Crunchyroll Founder Launches New Anime Website AniBiz

Crunchyroll founder and former CEO Kun Gao’s anime-focused media company Nakama launched new platform AniBiz.com Thursday. The offering is described as “the first dedicated B2B marketplace built specifically for the global anime industry.”

Led by Nakama co-founder and president Gao, co-founder and CEO Brady McCollum and co-founder and Sae Whan Song, AniBiz.com is designed to streamline the anime licensing process in a “centralized, secure environment.”

At launch, AniBiz.com has struck deals to support the following anime licensors on the platform: ADK Emotions Inc., Aniplex of America Inc., Avex Pictures Inc., CyberAgent Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., Dentsu Anime Solutions Inc., Fuji Creative Corporation, FURYU Pictures Corporation, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures Inc., Imagica Infos Co.,Ltd., Mainichi Broadcasting System, Pony Canyon Inc., TAKARATOMY, Toei Animation Inc., TOHO Global Inc., Tokyo Broadcasting System, TV Asahi Corporation, TV TOKYO Corporation, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and YTE, among others.

The launch comes as the global anime market is estimated to exceed $35 billion this year and as the interest in anime IP rises beyond what the traditional, largely fragmented global licensing system can support. AniBiz.com says it “addresses these challenges by offering a digital-first solution that respects the unique structure of Japanese anime licensing, the ecosystem of rights holders, distributors, merchandisers, and retailers, while providing new global buyers with an official verified path to acquire and collaborate on anime IP.”

AniBiz.com went live Thursday and the platform is now open to all global buyers and licensees.

Per owner Nakama, AniBiz.com “aims to foster new collaborations by lowering the barrier to entry for anyone around the world interested in working with anime IP in both established and developing international markets.”

AniBiz.com promises “data-driven insights into market trends and territory-specific demand” that will allow buyers and sellers “to make informed decisions about their global IP strategy.”

“Anime licensing is uniquely complex. Rights are fragmented across territories, formats, products, and time windows,” Nakama co-founder and CEO McCollum said. “AniBiz was built specifically for those realities. We’re creating a trusted system that gives licensors greater visibility and control while helping buyers move faster with confidence.”

“For decades, access to anime IP has largely depended on who you know,” co-founder and president Gao said. “By being the official marketplace for Anime IP, AniBiz.com opens the door to entirely new categories of partners… from emerging brands and manufacturers to creators, events, and startups looking to participate in the anime economy.”

Co-founder and head of business development Song added: “The anime industry finally has a dedicated platform to call its home for all things B2B. In true Nakama spirit, AniBiz.com enables the entire industry to band together and engage directly with the new world of global partners interested in working with anime IP. Through the AniBiz platform, all the world can now reach the anime industry in one official place.”