Gaudiy
Gaudiy is a Japanese web3 and AI startup that operates a fan engagement platform connecting entertainment IP with fans using blockchain and large language models, serving major Japanese entertainment companies and operating the acquired MyAnimeList community platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSetagaya, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Gaudiy does
Gaudiy is a Japanese startup founded in 2018 and headquartered in Setagaya, Japan, that operates a fan engagement platform for the entertainment industry. The company's flagship product, Gaudiy Fanlink, connects entertainment intellectual property with fans using a combination of web3 and blockchain infrastructure and large language models, and has been adopted by major Japanese entertainment companies across multiple domains. The company has 51–100 employees and operates as a privately held venture-backed entity under its registered legal name 株式会社Gaudiy Group.
The company's product surface was materially expanded in April 2025 through the acquisition of MyAnimeList, a long-established anime and manga database and community platform, from Media Do Distributor. Together, Gaudiy Fanlink and MyAnimeList form an integrated fan platform ecosystem spanning IP-driven fan engagement, community, and content data. The company's technology stack integrates blockchain-based fan economy mechanics with generative AI for content and fan interaction, and the company maintains an active presence on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Discord, and GitHub.
Gaudiy's business model is enterprise B2B, serving major Japanese entertainment companies as customers and partners, though specific pricing and revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed. The company has been funded across multiple rounds from 2019 through 2026, with cumulative disclosed capital exceeding $71 million, including a landmark ~$68.5 million joint investment from Sony Group and Bandai Namco in May 2025 alongside several other major entertainment investors, and a subsequent round from Shochiku, Toei Animation, and TOHO in early 2026. The combination of marquee strategic investors and the MyAnimeList asset positions Gaudiy as a central fan infrastructure layer within the Japanese entertainment ecosystem.
Gaudiy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gaudiy
- Legal name
- 株式会社Gaudiy Group
- Website
- https://hp.gaudiy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Gaudiy is a Japanese web3 and AI startup that operates a fan engagement platform connecting entertainment IP with fans using blockchain and large language models, serving major Japanese entertainment companies and operating the acquired MyAnimeList community platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gaudiy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fan Engagement Platform Software
- NAICS
- Information (51), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Fan Messaging & Paid DMs (1:1/1:Many) (MPACAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Influencer/Creator Marketplaces & Brand Deal Platforms (MPACABAI)
Keywords
Where Gaudiy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Setagaya
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Gaudiy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Gaudiy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gaudiy builds a Web3 and AI-powered fan engagement platform (Gaudiy Fanlink) that connects entertainment intellectual property with fans using blockchain technology and large language models. The platform is offered to major Japanese entertainment companies across various domains, and was expanded in 2025 through the acquisition of the MyAnimeList anime database and community platform.
Product overview
Gaudiy Group operates a unified fan engagement platform ecosystem centered around Web3 and AI technologies. The core offering consists of Gaudiy Fanlink, a fan platform service that connects entertainment IP with fans using blockchain and large language models, adopted by major Japanese entertainment companies. The company has expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of MyAnimeList, a prominent anime database and community platform. Together, these products form a comprehensive fan engagement solution spanning multiple entertainment domains.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gaudiy Fanlink: A fan platform service that connects entertainment IP with fans, utilizing Web3 and blockchain technology.
Products and services
- Gaudiy Fanlink
- MyAnimeList
Companies that use Gaudiy
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Gaudiy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature2 records
Gaudiy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Gaudiy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bandai Namco Holdings: Bandai Namco is a major Japanese entertainment company with gaming, anime, and IP holdings, and a co-investor in Gaudiy. Comparable as a counterpart in the Japanese IP-driven fan economy and as a strategic partner, though not a direct competitor to Gaudiy's platform.
- Sony Group: Sony Group is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate and a strategic investor in Gaudiy. While not a direct competitor, Sony's own fan engagement initiatives and music/games IP portfolio puts it in the same broader entertainment-IP-fan-engagement space and makes it a key partner/customer.
Direct peers
- Mighty Networks: Mighty Networks is a community platform that enables creators and brands to build paid member communities with content, courses, and commerce. It is comparable to Gaudiy Fanlink as a community/membership platform for fan engagement, though without Web3 or Japan-specific IP focus.
- Patreon: Patreon is a leading creator monetization and fan membership platform that connects creators with paying fans through subscriptions and exclusive content. It is broadly comparable to Gaudiy's fan platform model in its core mechanic of paid fan engagement, though without Web3 rails.
- Cameo: Cameo is a personalized video marketplace that connects fans with celebrities and creators for paid shoutouts. It is comparable to Gaudiy Fanlink's emphasis on fan-to-IP engagement and creator monetization, though operates in a Western celebrity context rather than Japanese IP.
- Weverse (HYBE): Weverse is a fan community platform operated by HYBE, the K-pop entertainment company behind BTS. Like Gaudiy Fanlink, it connects entertainment IP with fans through community, content, and commerce features, making it the most directly comparable fan engagement platform.
Regional players
- bilibili: bilibili is a major Chinese video and anime community platform with strong user-generated content and fan engagement features. It is comparable to Gaudiy's MyAnimeList-plus-Fanlink combination as a regional entertainment community platform, though focused on the Chinese market.
- Kakao Entertainment: Kakao Entertainment operates fan platforms and content distribution across Korean entertainment IP. It is comparable to Gaudiy as a regional fan economy platform serving entertainment IP holders, though primarily in Korea rather than Japan.
- Akatsuki: Akatsuki is a Japanese mobile gaming company with Web3 initiatives that has invested in Gaudiy. It is comparable as a Japanese-language entertainment platform investor with overlapping interest in Web3 fan engagement, operating primarily in Japan.
Emerging players
- Animoca Brands: Animoca Brands is a Web3 gaming and entertainment company that builds tokenized digital assets and fan engagement experiences. It is comparable to Gaudiy's Web3 approach to entertainment IP engagement, though focused more on gaming and metaverse than anime/manga fan communities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Gaudiy social profiles
Digital presenceGaudiy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gaudiy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Gaudiy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Gaudiy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors16 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gaudiy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gaudiy
What does Gaudiy do?
Gaudiy builds a Web3 and AI-powered fan engagement platform (Gaudiy Fanlink) that connects entertainment intellectual property with fans using blockchain technology and large language models. The platform is offered to major Japanese entertainment companies across various domains, and was expanded in 2025 through the acquisition of the MyAnimeList anime database and community platform.
Is Gaudiy a public or private company?
Gaudiy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Gaudiy founded?
Gaudiy was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Gaudiy based?
Gaudiy is headquartered in Setagaya, Japan, in the Asia region.
Who are Gaudiy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bandai Namco Holdings and Sony Group. Direct peers are Mighty Networks, Patreon, Cameo and Weverse (HYBE). Regional players are bilibili, Kakao Entertainment and Akatsuki. Animoca Brands is listed as an emerging player.
Does Gaudiy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gaudiy.
What industry is Gaudiy in?
Gaudiy's product category is Fan Engagement Platform Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAH, Direct Fan Messaging & Paid DMs (1:1/1:Many), with a secondary code of MPACABAI, Influencer/Creator Marketplaces & Brand Deal Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51 and its SIC code is 7900.