freee cloud accounting & HR software

Overview

freee is a Japanese-origin cloud software brand that offers an integrated SaaS platform for small and medium-sized businesses focused on accounting, payroll/HR, invoicing, electronic contracts, and related back‑office automation. (corp.freee.co.jp)

Origin & founding

The service and brand "freee" were created by freee K.K. (formerly CFO K.K.), founded in 2012 and launched publicly in 2013 with the mission to automate bookkeeping and back-office work for SMBs in Japan. The company has raised multiple funding rounds as it expanded its product set and market presence. (prnewswire.com)

Product & development location (manufacturing)

freee is delivered as cloud software developed primarily in Japan by freee K.K.; engineering, product, and support functions are centered in Tokyo while the platform is delivered globally over the cloud and supported by integrations with banks and third‑party services. For this reason, development and product “manufacturing” are primarily Japan-based, with operations and integrations spanning other locations. (corp.freee.co.jp)

Ownership & group structure

freee K.K. remains the ultimate owner of the freee brand; the company is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO:4478) and operates a group structure that includes both internally-created subsidiaries (e.g., freee Finance Lab and freee Biz) and acquired businesses (for example, a majority stake in Sitevisit). freee also operates experimental or purpose-specific subsidiaries such as the Transparent Bookstore (透明書店) to deepen product knowledge of small businesses. (crunchbase.com)

Summary

In short, freee is a Japan‑origin cloud accounting and HR SaaS brand created and owned by freee K.K., developed primarily in Japan, and supported by a group of subsidiaries and M&A activity that extend its product and business footprint. (corp.freee.co.jp)