by EsNova, Inc.  |  Bellevue, Washington

Backline™

The back-office CFO subscription for
Japanese startups expanding to the U.S.

We handle the back. You lead the front.

Book a Free Consultation See Services
★ Official JETRO Accelerator Partner
🏢
U.S. Entity FormationDelaware C-Corp with EIN in as little as 2 days.
🏦
U.S. Bank Account & Cash ManagementOpened smoothly — even for non-U.S. residents.
📊
Accounting & FinancialsMonthly reports, P&L, and annual statements handled.
✈️
Visa Application SupportE-2, L-1, O-1 — partnered attorneys coordinate all.
📈
Tax Filing & StrategyCross-border tax strategy and U.S. tax filing.
💼
Fundraising SupportPitch deck support, VC introductions, financial modeling.

The Problem

5 walls every Japanese startup hits
when entering the U.S. market

⚖️

Legal & Contracts

Unclear how to form a Delaware C-Corp. Contracts are in English. Finding the right attorney feels impossible.

💰

Finance & Accounting

Opening a U.S. bank account takes weeks. Setting up accounting tools without local knowledge is a nightmare.

📋

Back-Office Operations

Invoicing, payments, and paperwork consume the founder's time. Core business suffers.

🛂

Work Visa

E-2, L-1, H-1B — choosing the right visa type and managing paperwork is overwhelming.

🚀

Go-To-Market

No local network. No playbook. U.S. business customs are hard to navigate alone.

All of this — solved under one monthly flat fee by Backline™.

Services

8 core services covering
your entire U.S. back office

🏢

Entity Formation

Delaware C-Corp registration with EIN — fully handled. All formation documents managed by Backline.

🏦

U.S. Bank Account & Cash Management

Full support for non-U.S. residents. ACH transfers and debit cards available from day one.

🖥️

Office & Infrastructure Setup

Virtual office, SaaS & cloud tool setup, IT infrastructure. Business environment ready from day one in the U.S.

📊

Accounting, Financials & Annual Statements

Monthly reports, cash flow management, annual statement preparation. Japan-based staff handle it all.

📈

Tax Filing

Delaware franchise tax, California filings, and more. We liaise with partner CPA firms on your behalf.

✈️

Visa Application Support

E-2, L-1, O-1 and more. Partner immigration attorneys prepare and coordinate all documents.

🛡️

Insurance Arrangement

General liability, workers' compensation, and more. We negotiate with brokers and handle the setup.

OPTIONAL
🏖️

401(k) Plan Setup

Retirement plan selection, provider enrollment, and employee onboarding — handled end to end.

Extended Support Services

Beyond the back office.
COO-level support for growth.

Delivered directly by our Silicon Valley–based partners, who have built U.S. businesses and raised capital themselves.

01

Go-To-Market Support

Local market strategy, sales network introductions, and partner referrals to open doors in the U.S.

  • U.S. market entry strategy & positioning
  • Introductions to local customers and sales networks
  • Partner and channel referrals
Included in Pro

02

Fundraising Support

Pitch deck review, financial modeling, and VC introductions. Strategic support for your U.S. raise.

  • Pitch deck review
  • Financial modeling & business plan
  • VC targeting & investor introductions
Included in Standard & Pro

Talk to our partners →

Pricing

Simple, flat-rate monthly plans

Priced by headcount. Setup fee $2,000 — annual contract, auto-renewed.

Mini

$1,500

/ month (up to 5 employees)

For newly formed teams just getting started.

  • Entity formation support
  • Bank account setup
  • Accounting setup & monthly reports
  • Tax filing support
  • Slack support
Get in Touch Apply for this plan →
Most Popular

Standard

$2,500

/ month (up to 10 employees)

For startups in full operation mode.

  • Everything in Mini
  • Fundraising consulting (business plan)
  • 401(k) plan setup
  • Monthly 60-min meeting
Get in Touch Apply for this plan →

Pro

$4,000

/ month (up to 20 employees)

For scaling startups hiring U.S. employees.

