Since 2011, KKR has supported its portfolio companies in awarding equity worth billions of dollars to over 150,000 non-senior management employees across more than 55 companies.

In recent years, KKR has sought to expand this important initiative more broadly around the world, including in Asia Pacific. Earlier this year, KKR brought this ownership culture to Yayoi, a leading financial and accounting software provider for SMEs and sole proprietors in Japan, and all its employees. This builds on a landmark moment, when KKR’s introduced its employee ownership program with Bushu Pharma in 2024, marking the first time a Japanese company backed by a private financial sponsor has offered broad-based ownership to all its employees.

KKR acquired Yayoi in 2022 and has since leveraged its global network and operational expertise through multiple value creation initiatives to further scale its business and enhance its ability to help Japanese companies digitally transform their businesses. In January this year, Yayoi introduced the ownership program to all employees across multiple venues in Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo and through a live broadcast, alongside its refreshed mission, vision, values, “Yayoi Style,” which encourages all Yayoi employees to “Be Open,” “Be Challenging,” and “Be Professional” in all their endeavors.

In this video, Kenitiro Muto, President and CEO of Yayoi, Takuya Hirano, Chairman of Yayoi, and Eiji Yatagawa, Partner and Head of Japan Private Equity of KKR, discuss what this milestone means for Yayoi, its employees and its customers. Several employees also share their reactions to becoming owners in Yayoi for the first time.

KKR is also a founding partner of Ownership Works, a nonprofit on a mission to increase prosperity by developing and implementing broad-based employee ownership programs.