Nanameue
Nanameue is a Japanese app developer whose Yay! platform offers voice-based interest communities and a SocialFi token economy to 9 million+ users, complemented by Posmoni (AI content moderation API) and Thailand-based Data wow (AI data labelling, PDPA compliance).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersToranomon, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Nanameue does
Nanameue, Inc. is a Japanese mobile-app and web-service developer founded in May 2013 by Representative Director Takahiro Ishihama, headquartered in Tokyo (Toranomon) with a regional subsidiary in Bangkok, Thailand. Its flagship product, Yay!, is a voice-based virtual world and SocialFi platform launched in January 2020 that targets Japan's Z-generation (45% of users aged 18-22) with interest-based 'circles', group voice chat, and an integrated token economy comprising the YAY governance token, EMPL utility token, Yay! Genesis NFT, and Yay! Pal NFT, accessible without a crypto wallet for entry-level users. As of August 2024 the app reported 9 million+ registered users and 90,000+ user-created circles.
The company's second core product, Posmoni, is an AI-and-human hybrid content-moderation API sold to community-app developers, while its Bangkok subsidiary Data wow (and sub-brands AccuratelyAI and PDPA Core) supplies AI data labelling and Thai PDPA compliance services. Technical differentiators include Worldcoin World ID zero-knowledge authentication (June 2024), StakeStone-based staking infrastructure (August 2024), and integration of original 'SNS drama' content marketing ('Non-fungible' and related series). Revenue mechanics mix a free consumer-app model with transaction-fee potential from the YAY token ecosystem, subscription/recurring API revenue from Posmoni, and professional services revenue from Data wow's data-labelling and compliance lines; pricing for Yay! basic use is free while Posmoni is priced on inquiry. Nanameue is venture-backed (JPY 5.5B raise in 2021, JPY 1.6B Series B in 2022) by a syndicate including SBI Investment, Akatsuki, NOW, Skyland Ventures, East Ventures, DG Daiwa Ventures, Headline Asia, and Infinity Ventures Crypto.
Nanameue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nanameue
- Legal name
- 株式会社ナナメウエ
- Website
- https://nanameue.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nanameue is a Japanese app developer whose Yay! platform offers voice-based interest communities and a SocialFi token economy to 9 million+ users, complemented by Posmoni (AI content moderation API) and Thailand-based Data wow (AI data labelling, PDPA compliance).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nanameue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Media Platform
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metaverse Virtual World Platforms (social worlds, land, UGC) (FSAPAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Player Wallets, Identity & Accounts for Games (embedded wallets, SSO, DID) (FSAPAGAF), On-Chain Game Engines & Developer Tooling (SDKs, APIs, Unity/Unreal plugins) (FSAPAGAB)
Keywords
Where Nanameue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toranomon
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Nanameue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Yay! Token Economy: Revenue generation through native token ecosystem including governance tokens (YAY), utility tokens (EMPL), and NFT sales (Genesis, Pal). Token economic zone built both within service and externally.
- Posmoni Content Moderation API: B2B API service providing AI-human hybrid content moderation for community apps. Revenue from API usage licensing and implementation services.
- Data wow / AccuratelyAI Services: AI data labeling services and PDPA compliance solutions offered through Thai subsidiary. Revenue from data annotation services and compliance consulting.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nanameue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nanameue operates Yay!, a voice-based virtual world social platform where users connect through group voice chat and interest-based community circles, integrated with a Web3 token economy (YAY/EMPL tokens, Genesis/Pal NFTs). The company also operates Posmoni, a hybrid AI-human content moderation API platform for community apps, and through its Thai subsidiary Data wow, offers Accurately (AI data labeling) and PDPA Core (compliance) services.
Product overview
Nanameue operates a portfolio of social and AI-powered products centered around its flagship virtual world platform Yay!. The core offering consists of Yay!, a web3-enabled socialFi platform where users connect through group voice calls and interest-based communities, supplemented by Posmoni, an AI-human hybrid content moderation API. The company also maintains Data wow as a Thailand-based subsidiary providing AI data solutions including Accurately (data labeling) and PDPA Core (compliance services). Web3 features include YAY and EMPL tokens, Genesis and Pal NFTs for governance and gaming, and partnerships with Worldcoin for authentication and StakeStone for staking infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Yay!: Virtual world app for voice chat and community building among users with shared interests
- Posmoni
- Data wow
- AccuratelyAI
- PDPA Core
Products and services
- Yay! A virtual world platform where users connect with peers sharing similar interests through group voice calls and community circles. Includes a Web3-enabled SocialFi experience with NFT avatars (Genesis, Pal), token economies (YAY governance, EMPL utility), staking features, and integration with Worldcoin World ID for bot prevention.
- Posmoni AI and human-powered hybrid content moderation API platform for community applications. Provides automated screening of inappropriate user-generated content combining artificial intelligence with human review workforce, sold as an API to community app developers.
- Data wow Thailand-based subsidiary of Nanameue providing Yay! platform expansion across Asia and AI x data solutions including AI data labeling services and PDPA compliance implementation.
- Accurately AI data labeling service operated by Data wow, providing machine learning training data annotation solutions.
- PDPA Core PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act) compliance implementation support service as a one-stop solution for Thailand data protection requirements.
- Yay! Genesis NFT NFT collection that allows holders to mint Pal avatars; Genesis holders supply Pal within the Yay! ecosystem as part of the web3 tokenomics.
- Yay! Pal NFT Play to Earn NFT characters used in gaming features within the Yay! platform; users can earn tokens through gameplay by collecting and using Pal characters.
