Best Media & Entertainment Companies in Japan
The 548 best Media & Entertainment companies in Japan in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Yahoo Japan.
Ranking the best Media & Entertainment companies in Japan by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum, this directory tracks 548 ventures sitting on $4.5B in combined disclosed capital. No unicorns yet, but the curve is bending fast. According to Statista, the global market is forecast to hit $1,100.0B by 2024, compounding at 7.41% CAGR, and Japan's slice of that prize is genuinely worth watching. Brave group leads our list at $48M raised, with Anique ($8M), Cierpa & Company ($7M), and Surf Music ($6M) rounding out a cohort that's clearly finding conviction from backers like CyberAgent Capital, Incubate Fund, and East Ventures.
So what does the demand signal look like underneath the funding? Median Play Store installs across 3,108 media and social apps grew +12% YoY, which tells you consumer appetite isn't softening. Hot build themes right now are audio editors, playback engines, and mindfulness content, and I'd flag that audio-first formats look particularly active given Surf Music's presence in the top funded cohort. Virtual and augmented reality are pulling developer attention too, as studios race to quantify the impact of media exposure and sharpen distribution strategy. The prize is already enormous. The momentum is real.
- Omdia
Ranked: Best Media & Entertainment companies in Japan
| # | Company | App-install YoY | Disclosed funding | Last round | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EVERY .LIVE App-based live video distribution solutions | +17% | $3M | 53 mo ago | Park Shun CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 2 | SHOWROOM Live Streaming Platform, Manged by DeNA | +10% | $41M | 71 mo ago | Yuji Maeda Founder & CEO | Facebook LoginBackbone.jsVue.js+17 | Top 10k | — | — |
| 3 | Yahoo Japan Online media portal | +9% | $4.0B | 85 mo ago | — | Cart FunctionalityNode.jsReact+18 | Top 1k | 506 patents Online advertising and e‑commerce data processing platforms for targeted services | — |
| 4 | taskey Ebook & novels reading application | +7% | $2M | 35 mo ago | Oishi Romy Founder & CEO | ContentfulNode.jsGoogle Maps+14 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 5 | Brave group Provider of virtual production, IP platform, and IP solution services | — | $48M | 1 mo ago | Keito Noguchi CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+24 | Top 1M | — | 2 job openings |
| 6 | Mitsumore Provider of lead generation platform for multiple services | — | $25M | 1 mo ago | Ayako Ishikawa Co-Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySentryGoogle Sign-in+35 | Top 50k | — | — |
| 7 | Pictoria AI-based platform offering solutions for Vtubers | — | $5M | 1 mo ago | Hayato Akiwatari CEO | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+11 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 8 | Cierpa & Company Operator of journals & news media | — | $7M | 1 mo ago | Jun Sugimoto CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+10 | Top 10M | — | 1 launch |
| 9 | Anique Online platform that provides information on special goods sold & art exhibitions | — | $8M | 3 mo ago | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifySearchanise+32 | Top 1M | — | — |
| 10 | Surf Music Provider of platform for music creators to collaborate and sell music | — | $6M | 3 mo ago | Kenneth Kobori Founder & CEO | DartFirebaseFlutter+19 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 11 | Super Massive Global Provider of game development services | — | $5M | 9 mo ago | Shinto Naito CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | Top 50M | 9 patents Online multiplayer gaming platforms and digital content delivery infrastructure. | — |
| 12 | SAMANSA Provider of an online short film streaming app | — | $5M | 9 mo ago | Goki Kusunoki Co-Founder & Co-CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+18 | Top 5M | — | 1 launch |
| 13 | emole Online video streaming platform for short films | — | $2M | 8 mo ago | Naomichi Sawamura Founder & CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+9 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 14 | TELLER Online platform for storytelling | — | $7M | 14 mo ago | Nobutoh Hachiya Founder & CEO | Node.jsNextAuth.jsGoogle Sign-in+14 | Top 50k | — | — |
| 15 | MUSVI Developer of telepresence systems enabling remote interaction | — | $5M | 14 mo ago | Yusuke Sakai Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 16 | Utoniq Manufacturer of smart cards for art sharing | — | $4M | 13 mo ago | Shuntaro Tsuneta Co-Founder & CEO | SentryApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+15 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 17 | Comic Smart Provider of manga and webtoon contents | — | $19M | 22 mo ago | Koki Sato Founder & CEO | WordPressPleskMySQL+14 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 18 | Mov Online streaming platform | — | $666K | 8 mo ago | Hironobu Akiyama Co-Founder | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+11 | Top 50M | 3 patents Enterprise business data processing platforms and related software infrastructure | — |
| 19 | Plott Provider of anime content for Youtube | — | $7M | 19 mo ago | Shota Okuno CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+10 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 20 | Castee Social collaboration platfrom for creators | — | $3M | 19 mo ago | Shintaro Otake CEO | Node.jsYouTubeTailwind CSS+14 | Top 5M | 3 patents Business data processing systems and methods for enterprise information management | — |
| 21 | Openrec Live streaming platform offering video content | — | $16M | 25 mo ago | Akira Hyodo CEO & President | Node.jsGSAPVue.js+9 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 22 | openrec Online platform for streaming live videos for E-sports games | — | $16M | 25 mo ago | Yo Hyodo CEO & Representative Director | SentryZendeskNode.js+19 | Top 100k | — | — |
