The situation: Unlocking Japan’s market amid complex barriers
With their flagship laparoscopic instrument ArtiSential™, LivsMed had already secured regulatory approvals across major global markets, including the U.S. FDA, EU CE MDR, and Japan’s PMDA, and was operating in 72 countries. As the company looked to build on this momentum, Japan stood out as a strategic next step, offering a large market opportunity fueled by an aging population, advanced healthcare infrastructure, and a strong appetite for innovative medical technologies.
However, despite the opportunity, entering Japan came with significant legal and operational complexities. Strict labor laws, high compliance standards, and the cost and time involved in setting up a local entity risked delaying progress. To maintain their pace and capitalize on early interest, LivsMed began searching for a faster, lower-risk path into Japan.
The solution: A trusted recommendation from Unico Search
LivsMed’s head of talent acquisition had previously worked at Unico Search, Korea’s first executive search firm and a long-time G-P partner. Having seen G-P’s impact firsthand through that partnership, she recognized them as a trusted Employer of Record (EOR) and recommended G-P to help LivsMed navigate Japan’s complex employment environment.
With AI-powered technology, an intuitive platform, and a dedicated customer success team, G-P enabled LivsMed to quickly onboard sales leadership and build a pre-sales team in Japan without setting up a legal entity. While LivsMed focused on go-to-market execution, G-P handled local employment logistics—including compliance with Japan’s labor laws, payroll, and tax regulations—removing administrative burden and legal complexity from LivsMed’s internal teams, while allowing entity setup to progress in parallel.
The impact: Accelerated launch, lower risk and cost
With G-P managing local hiring and compliance, LivsMed entered Japan much faster and at significantly lower cost than a traditional expansion model would have allowed. The company was able to validate local demand, gain early traction, and avoid regulatory pitfalls, shaving months off their launch timeline and staying focused on their core business objectives.
