TOP ABOUT GAIAX
ABOUT GAIAX
Gaiax is a startup studio driven by the mission to empower the people to connect. Inspired by the Gaia Theory, which views the world as a single, interconnected ecosystem, we believe that meaningful connections naturally foster social impact and economic growth.
We create and support businesses in social media, the sharing economy and Web3/DAO sectors, building ventures that bridge social divides and drive innovation. Our support spans the entire entrepreneurial journey – from early stage ideas to full scale growth, including business development, engineering, back-office operations and fundraising.
As a dynamic startup studio, we primarily invest in carved-out ventures, Gaiax alumni-founded startups and external companies aligned with our vision, providing them the freedom to scale independently. This approach has helped numerous businesses thrive with several achieving public listings.
At Gaiax, we embrace a decentralized, flat organizational model that empowers individuals to tackle social challenges with a sense of ownership and purpose, transforming personal passion into meaningful impact.
A QUICK FACTSHEET
Company name
Gaiax Co.Ltd.
Mission
Gaiax is driven by the corporate mission of “empowering the people to connect.” We dedicate ourselves to fostering communication between individuals and creating services and businesses that facilitate these interactions, all in pursuit of a more compassionate and interconnected society.
Representative
Established on
May 5th, 1999
Capital
100 mln.yen
No.of employees
130 people (consolidated, full-time employees as of December 2022)
Listed market
Nagoya Stock Exchange Next (3775 Market Stock Code)
Accounting period
December
No. of shares issued
5,337,452 shares
No. of shareholders
2,302 shareholders (as of the end of December 2022)
Headquarters
MIDORI.so NAGATACHO Hirakawa-cho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku 102-0093, Tokyo, Japan
GAIAX AT A GLANCE
Learn about Gaiax mission, business model and culture in 15 slides.
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GAIAX GROUP
Established: 02/2010
Capital: 2 mln.yen
Representative: Naohito Nozawa
Address: Hirakawacho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established: 12/2015
Capital: 70mln.yen
Representative: Daisuke Takada
Address: Hirakawacho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Gaiax Global Marketing & Ventures Pte.Ltd.
Established: 06/2012
Capital: 600mln.yen
Representative: Jun Ishikawa
Address: 10 Anson Road #14-06, Singapore
G-NI co.ltd.
Established: 05/2019
Capital: 2mln.yen
Representative: Yoshihiro Sasaki
Address: Hirakawacho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established 03/2022
Capital: 10mln.yen
Representative: Shutaro Fukunaga
Address: Hirakawacho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Established: 02/2024
Capital: 20mln.yen
Representative: Mana Nakamura
Address: Hirakawacho 2-5-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
OUR MILESTONES
Established Gaiax Ltd., began offering community services, and restructured to become Gaiax Inc.
Started offering greeting card and instant messenger services; Established Gaiax Cafe Inc.
Started offering video chat, B2B online community management, and consulting services.
Started offering voice and video messenger services; Established Gaiax Korea Inc.
Started providing avatar solutions and launched a community site for avatars targeted at large enterprises
Began operating the avatar and community site ‘gaiax.com’ and the gaming community site ‘Natsu Ge’
Listed on the Nagoya Stock Exchange ‘Centrex’; Established Onboard Inc. (now Pixta Inc.)
Fully acquired Den-en Inc. and Together Inc. as wholly-owned subsidiaries; Established GT-Agency Inc.
Started offering ‘School Guardian’ service for online bullying prevention and ‘Freshers’ service for pre-employment social networking.
Appointed founder of the Mobile Content Review and Operations Monitoring Organization; Launched the social groupware ‘iQube’.
Launched the SaaS-based corporate SNS brand ‘Airy’ and started offering ‘Airy Diversity’ for employees on parental leave
Started offering internet literacy courses for high school students and multilingual customer support through ‘Social App Support’
Social Media Lab released ‘Pocket Encyclopedia: The Book That Clearly Answers What You Want to Know About Facebook’
Existing business carves out to become AppBank Inc.; Released CMS ‘INBOUND Tools’ service.
Launched international SNS app ‘Fantastics Campaign’; Launched social media monitoring services.
Venture PR Co., Ltd. becomes a wholly owned subsidiary, and existing business carves out to establish a subsidiary, Adish Co., Ltd.