| 23 | PARONYM Content delivery solutions provider | — | $9M | 26 mo ago | — | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+14 | Top 10M | 10 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 24 | HARTi Operator of smart photo booths offering customizable frames and digital integration | — | $402K | 15 mo ago | Yuya Yoshida CEO & Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+15 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 25 | Spectee Real time photos and video distribution platform | — | $17M | 31 mo ago | Kenjiro Murakami Founder & CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+23 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 26 | ANA NEO Developer of a metaverse platform for socializing | — | $46M | 43 mo ago | Mitsuo Tomita CEO | GSAPApache HTTP ServerCloudflare+12 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 27 | YLAB STUDIOS Producer and distributor of webtoons and comics | — | $10M | 29 mo ago | Yoon In-nan CEO | GnuboardMySQLPHP+9 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 28 | SOUNDRAW Provider of AI enabled music creation software | — | $5M | 27 mo ago | Daigo Kusunoki CEO | SentryRubyElement UI+26 | Top 500k | — | 1 launch |
| 29 | Financie Digital platform offering cryptocurrency social tokens | — | $14M | 34 mo ago | Hironao Kunimitsu Founder & CEO | Apple iCloud MailGoogle WorkspaceRuby+27 | Top 500k | — | — |
| 30 | GAZAI Platform offering AI-powered tools to analyze, generate, and automate insights from visual and multimedia… | — | $697K | 21 mo ago | Takuya Kanda Co-Founder | STUDIOApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+11 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 31 | Iranoan Developer, planner, and operator of games | — | $3M | 29 mo ago | Masaki Kato CEO & President | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+11 | Top 10M | 3 patents Automated retail dispensing systems and integrated e‑commerce transaction platforms. | — |
| 32 | Brush Up Game development and effects production company specializing in Nintendo Switch games. | — | $3M | 31 mo ago | Taizo Inukai CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | Character Bank Provider of AR/VR development services | — | $4M | 37 mo ago | Mikami Sailor CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 34 | Noin App-based beauty content platform and shopping platform | — | $10M | 52 mo ago | Ken Watabe Founder & CEO | STUDIOFirebaseNode.js+14 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 35 | Kreation Official website to integrate fashion and gaming | — | $2M | 32 mo ago | Tomoya Ogawa Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | WAKUWAKU JAPAN General entertainment TV channel | — | $36M | 135 mo ago | Masafumi Kawanishi CEO & President | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Pretia Technologies Developer of a gaming platform designed to offer augmented reality and real-life entertainment experience | — | $5M | 46 mo ago | Yu Ushio Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | monoAI Provider of metaverse and content development services for gaming industry | — | $7M | 52 mo ago | Yoshitaro Honjo CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+29 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 39 | SwipeVideo Online platform providing live streaming solution | — | $3M | 43 mo ago | Shinya Shimojo CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+10 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 40 | C Channel Online video fashion magazine for women | — | $13M | 80 mo ago | Yamato Sasagawa Co-Founde & CEO | WixSentryZendesk+24 | Top 500k | — | — |
| 41 | Phi Platform to build web3 cities from wallet activities | — | $2M | 40 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — |
| 42 | Anlimited Mobile-based platform providing community-based learning solutions for college students | — | $4M | 49 mo ago | Kaito Shibayama CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 43 | PlayBrain Developer of gaming products | — | $8M | 71 mo ago | Michael Sheetal Founder & CEO | SanityThree.jsAstro+6 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 44 | Zaiko Event organizing and ticketing software | — | $1M | 34 mo ago | Malek Nasser Chairman | SentryApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+26 | Top 500k | — | — |
| 45 | Virtual Cast VR-enabled live video streaming solutions provider | — | $9M | 80 mo ago | Kentaro Matsui Founder & CEO | DokuWikiPHPMathJax+16 | Top 1M | 3 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 46 | MasterVisions App-based platform for streaming videos on TV | — | $2M | 43 mo ago | Yuichi Sawayama CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 47 | JCG Provider of planning and management for gaming | — | $4M | 61 mo ago | Junichi Matsumoto CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+14 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 48 | Breaker Media Entertainment Company | — | $7M | 86 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — |
| 49 | Senna Ri CRM platform for developing connected and transactional mobile applications | — | $10M | 237 mo ago | Mike Cartabiano Founder | — | — | — | — |
| 50 | GIFMagazine GIF search engine | — | $6M | 88 mo ago | Kensuke Ohno CEO | — | — | — | — |
Top 12 Media & Entertainment companies in Japan
#1
Series E · Minato City, Tokyo · founded 2017 · 142 employees$47.9Mraised▾
Provider of virtual production, IP platform, and IP solution services. The business focuses on next-generation virtual expression through various platforms. It offers services related to IP production and solutions. The company also engages in incubation and operates owned media channels.
