MicroNity acquires Excert operator IBT, its seventh software succession deal
What's the deal? MicroNity, an AI-driven software business succession platform based in Shibuya, Tokyo, has acquired all shares of IBT Comprehensive Research InstituteDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, operator of the online exam platform ExcertDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. It is MicroNity's seventh completed succession.
What does each side do? MicroNity acquires and grows niche software firms in specialised fields. IBT Comprehensive Research Institute, established in September 2024 under Smart CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, runs Excert, an Internet Based Testing (IBT) platform used by about 500,000 candidates a year.
Why now? Japan has lagged on digital exams. The SAT went fully digital in spring 2024, but Japan's largest exam, the National Center Test for University Admissions, will keep paper for its roughly 500,000 examinees through 2026.
How Excert works: Unlike venue-based Computer Based Testing (CBT), which requires candidates to gather at fixed locations, IBT lets people sit exams from their own environments online. Excert uses AI and human oversight of both the exam screen and the candidate's camera to deter cheating.
What's the endgame? MicroNity plans to integrate its development resources and AI expertise into Excert, strengthening monitoring and broadening reach across the certification and qualification market.
What changes: MicroNity says it will build on the trust IBT established. "We are determined to continue this journey, utilizing our group's development resources and AI expertise to evolve the product further into a more reliable and convenient service for all stakeholders involved in test administration," it said.
The signal: Venue-based CBT still dominates Japanese exams — even the judicial examination adopts CBT for the first time only in July 2026. Consolidating an established IBT platform positions MicroNity to ride the slow but steady shift toward remote online testing.
Read more: third-news.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