Entered the sharing economy business; AppBank Inc. and Pixta Inc., founded by Gaiax alumni have been listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange “Mothers”.
Established the Japan Sharing Economy Association; Launched the identity verification platform ‘TRUSTDOCK’
Opened ‘Nagatacho GRiD’ (now MIDORI.so NAGATACHO) and relocated headquarters; Carved-out Airy business into EDGE Inc.
Appointed Representative Director of the Japan Blockchain Association; Established TRUSTDOCK Inc. as a carve-out company.
Internal startup ‘Techpit’ raised a total of 30 million yen in funding
Carve-out company Adish Inc. listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers; Gaiax launched ‘Entrepreneurship Seminars’ for middle and high school students to accelerate young entrepreneur development.
Subsidiarized SNS marketing company “Genic Lab”; Gaiax graduate startup and investee Photosynth Inc. goes public
Started DAO consulting services and began developing Japan’s first DAO-operated share house and multi-municipality alliance DAO.
*Confirmed as unprecedented by Muneharu Mineara, Japan Blockchain Association board member.
Contracted by municipalities nationwide to support startup and entrepreneur development programs
Merged subsidiary Snapmart Inc. with GENIC LAB business and changed company name to CREAVE Inc.
LEADERSHIP
Founder, CEO & Representative director
I have established online community business with the aim of “empowering the people to connect.” Our goal goes beyond linking acquaintances; we harness the unique power of communities to bring complete strangers together. By doing so, we help individuals understand and empathize with others’ perspectives. My vision is to create a society where everyone cares not only for their acquaintances but also for strangers, fostering kindness and a social consciousness at all times. As we work to introduce this new value to society, I sincerely ask for your continued support and cooperation.
Executive officer
Social media, which has rapidly gained popularity in recent years, is an exceptional tool capable of combining diverse knowledge, perspectives and strengths from people all over the world to create new value known as collective intelligence. In Gaiax, we focus on this potential by fostering and supporting social media platforms. Through preventing and resolving communication barriers within these spaces, we are committed to address and resolve many social issues.
Executive officer
In present society, achieving true prosperity by competing within existing business models has become increasingly challenging. This makes the creation of startups that generate new value essential. At Gaiax, we gather visionary entrepreneurs with unique ideas that break free from conventional thinking. Our startup studio provides the experience and technology needed to bring these ideas to life. Through initiatives like entrepreneurial school seminars, we aim to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. By continuously supporting numerous business developments, we strive to elevate the domestic startup ecosystem.
Executive officer
Gaiax believes that the richness of life lies in having many choices. Where you work, how you connect and your personal style – having the freedom to choose makes life more flexible. Through our own practices, we aim to demonstrate that businesses can thrive even with flexible work styles. We believe that when there is diversity in the way we work, people can truly reach their full potential. When we have space in our lives, we become kinder to others. Fostering these meaningful connections is our way of contributing to society through our business.
Executive officer
I work with the desire to create businesses that not only have a meaningful impact on society, but also bring happiness to everyone involved – not just for my own satisfaction. I am committed to building win-win businesses that balance genuine value creation for companies with true fulfillment for creators, aiming to contribute to a warmer, more compassionate society. I dream of a world where many people live with a deep sense of contentment, not defined by someone else’s values or societal standards, but by what they truly consider their own happiness.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Yuji Ueda
Representative Director & President
After graduating from Doshisha University’s Faculty of Economics in 1997, Yuji aspired to start his own business and joined a company focused on supporting startups. After a year and a half, he left the company and in 1999, at the age of 24, he founded Gaiax Co. Ltd. He took the company public at the age of 30. Yuji also serves as the Representative Director of the Sharing Economy Association of Japan.
Naohito Nozawa
Executive officer & director
After joining a consulting firm in 1995, Naohito transitioned to the media industry, where he served as the editor-in-chief of a business magazine, interviewing numerous venture entrepreneurs. He then worked at a startup focused on overseas education, handling public relations, human resources, and launching new businesses. In 2010, Naohito founded Venture PR Co., Ltd., a PR firm specializing in small and medium-sized ventures. He became an executive officer of Gaiax in 2014. He graduated from Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics.
