Case studies
Unravel Carbon
Enabling strategic market entry in Japan’s carbon management landscape
Case studies
Unravel Carbon
Enabling strategic market entry in Japan’s carbon management landscape
Unravel Carbon
Enabling strategic market entry in Japan’s carbon management landscape
Case studies
Challenge
Unravel Carbon were looking to identify strategic opportunities in Japan’s competitive carbon management SaaS landscape.
Unravel Carbon are a Singapore-based SaaS company providing an AI-powered carbon management platform for enterprises to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. With strong traction in the Asia-Pacific as well as international recognition, they plan to enter the Japanese market in 2025.
Japan has a competitive landscape with key players including local startups, system integrators, and financial/trading companies. These competitors have established relationships with local enterprises, government bodies, and financial institutions.
Unravel Carbon sought to understand the current state of carbon management SaaS in Japan and explore how to leverage their existing strengths—including AI-powered automation and an enterprise-grade platform — for an effective market entry. To do so, they sought guidance to interpret the landscape through the lens of Japan’s unique regulatory, cultural, and business environment.
Challenge
Unravel Carbon were looking to identify strategic opportunities in Japan’s competitive carbon management SaaS landscape.
Unravel Carbon are a Singapore-based SaaS company providing an AI-powered carbon management platform for enterprises to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. With strong traction in the Asia-Pacific as well as international recognition, they plan to enter the Japanese market in 2025.
Japan has a competitive landscape with key players including local startups, system integrators, and financial/trading companies. These competitors have established relationships with local enterprises, government bodies, and financial institutions.
Unravel Carbon sought to understand the current state of carbon management SaaS in Japan and explore how to leverage their existing strengths—including AI-powered automation and an enterprise-grade platform — for an effective market entry. To do so, they sought guidance to interpret the landscape through the lens of Japan’s unique regulatory, cultural, and business environment.
Challenge
Unravel Carbon were looking to identify strategic opportunities in Japan’s competitive carbon management SaaS landscape.
Unravel Carbon are a Singapore-based SaaS company providing an AI-powered carbon management platform for enterprises to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. With strong traction in the Asia-Pacific as well as international recognition, they plan to enter the Japanese market in 2025.
Japan has a competitive landscape with key players including local startups, system integrators, and financial/trading companies. These competitors have established relationships with local enterprises, government bodies, and financial institutions.
Unravel Carbon sought to understand the current state of carbon management SaaS in Japan and explore how to leverage their existing strengths—including AI-powered automation and an enterprise-grade platform — for an effective market entry. To do so, they sought guidance to interpret the landscape through the lens of Japan’s unique regulatory, cultural, and business environment.
Approach
We worked with Unravel Carbon to conduct a focused landscape analysis to identify strategic gaps and opportunities that would leverage their existing strengths.
Our mixed-method approach combined competitive landscape analysis with human-centred research to map the Japanese carbon management market.
By analyzing competitor materials and insights from former employees within the context of Japan’s unique regulations, we identified potential differentiation points for Unravel Carbon’s market entry.
By engaging stakeholders across varying levels of decarbonisation maturity, we mapped buyer journeys, identified pain points, and uncovered JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) for adopting CO2 management softwares, key decision-making criteria, feature gaps, and partnership opportunities.
Approach
We worked with Unravel Carbon to conduct a focused landscape analysis to identify strategic gaps and opportunities that would leverage their existing strengths.
Our mixed-method approach combined competitive landscape analysis with human-centred research to map the Japanese carbon management market.
By analyzing competitor materials and insights from former employees within the context of Japan’s unique regulations, we identified potential differentiation points for Unravel Carbon’s market entry.
By engaging stakeholders across varying levels of decarbonisation maturity, we mapped buyer journeys, identified pain points, and uncovered JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) for adopting CO2 management softwares, key decision-making criteria, feature gaps, and partnership opportunities.
Approach
We worked with Unravel Carbon to conduct a focused landscape analysis to identify strategic gaps and opportunities that would leverage their existing strengths.
Our mixed-method approach combined competitive landscape analysis with human-centred research to map the Japanese carbon management market.
By analyzing competitor materials and insights from former employees within the context of Japan’s unique regulations, we identified potential differentiation points for Unravel Carbon’s market entry.
By engaging stakeholders across varying levels of decarbonisation maturity, we mapped buyer journeys, identified pain points, and uncovered JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) for adopting CO2 management softwares, key decision-making criteria, feature gaps, and partnership opportunities.
