What CAMPFIRE does

CAMPFIRE is a Japanese reward-based crowdfunding platform operator founded in 2011 and headquartered in Tokyo. Its core product is a self-serve marketplace where individual creators, startups, SMBs, municipalities, and enterprises launch funding campaigns across 17 categories including technology, product, fashion, food, music, film, sports, social good, and regional revitalization. The platform supports two funding models — All-in (projects execute regardless of target, with backers receiving rewards) and All-or-Nothing (projects only proceed if target is reached) — with a maximum campaign duration of 80 days and multiple payment methods including credit card, convenience store, bank transfer, and mobile payments.

The platform's technology stack is a standard marketplace configuration: a web application at camp-fire.jp, native iOS and Android mobile apps, and category/prefecture-based discovery, with no public API or SDK. Specialized sub-brands extend the product surface into adjacent verticals — CAMPFIRE Creation supports SPA-style creator-to-product manufacturing, CAMPFIREコミュニティ provides monthly salons and fan clubs, machi-ya and HIOKOSHI target regional revitalization, and vertical brands serve social good, entertainment, and sports. Strategic partnerships with DMM, JTB, JFA, Michi-no-Eki, and Matsukiyo extend distribution into municipal, tourism, sports, and retail channels.

CAMPFIRE's business model is a take-rate marketplace: project listing is free, and the company charges a 17% commission on funds raised (12% service fee plus 5% third-party payment processing), with optional paid add-on services including advertising management on Facebook and Instagram. Since inception the platform has hosted over 120,000 projects, attracted more than 15 million backers, and facilitated over 110 billion yen in cumulative funds raised, making it the longest-operating and largest crowdfunding platform in Japan by these metrics. The company is led by President & CEO Kazuma Ieiri, with CTO Takashi Nakagawa, CFO Shimano Mitsutaka, COO Hirokatsu Ohigashi, and Chairman Mamoru Taniya, and operates as part of the CAMPFIRE GROUP which includes wholly-owned subsidiaries CAMPFIRE Creation, CAMPFIREコミュニティ, and related entity Livefor Inc.

Name

CAMPFIRE

Legal name

株式会社CAMPFIRE (CAMPFIRE, Inc.)

Website

https://camp-fire.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAMPFIRE is a Japanese reward-based crowdfunding platform founded in 2011, serving individual creators, startups, SMBs, municipalities, and enterprises across 17 categories. The marketplace charges a 17% commission on raised funds and has hosted over 120,000 projects raising more than 110 billion yen cumulatively.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crowdfunding Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based) (MPACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Reward-based crowdfunding
• Crowdfunding platform
• Project financing
• Alternative funding
• Online fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibuya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Platform Commission: CAMPFIRE charges 17% commission on funds raised, consisting of 12% service fee and 5% third-party payment processing fee.
2. Additional Support Services: Additional support services including advertising management (Facebook, Instagram) available at fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAMPFIRE operates Japan's largest reward-based crowdfunding platform, enabling project creators to raise funds from individual backers. The platform supports both All-in (project executes regardless of target) and All-or-Nothing funding models, charges a 17% commission on raised funds, and serves creators across categories including technology, fashion, art, food, and social causes. Specialized sub-brands extend the platform to vertical use cases such as social good, entertainment, sports, and regional revitalization.

Product overview

CAMPFIRE operates as a unified crowdfunding platform supplemented by multiple specialized sub-brands and modules. The core CAMPFIRE platform serves as Japan's largest reward-based crowdfunding service, while specialized verticals (CAMPFIRE for Social Good, for Entertainment, for Sports), community-focused products (CAMPFIREコミュニティ), and creator-focused product development services (CAMPFIRE Creation) extend the platform's reach. Additional sub-brands including HIOKOSHI and machi-ya address regional revitalization, while the CAMPFIREアカデミー provides educational support and the mobile app enables on-the-go project discovery. The platform supports both All-in and All-or-Nothing funding models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAMPFIRE for Social Good: Crowdfunding service focused on social good projects
• CAMPFIRE Creation
• CAMPFIREふるさと納税
• machi-ya
• CAMPFIRE for Entertainment
• CAMPFIRE for Sports
• AD FOR ALL
• HIOKOSHI
• JFAクラウドファンディング

