SoftEther is a brand that offers SoftEther VPN, a high-performance and multi-protocol VPN software. Developed by Daiyuu Nobori, a researcher at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, SoftEther VPN was initially created to address the limitations of public Wi-Fi access-points. Unable to use Microsoft Remote Desktop on campus Wi-Fi due to port restrictions, Nobori developed SoftEther VPN to enable secure connections from anywhere.

SoftEther VPN quickly gained popularity and became freeware in 2013. SoftEther Project focuses on the continuous development and distribution of SoftEther VPN, as well as supporting its users through their forum. The project is composed of research members from the University of Tsukuba.

Although SoftEther 1. 0 was later transformed into a commercial VPN software called SoftEther CA in collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, SoftEther Corporation was established to deal with the company's poor sales performance. Today, SoftEther VPN continues to be developed and distributed as freeware by Daiyuu Nobori, with plans to open-source the software under the Apache License 2.

0. SoftEther Project is based in Tsukuba, Japan, and operates within the University's Software Laboratory Department of Computer Science