Crunchyroll Co-Founder, Former CEO Kun Gao Launches AniBiz Platform for Anime Licensing
The platform went live on Thursday, and is described as "the first dedicated B2B [Business-to-Business] marketplace built specifically for the global anime industry."
AniBiz's website states it connects "anime IP rights holders & 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 looking to license anime content and characters."
The company stated its database covers "thousands" of anime series, and that its platform and team "make discovery, matchmaking, and warm introductions faster and more transparent than traditional cold outreach or fragmented industry networks."
AniBiz's website lists studios, broadcasters, committee members, and IP owners who are featured on the platform. Those companies include: ADK, Aniplex, Avex Pictures, CyberAgent, Dai Nippon Printing, Dentsu, Fuji Creative Corporation, FuRyu Pictures, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, IMAGICA Infos, MBS, Pony Canyon, Takara Tomy, TBS, Toei Animation, TOHO Global, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo, YTV, and YTE.
Gao told ANN that AniBiz expects to add more licensors over the next few months.
Gao also told ANN the service has several tiers for licensees, with the basic tier being free that will let licensees create a profile that licensors can search for. A pro tier that is at launch US$49 per month allows for subscription to the service with access to the data feed of titles, along with production committees and other information. Gao said there is also a third more "bespoke" tier available for companies with special requests.
Nakama stated to Variety 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 both established and developing international markets."
Gao told Variety, "For decades, access to anime IP has largely depended on who you know," adding 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 break into the business, and it is also difficult for licensors to find new licensees and "handhold [them] into this process." Gao added, "the ANiBiz platform is basically built with that in mind. We want to streamline the process so that you can bring on new licensees and educate them in a way that you can ... facilitate them joining the anime economy."
Gao told ANN, "We just think there's a whole world out there with 10 times, 100 times more licensees than is 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 at Toei Animation, Crunchyroll, and Viz Media.
Sources: Interview with Kun Gao and Brady McCollum, Variety (Jennifer Maas)
