Launched in 2019, HALF TIME is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year. While taking on various challenges in the fields of recruitment and PR/branding within the sports business, the company has also faced—and overcome—many difficulties. At this milestone, three executives, including CEO Yusuke Isoda, sat down with Nagisa Tajiri from the back office.

 

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Yusuke Isoda (far right in photo): CEO of HALF TIME Inc. Built his career in the HR industry from the start, and founded HALF TIME in 2017. Since 2019, has been expanding recruitment and PR/branding services specialized in the sports business. Serves as head of the recruitment division.

 

Domu Kumagai (far left): COO of HALF TIME Inc. After careers in the insurance and PR industries, joined HALF TIME in 2019. Primarily responsible for sales and business development, also serves as head of the PR/branding division.

 

Yusuke Yamanaka (second from left): CCO (Chief Communications Officer) of HALF TIME Inc. After working at agencies in PR and branding, joined HALF TIME in 2019. Mainly oversees in-house media, conferences, and client services.

 

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Five Years of Challenges and Overcoming Hardships

HALF TIME Inc. COO Domu Kumagai (left)

 

—— Looking back on the five years since the service launch, how do you feel?

 

Kumagai: In hindsight, it went by quickly. By taking on a wide range of challenges since the start, these five years have revealed a lot. Our dealings with globally recognized companies and sports organizations have increased, and by steadily building trust, I realized that business grows in a compounding way.

 

Yamanaka: Of course, there are projects and services we tried but discontinued, but there are also those we’ve continued. Building up over five years becomes a huge asset. Media and conferences, for example—continuing them is harder than starting. I’m glad we believed in them and kept going.

 

Isoda: Perhaps we’ve built a unique positioning. The first five years were a tough “launching” period, but I believe the next five will reveal new horizons.

Honestly, there were times we nearly ran out of cash and had to raise funds. But we fought through together. At that time, we also started having more meaningful conversations like, “We should share more financial and business information.” In a way, it was a blessing in disguise—it built stronger ownership among us.

 

—— Mr. Yamanaka and Mr. Kumagai, it has also been five years since you both joined.

 

Yamanaka: My connection with Mr. Isoda started when he first contacted me as a candidate, and later we even worked as colleagues at another company. I began supporting HALF TIME as a side job around winter 2018.

Back then, the name “HALF TIME” didn’t even exist yet, but when I heard about launching a new service focused on the sports industry—a field I was passionate about—I decided to switch. Since then, it’s been an exciting five years (laughs): lots of learning, fun, and it flew by. Being able to work with responsibility and autonomy, while everyone else is also independent, has been great.

 

Kumagai: Honestly, I never thought, “I’ll stay here for five years.” I’ve approached it like a pro baseball player—renewing my contract year by year (laughs). But through baseball I learned, “Never quit when times are tough—those are the times to push harder.” So although there were many difficult periods since launch, I could push through them. Now I’m excited for the next phase.

 

Isoda: Spoken like a true Koshien player (laughs).

 

Fundraising, Achieving Profit, and Growth Alongside the Company

HALF TIME Inc. CEO Yusuke Isoda

 

—— Over these five years, what moments stand out most?

 

Isoda: Definitely achieving our first single-year profit in the last fiscal year (August 2024). It was proof of the company’s growth, and it gave me a real sense of a brighter future.

 

Kumagai: Including fundraising, there must have been many tough times for you, Mr. Isoda. Were there nights you couldn’t sleep?

 

Isoda: When it looked like we’d run out of cash in two months, I couldn’t sleep. But as owner and CEO, I felt that responsibility. In the end, we got through with fundraising, and I came out tougher with more knowledge.

 

Yamanaka: Looking back, it feels like the overall direction of management has changed significantly. Did your mindset also shift?

 

Isoda: At launch, I aimed for an IPO within five years, and even considered setting up a subsidiary in Singapore. But results didn’t come as expected, and those were tough times.

At the same time, the startup landscape has changed—exits are no longer just IPOs but also M&A. More importantly, I began to feel that ensuring the happiness of our team and their families, and fostering pride and fulfillment in work, matters more. My perspective broadened.

 

Kumagai: So the “axis” of your goals has shifted?

 

Isoda: Maybe it’s more about whether we’re getting closer to the vision we truly want to achieve. Expanding into Asia is one. Continuing to support people who want to join the sports industry is another.

HALF TIME’s purpose is “Realizing a society full of fulfillment through sports”, and its mission is “Making Asia, and the world, a leading sports market.” We want to consistently deliver real value.

 

Aiming to See “New Horizons” in the Next Five Years

HALF TIME Inc. CCO Yusuke Yamanaka (right)

 

—— What are your goals for the next five years?

 

Isoda: I see it in two phases. For the next four years, we’ll focus on elevating corporate value together in our current domains. After that, I want to expand the stage to Asia. How can we contribute not just in Japan but across Asia, with our PR and recruitment services? That’s what I want to pursue.

 

Kumagai: I strongly agree. I want us to establish an overwhelming brand presence in Japan first, and then expand toward Asia. Sports is the world’s universal language—it exists everywhere, the rules are the same regardless of spoken language, and it enables communication. The ability to leverage that as a business is HALF TIME’s strength, and what makes it so exciting.

 

Yamanaka: Indeed, Asia offers not only geographic expansion but also the chance to broaden our service range. In the next five years, I want to see a distinctly different “new horizon.”

 

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(Post-interview note)

 

As the company moves toward major goals, I personally feel the pressing need to grow and level up my own skills as well. I don’t often face clients directly in back office work, but I want to keep learning little by little, and deepen my understanding of the sports business.

 

In the next article, we’ll dive into the theme of “overseas” and “global,” which came up during this discussion. Stay tuned!