  • Everything in Standard
  • Go-To-Market support
  • 2× monthly meetings
  • Priority Slack support
Get in Touch Apply for this plan →

🏢

Enterprise

Custom

20+ employees or custom requirements

Contact Us

✓ All plans include bilingual support   ✓ Cancel with 30 days notice

How It Works

Your U.S. entity — up and running
in under 30 days

1

Day 1

Initial Consultation

We assess your business model, visa requirements, and service needs — then recommend the right structure.

2

Day 2–4

Entity Formation

Delaware C-Corp filed and EIN obtained. Backline manages all formation documents from start to finish.

3

Day 4–7

U.S. Bank Account & Cash Management

We guide you through account opening. ACH transfers and debit cards ready immediately.

4

Week 2

Accounting & Cap Table Setup

Accounting tools configured and chart of accounts designed. Cap table management initiated.

5

Week 2–4

Visa Document Preparation

E-2, L-1, O-1 and more — our partner immigration attorneys lead the process. We handle all coordination.

6

Week 3–4

Insurance & 401(k) Setup

Business insurance selected and negotiated. 401(k) provider selected and employees enrolled.

Our Team

Experienced founders bridging
Japan and the United States

Hideki Seki

Hideki Seki

Founder / U.S. CPA

ex-Goldman Sachs ex-Deutsche Bank ex-Nomura UTEC

After working at a major accounting firm in New York, spent 10+ years in strategic investment, securitization, and M&A at Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank. Founded Genesis Advisory Inc. in 2013. Joined C1X Inc. (Silicon Valley) as VP Finance. Since 2017, Venture Partner at the University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC). 20+ cross-border M&A transactions.

Former Director, Strategic Investments, Deutsche Bank　｜　Former Executive Director, Nomura Securities　｜　U.S. CPA

Yoshi Shiomi

Yoshi Shiomi

Co-Founder / Serial Entrepreneur

ex-PRODRONE EVP CEO, Kailas Robotics Board Member, JABI CES 2025 Innovation Award

Relocated to Silicon Valley in 2017 and led the U.S. launch of industrial drone maker PRODRONE (Mountain View, CA) as EVP. Subsequently became CEO of robotics company Kailas Robotics, and continues to operate as an active entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. His startup won the CES 2025 Innovation Award and CES 2025 Japan Pavilion Global Pitch. Accepted into UC Berkeley SkyDeck, CIC Cambridge, Industry 4.0, and Plug & Play Japan. Career roots at Yoshimoto Kogyo as a producer; served as Acting VP of Yoshimoto U.S.A. Board Member of JABI, bridging Japanese and U.S. business. At Backline, brings all of his own expansion experience to provide the fastest route for the next generation of Japanese startups to succeed in America.

CEO, Kailas Robotics　｜　Board Member, JABI　｜　English / Japanese

Toshimoto Sato

Toshimoto Sato

Partner / Venture Capitalist

ex-DENSO CVC CEO, TooDot LLC MBA

Joined DENSO (Silicon Valley) to help launch its Corporate Venture Capital arm. Led sourcing and investments in 12 startups (including as lead investor), handling DD, term sheets, board observer roles, PoC/co-development, and business unit collaboration. 2 portfolio companies achieved IPO, 2 achieved M&A. As CEO of TooDot LLC, supports Japanese corporates in CVC design, investment themes, governance, and operating models. Based in Silicon Valley, assists Japanese companies and startups with North America PMF, GTM, business development, and fundraising. Has led U.S. market research, PoC, PMF, GTM strategy, investor development, and fundraising as COO / VP North America Business Development. Organized Silicon Valley boot camps for Nagoya City's 'Glow Tech Nagoya' and NICT's 'Entrepreneur Koshien,' continually supporting Japanese startups' U.S. expansion.

CEO, TooDot LLC　｜　Ex-DENSO CVC　｜　English / Japanese

Get Started

Let's Get Started!

We handle the back. You lead the front.

Book a Free Consultation Request a Brochure Apply Now

esnova.net  |  Bellevue, Washington, USA  |  Official JETRO Partner