Quantifiable outcome
- 8+ million registered users reached within 3 years of launch (January 2020 to January 2023)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Nanameue
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nanameue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Nanameue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- StakeStonecoreFirst protocol partner for Yay! staking campaign. Provides adaptive staking network for ETH/BTC-backed assets. Stakers receive Yay! Gold, points, and additional EigenLayer/Symbiotic/Mellow points through STONE-W1.
- Worldcoin / Worldcoin FoundationcoreWorld ID authentication integration for bot prevention and account security. Uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify human users without collecting personal data. Supports 800+ million Yay! users in safe web3 exploration.
- Kudasai / KudasaiJPcoreBusiness partnership for overseas community expansion. KudasaiJP provides advisory services for international marketing, overseas exchange listings, and community building across Asia including Korea and China. KudasaiJP has 80,000 Twitter followers and 200+ project collaborations as of 2023.
- CryptoGamescoreTechnical partnership for web3 game development on Yay! platform. CryptoGames brings expertise from CryptoSpells (900ETH cloud sales, Japan's record) and Oasys blockchain gaming. Developing Pal NFT gaming features with wallet-free and gas-free gameplay for new web3 users.
- bitFlyercoreIEO (Initial Exchange Offering) partnership for YAY token. bitFlyer is Japan's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Partnership aims to list YAY token through the exchange.
- Game8minorBusiness partnership to develop Japan's largest gaming community. Aims to expand community reach through Game8's gaming-focused user base.
- KAYACminorAcquisition of Lobi gaming community business from KAYAC. Expands Nanameue's footprint in gaming communities.
- あなたのいばしょチャット相談 (Anata no Ibasho Chat)minorNon-profit partnership providing consultation links for young people facing financial difficulties within Yay! app. Part of social responsibility initiatives.
- D×P (Goodby Youth Problems)minorPartnership with certified NPO to provide economic hardship consultation links within Yay! app, supporting youth during COVID-19 pandemic.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nanameue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Discord: Voice-based group chat and interest-based community platform with comparable social architecture to Yay!. Both target younger users and compete for time spent in voice rooms and topic-driven circles/communities, with Discord being a global incumbent.
- Decentraland: Decentralized virtual world platform with social and content experiences built around a token/NFT economy. Directly comparable to Yay!'s SocialFi positioning as a virtual world with tokenized economic layers and community-driven content.
- The Sandbox: Blockchain-based virtual world platform with NFT land, avatars, and a creator economy. Directly comparable to Yay!'s ambitions around virtual world + token/NFT economy, though The Sandbox focuses on UGC gaming versus Yay!'s social/voice emphasis.
- Clubhouse: Audio-first social platform centered on group voice rooms, directly comparable to Yay!'s core group voice chat feature. Both target interest-based community interaction through live audio, though Yay! layers on token economics.
- Steemit: Blockchain-based social media platform that rewards users with tokens for content creation and curation. Closely comparable to Yay!'s SocialFi thesis of tokenized social engagement and user rewards.
Broad incumbents
- LINE: Dominant messaging and social platform in Japan with voice chat, group features, and timeline/community functionality. LINE is a broad incumbent whose scope dwarfs Yay!, but the user base and use cases overlap materially in the Japanese market.
Emerging players
- ZEPETO: Virtual world and avatar-based social platform popular with Gen-Z users. Overlaps with Yay!'s positioning around youth social interaction, customizable avatars, and NFT/web3 integrations, though ZEPETO is more avatar/UGC focused.
- Hive: Web3 social blockchain forked from Steem with tokenized rewards for content and community participation. Comparable architecture and incentive model to Yay!'s token-driven community economy.
Others
- Worldcoin: Identity/infrastructure partner integrated with Yay! for bot-resistant onboarding via World ID. Comparable as an enabling technology partner within the SocialFi stack rather than a direct competitor.
- CryptoGames: Japanese blockchain gaming studio and Oasys ecosystem partner that collaborates with Yay! on Play-to-Earn Pal NFT gaming. Adjacent ecosystem participant with shared Web3 gaming ambitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nanameue social profiles
Digital presenceNanameue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nanameue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Nanameue subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Nanameue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nanameue 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 Nanameue
What does Nanameue do?
Nanameue operates Yay!, a voice-based virtual world social platform where users connect through group voice chat and interest-based community circles, integrated with a Web3 token economy (YAY/EMPL tokens, Genesis/Pal NFTs). The company also operates Posmoni, a hybrid AI-human content moderation API platform for community apps, and through its Thai subsidiary Data wow, offers Accurately (AI data labeling) and PDPA Core (compliance) services.
Is Nanameue a public or private company?
Nanameue is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Nanameue founded?
Nanameue was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nanameue based?
Nanameue is headquartered in Toranomon, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Nanameue make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Yay! Token Economy is the primary driver. The others are posmoni Content Moderation API and data wow / AccuratelyAI Services.
Who are Nanameue's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Discord, Decentraland, The Sandbox, Clubhouse and Steemit. LINE is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are ZEPETO and Hive. Others are Worldcoin and CryptoGames.
Does Nanameue have an API?
Yes. Posmoni is described as a content moderation API platform that combines AI and human workforce to screen inappropriate content in community apps. API endpoints allow developers to integrate content moderation capabilities into their applications.
What industry is Nanameue in?
Nanameue's product category is Social Media Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAGAD, Metaverse Virtual World Platforms (social worlds, land, UGC), with a secondary code of FSAPAGAF, Player Wallets, Identity & Accounts for Games (embedded wallets, SSO, DID). Its NAICS code is 51621 and its SIC code is 7372.