Anime licensing is getting a formal marketplace. Nakama, the company behind AniBiz.com, has pulled in an initial $6 million from TBS Group, Toei Animation and TV Tokyo Holdings—three Japanese rights holders that own some of the category’s most valuable franchises.
A platform launched by streaming veterans
AniBiz went live in July from Crunchyroll founder Kun Gao and former Crunchyroll leaders Brady McCollum and Sae Whan Song. Since launch, the marketplace has grown from 20 licensors to more than 30. Recent additions include ABC Animation, DMM.com, docomo Anime Store, Genco, GREE Entertainment, Shochiku, ShoPro and Sola Entertainment, alongside earlier partners such as ADK Emotions, Avex Pictures, CyberAgent and Dentsu Anime Solutions.
Why this investment is different
The money is coming from suppliers, not just venture investors. That changes the signal. TBS Group, Toei Animation and TV Tokyo Holdings are backing the infrastructure through which their own IP is bought and sold. Toei Animation, which says it has spent nearly 70 years building global characters, described AniBiz as the right infrastructure to protect IP while opening it to new partners.
“When the companies that create and license anime’s biggest IP invest in a platform, it says this is where the industry does business,” Brady McCollum, co-founder and CEO of Nakama, said in a statement.
What it means for buyers
Anime licensing has traditionally been relationship-heavy, with catalog access often depending on who you know. AniBiz’s proposition is that any company can participate without existing anime industry contacts. That is a practical shift for smaller OTT services, consumer brands and ad-supported channels that want anime inventory but have no Tokyo relationships.
For media planners and streaming teams, anime shifts from a hard-to-source specialty to discoverable inventory. A central platform could reduce the time spent identifying IP and negotiating access, while also widening competition for high-demand titles.
- Initial investment: $6 million from three major Japanese licensors.
- Licensor count: more than 30 today, up from 20 at July launch.
- Access: open to any company; no existing anime industry relationships required.
What to watch next
The next proof point is transaction volume. Marquee sellers and an easy sign-up are not the same as closed deals. Buyers should track whether more rights holders join, whether licensing terms become more standardised, and whether AniBiz publishes any demand or deal data. The early window could be valuable before anime catalogues become crowded marketplace inventory.
Source: Variety