Our Approach
9 in-depth interviews with sustainability leaders across food & beverage, manufacturing, construction, and automotive industries, as well as former employees of competing carbon management SaaS providers
Activities included: co-creation of user journey and competitor landscape mapping
Depth analysis of 5 major players in the market, focusing on target segments, pricing strategies, and service offerings
Analysis of JTBD and needs related to decarbonisation management and the adoption of carbon management software
Identification of market entry opportunities based on the market environment and users' unmet needs
Our Approach
9 in-depth interviews with sustainability leaders across food & beverage, manufacturing, construction, and automotive industries, as well as former employees of competing carbon management SaaS providers
Activities included: co-creation of user journey and competitor landscape mapping
Depth analysis of 5 major players in the market, focusing on target segments, pricing strategies, and service offerings
Analysis of JTBD and needs related to decarbonisation management and the adoption of carbon management software
Identification of market entry opportunities based on the market environment and users' unmet needs
Our Approach
9 in-depth interviews with sustainability leaders across food & beverage, manufacturing, construction, and automotive industries, as well as former employees of competing carbon management SaaS providers
Activities included: co-creation of user journey and competitor landscape mapping
Depth analysis of 5 major players in the market, focusing on target segments, pricing strategies, and service offerings
Analysis of JTBD and needs related to decarbonisation management and the adoption of carbon management software
Identification of market entry opportunities based on the market environment and users' unmet needs
Outcomes
Our synthesis of the carbon management landscape revealed key opportunities for Unravel Carbon’s strategic positioning in the Japanese market.
Our research provided critical insights to inform market entry strategy:
Market dynamics: Analysis revealed opportunities for differentiation within the current competitive landscape
User segmentation: Distinct buyer personas were identified with unique needs, decision-making criteria, and adoption patterns for carbon management platforms
Strategic positioning opportunities: Research uncovered areas where enhanced value propositions could address current market gaps
Outcomes
Our synthesis of the carbon management landscape revealed key opportunities for Unravel Carbon’s strategic positioning in the Japanese market.
Our research provided critical insights to inform market entry strategy:
Market dynamics: Analysis revealed opportunities for differentiation within the current competitive landscape
User segmentation: Distinct buyer personas were identified with unique needs, decision-making criteria, and adoption patterns for carbon management platforms
Strategic positioning opportunities: Research uncovered areas where enhanced value propositions could address current market gaps
Outcomes
Our synthesis of the carbon management landscape revealed key opportunities for Unravel Carbon’s strategic positioning in the Japanese market.
Our research provided critical insights to inform market entry strategy:
Market dynamics: Analysis revealed opportunities for differentiation within the current competitive landscape
User segmentation: Distinct buyer personas were identified with unique needs, decision-making criteria, and adoption patterns for carbon management platforms
Strategic positioning opportunities: Research uncovered areas where enhanced value propositions could address current market gaps
Findings will inform Unravel Carbon’s next steps in Japan, including market entry strategy, messaging, and product localisation.
These insights highlighted potential pathways for strategic market positioning and value proposition development.
Key deliverables included:
A comprehensive insight report detailing the competitive landscape, buyer segments, unmet needs, and strategic questions to inform Unravel Carbon’s possible positioning.
An in-depth competitive analysis examining market dynamics and strategic landscape.
An interview summary highlighting participant profiles and key quotes.
Findings will inform Unravel Carbon’s next steps in Japan, including market entry strategy, messaging, and product localisation.
These insights highlighted potential pathways for strategic market positioning and value proposition development.
Key deliverables included:
A comprehensive insight report detailing the competitive landscape, buyer segments, unmet needs, and strategic questions to inform Unravel Carbon’s possible positioning.
An in-depth competitive analysis examining market dynamics and strategic landscape.
An interview summary highlighting participant profiles and key quotes.
Findings will inform Unravel Carbon’s next steps in Japan, including market entry strategy, messaging, and product localisation.
These insights highlighted potential pathways for strategic market positioning and value proposition development.
Key deliverables included:
A comprehensive insight report detailing the competitive landscape, buyer segments, unmet needs, and strategic questions to inform Unravel Carbon’s possible positioning.
An in-depth competitive analysis examining market dynamics and strategic landscape.
An interview summary highlighting participant profiles and key quotes.
Contributors
Fabric
James Hollow
Business Director
Ai Yamanaka
Senior Strategic Designer
Tomoko Saigan
Sustainability Strategist
Unravel Carbon
Kevin Teng
Co-Founder & CTO
Natsune Nomura
Related case studies
Fabric is collaborating with Andersen Consulting
Nakame Gallery Street J4
2-45-12 Kami-meguro
Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-0051
Japan
Fabric is collaborating with Andersen Consulting
Nakame Gallery Street J4
2-45-12 Kami-meguro
Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-0051
Japan
Copyright Ⓒ Fabric 2025
Fabric is collaborating with Andersen Consulting
Nakame Gallery Street J4
2-45-12 Kami-meguro
Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-0051
Japan
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Our team listed the elements that needed to be clarified during message development: the raison d'être of new business development, their aspirational vision, and core values. From there, we designed employee surveys, interviews, and workshops to explore each element in depth, collecting multifaceted insights.
Our approach to insight discovery and message development included:
Analysis of existing data, including past employee pulse surveys
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Interviews with department heads, new transfers from venture companies, and members from other departments
Workshops with new business development division members
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Our team listed the elements that needed to be clarified during message development: the raison d'être of new business development, their aspirational vision, and core values. From there, we designed employee surveys, interviews, and workshops to explore each element in depth, collecting multifaceted insights.
Our approach to insight discovery and message development included:
Analysis of existing data, including past employee pulse surveys
Design and implementation of surveys for new business development division members (80 people)
Interviews with department heads, new transfers from venture companies, and members from other departments
Workshops with new business development division members
(20 people)Integration of insights and message development from all research