trustworthiness.
  • Expansion of multifaceted monetization models.
  • Marketing optimization based on data analysis.

Strategic Goals

  • Achieve over 50% overseas sales ratio.
  • Global standardization of platform with full multilingual support.
  • Expansion of sustainable certified products/services provision.
  • New business creation utilizing AI/data technology.
  • Platform health via strengthened safety management.
  • High-efficiency digital ads and customer satisfaction improvements.
  • Realization of food education/health promotion via regional collaborations.
  • Maximization of diverse work styles and employee satisfaction.
  • Leadership position in video/live streaming fields.
  • Multiple new service launches for revenue diversification.

Business Segments

Advertising Agency and Marketing Business

Overview
Provides digital advertising and marketing services centered on food-related, supporting advertisers' awareness and sales promotion.
Competitiveness
Possesses specialized user database in cooking/lifestyle info and abundant media resources.
Customers
  • Food manufacturers
  • Beverage manufacturers
  • Daily goods manufacturers
  • Retailers
  • Restaurant chains
  • Advertising agencies
  • Local governments
  • Brand companies
  • E-commerce operators
  • Healthcare companies
Products
  • Internet advertising services
  • Target marketing
  • Promotion planning
  • Content tie-ups
  • Digital research
  • User data analysis
  • SNS-linked advertising
  • Video ad production
  • Local ad delivery
  • Ad effectiveness measurement

Overseas Recipe Platform Business

Overview
Promotes global expansion by operating cooking recipe services adapted to overseas markets.
Competitiveness
Multinational platform operation capabilities fusing Japanese cooking know-how with local cultures.
Customers
  • Overseas users
  • Local companies
  • Partner companies
  • Advertisers
  • E-commerce platforms
Products
  • Mis Recetas (Spain)
  • ALLTHECOOKS, LLC (US)
  • Cookpad MENA (Middle East)
  • Indonesia recipe service

Digital Service Development

Overview
Develops and operates digital products aimed at enhancing user convenience and creating new businesses.
Competitiveness
Rapid service improvements and development based on user community feedback.
Customers
  • Consumer app users
  • Corporate IT solution users
Products
  • Cookpad App
  • Special sales info service
  • Development contest support
  • Video streaming platform

Competitive Advantage

Strengths

  • Possesses Japan's largest cooking recipe community
  • Abundant user data and customer base
  • Diverse service deployments and overseas operations
  • Strong brand recognition and affinity
  • Expertise in digital ad operations
  • Technological prowess from innovative development contests
  • Local special sales info services
  • Stable advertising revenue and paid membership model
  • Employee-friendly short-commute support
  • Multilingual support and overseas localization capabilities
  • Extensive experience in digital media collaborations
  • Platform management know-how
  • Strengthened video content deployment
  • Highly scalable IT infrastructure
  • High user participation and engagement activation

Competitive Advantages

  • Highest number of domestic recipes leading to high user satisfaction
  • Advertiser attraction power backed by brand value and trust
  • Global expansion via subsidiaries and partnerships across regions
  • Scalability and stability as a platform
  • Diverse digital products catering to wide customer segments
  • Pioneer in convenient special sales/recipe linkage services
  • Comprehensive BtoB ad marketing expertise
  • Ongoing "Development Contest 24" innovative tech events
  • Deep relationship building with local communities
  • Talent retention strength via flexible work support
  • Amplification power through diverse SNS linkages
  • Certain control of dangerous recipes via editorial system
  • Revenue diversification via paid membership model
  • Active adoption of latest tech and feedback utilization
  • Management stability from solid shareholder base

Threats

  • Emergence of similar cooking platforms by competitors
  • Increasing burden of managing user-posted recipe quality
  • Advertising targeting restrictions from enhanced privacy protection
  • Increased platform responsibilities from stricter regulations
  • Localization challenges in overseas markets
  • Risk of reduced traffic from SNS algorithm changes
  • Intensifying competition in internet ad market
  • Delays in responding to rapid new tech/service changes
  • Brand damage risk from malicious fake recipes
  • Impacts from post-COVID consumer behavior shifts
  • Talent outflow risk and intensifying hiring competition
  • Threats from data breaches and cyber attacks

Innovations

2023: Introduction of enhanced recipe AI recommendation function

Overview
Implements more personalized cooking suggestions using user behavior data and AI.
Impact
Improved user satisfaction and dwell time.

2022: Enhanced special sales info linkage service

Overview
Deepens integration of supermarket flyer data in real-time with meal planning suggestions.
Impact
Increased usage by local users and improved ad effectiveness.

2021: Expanded video cooking content production platform

Overview
Deploys user-participatory video streaming services linked with live streaming system.
Impact
Contributes to new user acquisition and prolonged dwell time.

2020: Strengthened overseas recipe platform linkages

Overview
Promotes service integration with operating subsidiaries in Spain, Indonesia, etc.
Impact
Increased global users and revenue diversification.

Sustainability

  • CO2 reduction and employee health promotion via short-commute support
  • Paperless promotion and internal digital document utilization
  • Work-life balance emphasis through diverse work-style support
  • Cooking classes and food education support via community collaborations
  • Strengthened content monitoring for platform safety improvements
  • Participation in awareness activities for sustainable food culture
  • Women's empowerment and diversity enhancement
  • Continuous improvements in cyber security measures
  • Resource conservation activities as environmental load reduction initiatives
  • Efficient operations promotion via digital tech utilization
  • Deployment of safe ingredient selection support services
  • SDGs promotion activities in collaboration with partner companies