CareLink, Provider of Specialized Spot-Work Services for Nursing and Welfare, Secures New Funding

CareLink, Inc. (Headquarters: Funabashi, Chiba; Representative: Masafumi Nemoto), which operates a spot-work service specialized for the nursing and welfare industry, conducted a funding round in Spring 2026, bringing its cumulative total to 230 million yen.

To address the severe labor challenges in the nursing and welfare sector, where chronic staff shortages and 16-hour night shifts are common, CareLink aims to build an infrastructure that eliminates the 'service suspension due to lack of staff' scenario and delivers necessary talent exactly when needed.

■ The Status Quo: 570,000-Person Shortage by 2040 and 16-Hour Night Shifts

Labor shortages in Japan's nursing sector are a critical issue. According to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimates, the number of required care staff will surge to approximately 2.4 million in FY2026 and 2.72 million in FY2040—an additional 570,000 people compared to FY2022. Achieving this in a shrinking labor force is a grave, long-term challenge for Japanese social welfare.

Harsh working environments further hinder recruitment. A survey by the Japan Federation of Medical Worker's Unions shows that 88.4% of facilities use two-shift night duty, and 84.8% of those involve shifts exceeding 16 hours. Furthermore, 67.1% of two-shift workplaces operate with a 'one-person' night shift. While nursing guidelines exist for professional nurses, there are no legal caps for care workers' night shifts. Improving working conditions is urgent.

■ 13,000 Registered Workers and 1,200 Facilities with Precise Matching

Since its official launch in February 2024, 'CareLink' has expanded its footprint, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. With over 13,000 registered workers and over 1,200 partner facilities, the service has demonstrated strong growth.

The service's primary differentiator is its unique requirement-setting system. While typical spot-work platforms focus on general labor replacement, 'CareLink' allows facilities to set detailed requirements for each job listing across three levels: 'Beginners welcome,' 'Experienced only,' and 'Certified professionals only.'

This enables precise matching based on required skill levels, ensuring both high suitability and operational stability. This growth track record and CareLink's specialized position in the nursing sector—specifically tackling night-shift issues—led to this latest funding.

■ Voice from the Field: Three Facilities Discuss Adopting CareLink

TSP Inc. / Representative: Mr. Kuremoto (Adachi-ku, Tokyo; Disability Group Home Operations)
'Chronic labor shortages often left gaps in our shifts, and recruiting was ineffective. CareLink is the solution we were looking for; it helps us secure staff exactly when needed, providing immense support to our operations.' (Case Study)

Wellstar Inc. / Director: Mr. Hashimoto (Chiba, Shizuoka, Hiroshima; Disability Group Home Operations)
'As finding support staff became difficult, managing sudden vacancies was a huge burden. CareLink has given us a new choice to fill these gaps, helping us balance the workload for our permanent staff and stabilize our facility operations.' (Case Study)

Oneup Ltd. / Recruiting: Mr. Sahara (Miura, Kanagawa; Group Home and Nursing Taxi Operations)
'The ability to pinpoint experienced welfare staff is a major draw. It's more than just single-shift help; some cases have evolved into long-term employment relationships. It's become a highly effective option for our recruiting strategy.' (Case Study)

■ Investment Strategy for Nursing Infrastructure

The company will use the new funds to solve chronic shortages and emergency vacancies by investing in three key areas:

1. Strengthening Worker Acquisition: Expanding the pool of registered workers, particularly certified and experienced professionals, to ensure facilities can secure the 'right skill at the right time.'

2. Enhancing Support Systems: Promoting service adoption nationwide and improving post-adoption support, helping facilities effectively utilize spot labor and implement task-sharing to stabilize operations.

3. App Native Transformation: Converting the worker-facing app into a native application for better performance.