Takahisa Fujita
External director
After working as a student entrepreneur, Takahisa passed the Small and Medium Enterprise Consultant exam while still in graduate school. Following a stint at a management consulting firm, he became independent and founded Expert Link Co., Ltd. He primarily engages in business development support and management consulting for the service industry. In addition to his consulting work, Takahisa is involved in supporting entrepreneurship and venture creation for the national and local governments, as well as economic organizations. He also contributes to practical human resource development at universities and graduate schools. Furthermore, he serves as an outside director and advisor for financial institutions and business companies. Takahisa holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business Administration at Yokohama National University.
Morio Kurosaki
External director
Morio started his career at Intel Japan, then worked at Daisy Systems Japan and Western Digital Japan before founding Aisys Corporation in 1988. As CEO, he facilitated the entry of Silicon Valley IT startups into Japan, handling everything from strategic partnerships and business development to recruiting management teams and setting up offices. He also served as a committee member for programs by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and held roles as a Pacific Advisor for ARM and as an executive for publicly listed companies. He is known for his extensive network within Japan’s IT sector and Silicon Valley. He graduated from Meiji University.
Yoshiki Ishikawa
External director
Graduated from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, and earned a doctorate in medicine from Jichi Medical University after completing a program at Harvard University’s School of Public Health. Specializing in preventive medicine, behavioral science, and computational creativity, he conducts interdisciplinary research with companies and universities on the theme of well-being.
Mayu Shono
External director
While at Keio University in 2012, she launched Hapikira FACTORY, focusing on creatively promoting local products. After graduating, she worked at Hakuhodo and gained product planning experience at Sony. Now, she plans new ventures at Persol Career while managing her own business as a “parallel career woman.” She also serves as an expert for the Cabinet Secretariat’s “Regional Revitalization Conference” and as a special assistant professor at Keio University Graduate School.
BUSINESS PORTFOLIO
Gaiax operates as a startup studio that continuously produces entrepreneurs while also integrating the characteristics of both an operating company and an investment company, developing a unique business model. By valuing the mission and life plans of each individual, Gaiax has cultivated numerous entrepreneurs within the company, leading to the evolution of a hybrid business model that not only expands its in-house operations but also engages in investment activities.
In-house operations are driven by the various business units within Gaiax, where new ventures are consistently emerging. Additionally, Gaiax has a unique “Carve-out Option System” that allows members to incorporate their business units at their discretion. This system enhances ownership over the business, significantly accelerating management speed, and has led to several companies going public. Beyond internal ventures, Gaiax actively invests in businesses across the sharing economy, social media and web3/DAO sectors, especially in companies founded and managed by its alumni, but also in entrepreneurs outside the Gaiax Group. By establishing a system that nurtures and supports entrepreneurs both within and outside the company, Gaiax has created an ecosystem that continually generates innovative businesses.
MLN. USD
GAIAX MARKET CAPITALIZATION
MLN. USD
TOTAL MARKET CAPITALIZATION
At the time of IPO of carve-out and alumni-founded investees
MLN. USD
TOTAL MARKET CAPITALIZATION
At the time of IPO of outside investees
As of September 30, 2024
(at an exchange rate of 142 yen to the U.S. dollar)
INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE
Gaiax primarily invests during the seed phase
（*1）Investment includes Gaiax and Gaiax-formed funds;
（*2）Value-up refers to companies raising additional funding or increasing valuation (Next round, Series A, etc.);
（*3）Of the companies that went public, Gaiax held shares in 6.
As of September 30, 2024
OUR AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS
no.1
RAPID GROWTH
OUT OF 2288 COMPANIES
RECOGNIZED FOR GROWTH
ENVIRONMENT IN ONLINE INDUSTRY
no.72
BEST WORKSTYLE
OUT OF TOP 100 PLATINUM
COMPANIES RECOGNIZED FOR
WORKSTYLE AND JOB SATISFACTION
no.1
TEAM OF THE YEAR
OUT OF 39000 COMPANIES
RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST
TEAM COMPANY
no.4
BEST EX-EMPLOYER
OUT OF 8045 COMPANIES
RECOGNIZED AS BEST COMPANY
BY EX-EMPLOYEES
As of September 30, 2024
Selected as one of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications ‘100 Pioneers in Telework’
