For too long, the recruitment industry has resisted change. Many traditional firms continue to rely on outdated methods, leaving clients frustrated and the quality of service compromised. After experiencing this firsthand, Diego Utiyama, the founder of Spotted K.K. set out to build something different: a recruitment and HR consulting firm where quality and client success come first .
At every stage of growth, SPOTTED remains committed to making quality service the foundation of everything we do.
After working at Intelligence (now Persol Career), SPOTTED’s Founder, Diego Utiyama, set out with a clear vision: to build a leading recruitment and HR consulting company where employees could stay entrepreneurial and innovative, where technology drives efficiency, and where client satisfaction is the ultimate KPI. In 2016, he put this plan into motion, and Spotted KK was incorporated the following year.
Spotted began by placing top sales and engineering leaders at international software companies entering Japan. Soon after, the firm expanded to not just supporting Global multinationals but also local startups with both contingency and retained search services across HR, Sales, Marketing, Tech & Finance.
Through our flagship brand, Spotted Recruit, we have become pioneers in Japan’s recruitment space. Our consultants — all with an entrepreneurial mindset — work closely with hiring managers to connect them with the right people, helping their businesses grow and thrive.
Today, while we continue to serve startups, VCs, and private equity firms, our expertise has grown to support global enterprises and multinational corporations as well.
Whether it’s a disruptive startup or a Fortune 500 company, SPOTTED remains committed to one thing above all: delivering quality recruitment and consulting services.
Utiyama then launched the next phase of Spotted’s growth with Spotted Staffing , a haken (temporary staffing) service that now supports leading global firms in IT and Finance with skilled contract professionals. The company later expanded to offer services including senior-level retained search for both Japanese and multinational corporations.
At every stage, our focus has remained the same: quality backed service by creativity and technology. As we continue to expand into new areas, this commitment to excellence will remain at the core of everything we do.
“Our consultants value the chance to partner with the hiring managers, connect them with exceptional talent, and support them as they scale and succeed.”
Milestones
June 2016
Spotted Recruit begins offering services focused on permanent recruiting for Tech Startups
April 2017
Spotted K.K. is established
January 2018
Development begins on the direct recruiting platform RepoTenshoku
February 2019
Spotted participates as a Startup at Slush Asia showcasing the beta version of RepoTenshoku
August 2019
The subsidiary Spotted Staffing K.K. is established
January 2020
Spotted Staffing launches a haken recruiting service for Tech and Finance companies
February 2020
RepoTenshoku is incorporated as an internal cloud application to streamline and improve Spotted’s recruiting services
January 2021
Spotted Recruit begins a permanent recruiting service for Venture Capital and Private Equity firms
Executive profile
Diego Utiyama
Chief Executive Officer
Born in Brazil and raised in Japan, Diego brings over 25 years of expertise
navigating the dynamic Asia market, blending deep cultural insights with
strategic business acumen.
With 17+ years in Recruitment and HR, he founded SPOTTED in 2016 to help
companies bridge the gap between exceptional bilingual talent and fast-
growing startups and global multinationals.
Having assisted over 100 companies in setting up operations in Japan, SPOTTED
excels at helping foreign businesses navigate the complexities of the market and
achieve successful, sustainable entry.
Diego’s experience spans working with startups, venture capital firms, and global
tech giants, playing a key role in building high-performing, culturally aligned
teams.
As a trilingual entrepreneur (English, Japanese, and Portuguese), his focus is on
connecting domestic and international companies — ranging from IT startups to
multinational corporations — with top bilingual professionals who are also a
culture fit.
This is his third company, following the successful sale of an e-commerce
business he ran for five years.
Corporate information
Company name
SPOTTED, Inc.
Recruitment license number
13-ユ-308682
Established
April 2017
Capital
5,000,000 JPY
Chief Executive Officer
Diego Utiyama
Primary business
Permanent Recruitment
HR Consulting
Software Development
Number of employees
17 (as of April 2021)
Address
6F The Royal Bldg, 3-8-7 Irifune, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0042
Tel 03-6869-4800
Bank
Tokyo City Shinkin Bank
Rakuten Bank