The worst - Recensione dipendente - Dipendente anonimo presso Axelspace

Smart employees with good morals and did everything to change the rotten system until they left

This company is basically a black company with a space theme The management is a textbook example of what happens when you put narcissism, racism, and sexism in suits. Directors present themselves as “friendly” and “quirky” but are actually power-tripping harassers who thrive on control and performative leadership. Misogyny isn’t just tolerated, it’s embedded in the system. If you’re a mediocre Japanese male employee with time for endless nomikai (drinking sessions), congratulations, you’re in the fast lane. But if you’re non-Japanese, female, or just too competent? You’ll hit a wall fast. The internal system is rigged to reward underperformance as long as you’re part of the inner circle. All PR, no substance. From the outside, Axelspace looks like an established tech player, but behind the scenes? No clear business model, no working satellite product, and not a single year of profit since it was founded nearly two decades ago.

Some genuinely talented and kind engineers and staff — mostly at the non-managerial level. Unfortunately, they tend to leave once they realize how broken the system is.

Axelspace may brand itself as a space company, but behind the flashy front lies a disorganized organization with no working product, no functional satellite operations, and no coherent business direction. If you're a potential investor, partner, or customer — do yourself a favor and stay away. The company suffers from an overinflated management layer full of self-interested mid-level managers and directors who prioritize personal comfort and cliques over actual progress or employee well-being. Despite being founded in 2008, the company seems stuck in the past — or worse, moving backward. Employee burnout is normalized. Many team members routinely clock over 100 hours per week, while leadership deflects responsibility and gaslights staff for struggling under the load. Talented individuals are overworked, underpaid, and grossly underappreciated — which explains the high turnover. Non-Japanese employees face a clear glass ceiling. Regardless of skill or contribution, they are often sidelined in favor of Japanese colleagues, even when those colleagues underperform. The company pays lip service to diversity but does little to foster inclusion or equity. Perhaps most concerning is Axelspace’s approach to handling harassment and misconduct. Power harassment, especially towards foreigners/and or women, is swept under the rug, with a broken evaluation system that protects managers (mostly Japanese and men) and punishes those who speak up. Unless drastic reforms are made, Axelspace will continue to be a cautionary example of how not to run a company in the 21st century — in space or otherwise.