- Apr 2026Series E$50.3M
- Apr 2024Series D—
- Dec 2023Series D$21.6M
- Aug 2023Series D$13.6M
#2
Series B · Minato City, Tokyo · founded 2017 · 247 employees$24.7Mraised▾
Provider of lead generation platform for multiple services. The platform automates the process of receiving project requests from clients and provides cost estimates. It offers multiple services including wedding photographers, patent attorneys, video production, website design, tax consultants, business photographers, and gardeners.
- Apr 2026Series B$18.9M
- Feb 2026Series B—
- Aug 2022Series B$17.2M
- Mar 2021Series A—
#3
Series B · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2017$5Mraised▾
AI-based platform offering solutions for Vtubers. It allows users to create avatars and produce content as Vtubers.
- Apr 2026Series B$2.1M
- May 2024Series A—
- Apr 2024Series A$1.5M
- Dec 2022Series A$1.7M
#4
Series B · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2019$6.8Mraised▾
Developer of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management software designed to evaluate the sustainability of a company through technology. The company's software centralizes ESG information on the cloud, shares information between departments, optimizes workflows, and analyzes and improves scores, providing companies with a smooth process of collecting, analyzing, and disclosing information for advanced ESG management.
- Apr 2026Series B—
- Feb 2026Series B—
- Aug 2025Series B$6.8M
- May 2022Seed—
#5
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
#6
Seed · Meguro City, Tokyo · founded 2019$6.3Mraised▾
Provider of platform for music creators to collaborate and sell music. The platform allows users to upload unreleased demos and connect with other talent. It provides tools to package and pitch music for opportunities across the entertainment industry. The platform enables users to discover briefs and expand business into new markets.
- Mar 2026Seed$6.3M
#7
Seed · Minato, Tokyo · founded 2022$5Mraised▾
Super Massive Global 株式会社 is a Japanese company that offers various services and products. They have a website called Super Massive Shop where they sell fashion products under different brands. They also have a service called MASSIVE WORLD, which is currently under development and will be marketed in the future.
- Sep 2025Seed$3.4M
- Oct 2023Seed$5M
#8
Series A · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2021$5Mraised▾
Provider of an online short film streaming app. It is a global short film streaming platform that offers various content from around the world. The company is providing a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work. The app is available on the Android & iOS platform.
- Sep 2025Series A$5M
#9
Series A · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2018$2.1Mraised▾
Online video streaming platform for short films. It enables users to stream content in various genres including romance, action, thriller, and more. It also allows them to watch the production process of the work, such as auditions, rehearsals, and shooting. The mobile application is available for Android devices.
- Oct 2025Conventional Debt$4.5M
- Mar 2025Conventional Debt—
- Mar 2025Series A$5.6M
- Sep 2023Seed$1.8M
#10
Series A · Minato City, Tokyo · founded 2018$6.7Mraised▾
Teller is an online storytelling platform. Users can post stories from various genres like family, horror, mystery, and more. Users can search stories on the platform based on the authors or genres they like. The stories on the platform are posted like a chat between the characters.
- Mar 2025Series A$6.7M
#11
Series A · Tokyo, Tokyo · founded 2022$5.1Mraised▾
Developer of telepresence systems enabling remote interaction. These systems provide high-fidelity audio and video, creating a sense of presence for users in different locations. The technology aims to bridge physical distances, facilitating communication and collaboration as if participants were in the same room. The company develops and provides both the hardware and software components for this solution, focusing on creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. It also offers supporting services to ensure smooth operation and maintenance.
- Apr 2025Conventional Debt—
- Nov 2024Series A$5.1M
#12
Series A · Shibuya, Tokyo · founded 2018$3.5Mraised▾
Utoniqoffers digital cards where users can stream all the media by an artist. The card has art like movies, songs, e-magazine, and more. The artists can monetize their art through monthly subscriptions. They can embed YouTube, offer community functions, and more. It can also monetize through sales with digital tokens. Users can access audio, video, e-magazine contents through a unique ID and password provided. Artists can also sell their content offline through CDs and DVS. There will be a QR code on the merch that can be unlocked after buying these products. Users can buy their own website and application when there is an increase in the fan following of the artist.
- May 2025Series A$3.5M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Media & Entertainment 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.