Products and services

• CAMPFIRE (Main Platform) Reward-based crowdfunding platform enabling individuals, startups, and small businesses to launch funding campaigns with All-in and All-or-Nothing models. Serves creators and backers primarily in Japan with international user support.
• CAMPFIRE Community (コミュニティ) Monthly online salon and fan club service that enables creators and supporters to build ongoing communities for continuous fundraising and engagement activities.
• CAMPFIRE Creation SPA (manufacturing-retail) type crowdfunding service that supports individual creators from product planning through manufacturing and sales management, enabling ideas to be brought to market that would otherwise be difficult to achieve independently.
• CAMPFIRE for Social Good Specialized crowdfunding initiative focused on social good projects, supporting NPOs, social enterprises, and socially-conscious initiatives.
• CAMPFIRE for Entertainment Entertainment sector-focused crowdfunding service with 0% platform commission starting, providing planning support from concept through return delivery.
• CAMPFIRE for Sports Sports sector-focused crowdfunding vertical supporting athletic projects, teams, and sports-related initiatives.
• HIOKOSHI Local region-focused crowdfunding brand supporting challenges and initiatives to energize local communities, integrated into the regional revitalization strategy.
• machi-ya Regional revitalization-focused crowdfunding sub-brand supporting local community projects and initiatives across Japan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 110 billion yen total funds raised
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DMM.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMM地方創生クラウドファンディング partnership featuring regional projects and local revitalization initiatives across Japan.
• JTB CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism-focused crowdfunding initiatives in collaboration with JTB travel agency for regional promotion projects.
• Japan Football Association (JFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJFA CROWDFUNDING initiative supporting football-related projects and sports initiatives in Japan.
• Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Stations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with roadside station association to support local products and regional revitalization projects.
• Matsukiyo (Matsumoto Kiyoshi)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured campaign matsukiyo-fire showcasing products from the drugstore chain's collaboration projects.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for new market development for small and medium enterprises through crowdfunding promotion.
• Satte City (Saitama Prefecture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partnership for crowdfunding projects celebrating local events and initiatives.
• Various Japanese MunicipalitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local governments across Japan for regional revitalization and local product promotion through dedicated crowdfunding pages.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Makuake: Makuake is Japan's other leading reward-based crowdfunding platform, operating a near-identical model (curated product launches, creator support, take-rate monetization) and competing head-to-head with CAMPFIRE for Japanese creators, backers, and inbound foreign brands.
• Kibidango: Kibidango is a Japan-focused reward-based crowdfunding platform serving consumer tech, gadgets, and creative projects — a direct competitor to CAMPFIRE in the same creator/backer pool with similar commission-based economics.
• GREEN FUNDING (GreenFunding by AirTrip): GREEN FUNDING is a major Japan-based crowdfunding platform operated by AirTrip, focusing on tech gadgets and consumer products — directly overlapping with CAMPFIRE's core categories and competing for both creators and backers.

Broad incumbents

• Kickstarter: Kickstarter is the global category-defining reward-based crowdfunding platform and the international benchmark for CAMPFIRE's model, even though it does not focus on the Japanese market. Comparable in scale, take-rate structure, and creator-support tools.
• Indiegogo: Indiegogo is a global reward-based crowdfunding platform with similar project categories (tech, design, creative) and flexible funding options analogous to CAMPFIRE's All-in model, positioning it as a broad incumbent comparable in category and economics.
• GoFundMe: GoFundMe is the global leader in donation-based crowdfunding and serves as a broad comparable for platform scale, network effects, and category leadership — even though CAMPFIRE's model is reward-based rather than charitable.

Emerging players

• Patreon: Patreon operates a recurring-membership model for creators, overlapping conceptually with CAMPFIRE Community (CAMPFIREコミュニティ) — the fan-club/salon vertical — and offering a relevant comparison for how CAMPFIRE could evolve toward recurring creator monetization.

Regional players

• Fanatics (formerly Fanatics Japan / ファンビガー/ファンキル): Japanese fan-based funding and entertainment crowdfunding services that overlap with CAMPFIRE for Entertainment, competing for anime, music, and creator-economy projects within Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/campfirejp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NonFilterbyCAMPFIRE
• Facebookfacebook.com/campfirejp
• Instagraminstagram.com/campfire_jp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors31 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments20 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAMPFIRE