Best Internet First Media Companies in Japan
The 92 best Internet First Media companies in Japan in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Yahoo Japan.
When you're mapping the best Internet First Media companies in Japan by disclosed equity funding and recent funding momentum, the numbers set the scene fast. Ninety-two companies tracked, $4.0 billion in total disclosed funding, and Yahoo Japan alone accounts for the bulk of that pool. Median app-install growth across 4,682 media and online-media apps is running at +12% YoY, and the sector's CAGR sits at roughly 2.3%, with demand pulled forward by on-demand consumption, programmatic buying, and OTT video. That's a real prize. And as shown in 2015 research on mobile content delivery, the structural shift toward mobile-first media access compounds each year, which is exactly what those install figures are reflecting.
So what does the competitive picture actually look like beneath the headline? Honest answer: concentrated. Noin leads the emerging tier at $10M raised, with Anique close behind at $8M, while most of the 92 tracked names are early-stage or undisclosed. Hot content themes right now include streaming (Netflix, YouTube Premium, Amazon Prime Video) and political reporting, though overall editorial coverage is flat. Investors like Global Brain, Incubate Fund, and CyberAgent Capital are the active hands shaping where capital flows next. The curve's bending toward mobile and on-demand, and I'd watch this funding tier closely as OTT appetite keeps pulling users away from legacy formats.
- Galal & Karawi Management Consulting
Ranked: Best Internet First Media companies in Japan
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | App-install YoY | Last round | Stage | Founder | Tech stack | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yahoo Japan Online media portal | $4.0B | +9% | 85 mo ago | Public | — | Cart FunctionalityNode.jsReact+18 | — |
| 2 | Golf Digest Online Golf-related online services provider | — | +8% | — | Public | — | Facebook LoginAmazon ALBApache HTTP Server+38 | — |
| 3 | Excite Japan Diversified Japanese digital media company | — | +4% | — | Public | Kiyoshi Imagawa CEO & President | RubyRaphaelRuby on Rails+24 | — |
| 4 | FUJISAN MAGAZINE SERVICE Digital newsstand for reading magazines | — | +3% | — | Public | Shinichiro Nishino CEO | Cart FunctionalityNginxGoogle Ads+15 | — |
| 5 | CyberAgent Media network of multiple online brands | — | +2% | — | Public | Susumu Fujita CEO & President | WordPressMySQLPHP+25 | — |
| 6 | itmedia ITmedia is an Internet company. | — | +1% | — | Public | — | — | — |
| 7 | Anique Online platform that provides information on special goods sold & art exhibitions | $8M | — | 3 mo ago | Series B | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifySearchanise+32 | — |
| 8 | Noin App-based beauty content platform and shopping platform | $10M | — | 52 mo ago | Series B | Ken Watabe Founder & CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+14 | — |
| 9 | Nanapi Digital media platform focusing on food recipes and cooking basics | $7M | — | 155 mo ago | Acquired | Takao Ozawa Founder | — | — |
| 10 | Curazy Online platform for curated news with a focus on entertainment | $987K | — | 143 mo ago | Seed | Shinnosuke Ito Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
Top 12 Internet First Media companies in Japan
#1
Series B · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2019 · 12 employees$8.4Mraised▾
Online platform that provides information on special goods sold & art exhibitions. It delivers artwork such as anime, manga, and games to art lovers. Users can connect with artwork by engraving their names onto their favorite artworks with the creator, as well as, they can order artworks from the platform.
- Feb 2026Series B$8.4M
#2
Public · Chiyoda City, Tokyo · founded 1996 · 2813 employees$4Braised▾
Online media portal. It offers services such as a news aggregator, web search, event listing, and weather updates. Also offers news based on various topics such as economy, entertainment, region, and more. Monetizes through sponsored posts, native, and display advertisements.
- May 2019Post IPO$4B
#3
Series B · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2016$10.2Mraised▾
App-based beauty content platform and shopping platform. The platform offers video tutorials, reviews, product content information, etc on cosmetics, skincare beauty products & brands. Users can also shop multi-category cosmetics through the mobile application. Its mobile app is available for Android and iOS users.
- Jan 2022Series B—
- Jan 2021Series B—
- Apr 2020Series B—
- Jul 2019Series B$7.4M
#4
Acquired · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2007 · 13 employees$6.6Mraised▾
Nanapi is a digital media platform focusing on food recipes and cooking basics. It offers articles and information related to recipes of various dishes such as breakfast, salads, rice dishes, meat dishes, seafood dishes, cake, desserts, and more. It also provides information regarding the quantities of ingredients, step-by-step procedure of cooking, cooking time, and various tips. Users can search for articles based on the keywords.
- Jul 2013Series A$2.7M
- Nov 2010Series A$3.9M
#5
Seed · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2014$987Kraised▾
Curazy is an online platform for curated news with a focus on entertainment. Publishes as well as curates interesting news and videos from Japan and all over the world. Owned and operated by Laugh Tech. Monetizes through digital advertisements and banners.
- Jul 2014Seed$987K
#6
Seed · Minato, Tokyo · founded 2013—raised▾
Platform offering content related to beauty and hairstyle. It offers the latest techniques in cutting, coloring, perming, and styling from top stylists worldwide. It aims to accelerate learning and explore the potential of the beauty industry combined with IT.
- Dec 2023Seed—
- Dec 2023Conventional Debt—
#7
Seed · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2022—raised▾
App offering real-time information on nearby stores. It offers information for customers such as discounts, new product announcements, accurate business hours, events, ratings, and more. The app allows customers to create an account, save posts and businesses if interested and want to visit, and allows users to check the information on the features My Page and Maps.
- Nov 2023Seed—
#8
Series A · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2016—raised▾
Online video-based content platform for parenting. The company provides various content and tools useful for parenting and family life through mini-programs and social media. The content of videos is parenting tips, product reviews, baby food, medication & health, nutrition, and others.
- Nov 2020Series A—
#9
Seed · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2014—raised▾
TABI LABO engages in the internet media related business. It also produces advertisements and provides consulting services. It is a web media that delivers content under various categories including lifestyle, cultural, trends, etc.
- Jul 2017Seed—
- Jun 2017Seed—
#10
Public · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2006 · 207 employees—raised▾
Minkabu is a content service provider for financial institutions. It provides solutions for stock information-as-a-service and CX -FX information distribution service. It claims to make use of an AI-based engine for automatic content generation. The company also provides solutions for system development and media services.
- Dec 2016Series B—
#11
Series A · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2016—raised▾
Online content-based platform offering video tutorials. The platform offers tutorial videos catering to the latest information and advice on makeup, beauty, and fashion. Its portal consists of short videos. Its mobile application is available on iOS platforms.
- Jul 2016Series A—
#12
Series A · Chiba, Chiba · founded 2010—raised▾
Online media platform providing news and articles for startup businesses. The platform delivers coverage on topics including technology, events, and ecosystem developments. It features articles, news, columns, interviews, and event information. The platform also offers archives of past features and partner media content.
- Jan 2016Series A—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Internet First Media coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Sweetie watches where the money and the users are piling in. She covers sector wealth and momentum — the install curves and revenue pools that show which corners of the market are quietly on fire.