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Entertainment news website Variety reported Tuesday that Kun GaoAnime-focused media company Nakama has received a $6 million investment for its “AniBiz.com” platform from anime licensors. TBS Cluster, Toei Animationand tokyo television Holdings. AniBiz is now home to over 30 licensors.
Gao is the co-founder and president of Nakama. Nakama launched AniBiz on July 2.
AniBiz describes itself as “the first dedicated B2B [Business-to-Business] marketplace created specifically for the global anime industry.” AniBiz’s website states that it connects “anime intellectual property rights holders and decision makers (licensors), including studios, production committees, and rights management companies, with qualified licensees such as consumer brands, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, startups, creators, game studios, and entertainment companies seeking to license anime content and characters.” Submissions are faster and more transparent than traditional cold communications or industrial networking. fragmented”.
AniBiz’s website lists studios, broadcasters, committee members and intellectual property owners that appear on the platform. Those companies include: ABC Animation, ADK, aniplex, Avex Photos, Cyber Agent, Dai Nippon Printdentsu, DMM.com, Docomo anime store, Fuji Creative Corporation, FuRyu Photos, GENCO, green, Hakuhodo DY Music and Images, IMAGICA Information, M.B.S., pony canyon, Sho-Pro, Takara Tomy, TBS, Toei Animation, TOHO Global, TV Asahi, tokyo television, Warner Bros. Japan, YTVand PERFORMANCE.
Gao told ANN in July that AniBiz expected to add more licensors in the coming months. Gao also told ANN that the service has several tiers for licensees, with the basic tier being free which will allow licensees to create a profile that licensors can search. A professional tier launching for $49 per month allows subscription to the service with access to the titles’ data feed, along with production committees and other information. Gao said there is also a more “tailor-made” third tier available for companies with special requests.
Nakama told Variety that the platform “aims to foster new collaborations by lowering the barrier to entry for anyone around the world interested in working with anime IP in established and developing international markets.” Gao told Variety, “For decades, access to anime intellectual property has largely depended on who you know,” adding that AniBiz “opens the door to entirely new categories of partners…from emerging brands and manufacturers to creators, events and startups.”
Gao also stated to ANN that due to the complicated nature of anime licensing, it is difficult for new licensees to enter the business, and it is also difficult for licensors to find new licensees and “keep up.” [them] in this process.” Gao added, “the ANiBiz platform is basically built with that in mind. We want to streamline the process so that you can attract new licensees and educate them in a way that you can… make it easier for them to join the anime economy.” Gao told ANN: “We think there’s a whole world out there with 10, 100 times more licensees than there are already in the existing anime industry.”
Other leaders involved in AniBiz include Nakama co-founder and CEO Brady McCollum and co-founder Sae Whan song. Song has previously worked on Toei Animation, crispy rolland Viz Media.
Source: Variety (Todd Spangler)