2 sources 22h ago
TBS, Toei Animation, TV Tokyo Back AniBiz With $6 Million
Nakama, the media company led by co-founder and president Kun Gao, has received a US$6 million investment for its AniBiz.com anime licensing platform from TBS Group, Toei Animation, and TV Tokyo Holdings.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, OtakuKart Anime.
Why it matters
Three of the licensors the platform already lists are now paying into it, which ties the marketplace's supply side to the companies whose catalogs it depends on.
Key Facts
- Nakama received a US$6 million investment for AniBiz.com from TBS Group, Toei Animation, and TV Tokyo Holdings.
- Nakama launched AniBiz on July 2.
- AniBiz now hosts more than 30 licensors.
- Kun Gao is co-founder and president of Nakama.
- AniBiz's pro tier costs US$49 per month at launch, with a free basic tier below it.
AniBiz launched on July 2 and now lists more than 30 licensors. Nakama describes it as a B2B marketplace connecting anime rights holders with licensees such as brands, manufacturers, distributors, and game studios. Nakama announced the investment through Variety on Tuesday.
AniBiz pitches itself as a way around the industry's reliance on personal contacts. Gao told Variety that access to anime IP has depended on who you know, and the platform is meant to bring in partners outside the usual licensing circles. The site lists more than 30 licensors, among them Aniplex, dentsu, MBS, Pony Canyon, and Warner Bros. Japan. Fees run from a free basic profile to a pro tier at US$49 per month, with a bespoke tier above that. Nakama's co-founders include CEO Brady McCollum and Sae Whan Song, who has worked at Toei Animation, Crunchyroll, and Viz Media.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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