Key Facts
AniBiz, a new business-to-business (B2B) marketplace dedicated to the global anime industry, launched on Thursday. The platform is designed to connect anime intellectual property (IP) rights holders with qualified licensees, aiming to simplify and accelerate licensing deals.
Details of the Platform
According to the company, AniBiz is the first marketplace of its kind built specifically for anime. It brings together licensors—including studios, production committees, and rights management companies—with licensees such as consumer brands, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, startups, creators, game studios, and entertainment companies. The platform's database covers thousands of anime series and offers tools for discovery, matchmaking, and warm introductions, making the process faster and more transparent than traditional methods.
AniBiz's website lists several prominent studios and IP owners already featured on the platform, including Crunchyroll, Aniplex, and others. The company expects to add more licensors in the coming months.
Impact on the Anime Industry
Kun Gao, a key figure behind AniBiz, noted that for decades, access to anime IP has depended largely on personal connections. The platform aims to open doors to new categories of partners, from emerging brands to startups and creators. By lowering the barrier to entry, AniBiz hopes to foster collaborations in both established and developing international markets.
Gao also highlighted that anime licensing is complex, making it difficult for new licensees to enter the business. AniBiz is built to streamline the process, allowing licensors to bring on and educate new licensees, thereby facilitating their entry into the anime economy. The company believes there is a vast untapped market, with potentially 10 to 100 times more licensees than currently active.
What Readers Should Know
AniBiz offers multiple subscription tiers for licensees. A free basic tier allows users to create a profile searchable by licensors. A pro tier, priced at $49 per month, provides access to a data feed of titles, production committees, and other information. A third, more bespoke tier is available for companies with special requirements.
The platform is led by Kun Gao, Brady McCollum (co-founder and CEO of Nakama), and co-founder Song, who previously worked at Crunchyroll and other anime-related companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is AniBiz? AniBiz is the first dedicated B2B marketplace for the global anime industry, connecting IP rights holders with licensees.
- Who can use AniBiz? Licensors like studios and rights companies, and licensees such as brands, manufacturers, and startups can use AniBiz.
- How much does AniBiz cost? A free basic tier is available, with a pro tier at $49 per month and a bespoke tier for special requests.
- What is the goal of AniBiz? To lower barriers and streamline discovery and matchmaking for anime IP licensing worldwide.