Hana Kuma

What Hana Kuma does

Hana Kuma is a privately held media and creative production company founded by tennis champion Naomi Osaka and Stuart Duguid, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company operates as a content production and storytelling platform producing multimedia content — documentary films, video series, video podcasts, with stated plans for anime, manga, and merchandise — targeted at international and multicultural audiences. Its stated thesis is to give athletes and underrepresented creators creative control over authentic storytelling, organized around a 'watch it, hear it, wear it' philosophy spanning visual, audio, and physical product formats.

The company was incubated within The SpringHill Co. before completing a spin-off in April 2023 alongside a $5 million funding round from SpringHill, Epic Games, Fenway Sports Group, The Kinoshita Group, and Disruptive. Hana Kuma generates revenue through three streams: content production and licensing (e.g., the documentary 'Naomi Osaka: The Second Set' on Tubi), brand partnerships and sponsorship integrations (Electrolit, Meta Platforms), and a planned direct-to-consumer merchandise and e-commerce channel on hanakumaco.com. Its customer segments are global multicultural content consumers, professional athletes seeking brand-building support (anchored by the LPGA athlete brand-building program launched in 2024), and brand partners seeking authentic multicultural narratives.

The company maintains a small team of 1-10 employees and distributes content through Tubi, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and editorial partners including The New York Times (MINK series). Its strategic backers provide distribution networks across sports (Fenway Sports Group — Liverpool FC, Boston Red Sox), entertainment (SpringHill), and gaming/metaverse (Epic Games — Fortnite, Unreal Engine), which materially shape its partnership and commercialization optionality.

Name

Hana Kuma

Legal name

Hana Kuma LLC

Website

https://hanakumaco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hana Kuma is a Los Angeles-based storytelling and content production company founded by Naomi Osaka, producing documentaries, video series, and podcasts for international multicultural audiences and athlete brand-building partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Content Production & Licensing: Producing and licensing multimedia content including documentaries, anime, manga, and video series for distribution across platforms
2. Merchandise & E-commerce: E-commerce platform for merchandising Hana Kuma branded products; 'Eventually a platform to help merchandise Hana Kuma product'
3. Brand Partnerships: Collaborative brand partnerships with sponsors and partners for content co-creation and brand integration

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hana Kuma is a creative storytelling platform, founded by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, that produces and distributes multimedia content including documentary films, video series, video podcasts, and planned merchandise for international and multicultural audiences. The company follows a 'watch it, hear it, wear it' philosophy covering visual content, audio/podcasts, and merchandise, while also operating athlete brand-building programs in partnership with organizations like the LPGA.

Product overview

Hana Kuma is a storytelling platform conceived by Naomi Osaka that creates and distributes content across video, audio, and merchandise for international and multicultural audiences. The company operates as a content production and creative platform, producing documentary films (such as 'Naomi Osaka: The Second Set'), video series (such as 'Aryna's Arena' and 'Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios'), and plans to expand into wearing/merchandise content. The platform follows a 'watch it, hear it, wear it' philosophy covering visual content, audio/podcasts, and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Naomi Osaka: The Second Set A raw and intimate documentary film following Naomi Osaka's comeback to professional tennis just six months postpartum, documenting her journey juggling motherhood and tennis. Distributed on the Tubi streaming platform.
• Aryna's Arena An all-access video series with tennis champion Aryna Sabalenka offering raw and real behind-the-scenes content including locker room moments and team dynamics of a Grand Slam champion.
• Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios A video podcast series hosted by Nick Kyrgios that explores the personal journeys of individuals who are making waves by doing things on their own terms.
• LPGA and Hana Kuma Athlete Brand-Building Program An innovative athlete brand-building program co-developed with the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) to help professional athletes build personal brands through multimedia storytelling, content production, and creative partnerships.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• LPGAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024LPGA and Hana Kuma joined forces to launch an innovative athlete brand-building program, representing a core strategic partnership for athlete-focused content and brand development initiatives.
• ElectrolitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership with Electrolit for content collaboration; visible in the partners section with ongoing relationship for athlete content and brand activation.
• Meta Platforms Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in partners section; Meta's involvement provides platform reach and potential technology integration for content distribution.
• NYTimes (MINK)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEditorial partnership for opinion and storytelling content; MINK is a New York Times video series in partnership with Hana Kuma.
• FootstepsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouTube video series partnership showcasing inspiring stories; FootstepsLogo featured in partners section.
• Good TroubleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNick Kyrgios video podcast series; collaboration for video podcast content production and distribution.
• LPGA and Hana Kuma Athlete Brand-Building ProgramflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship co-developed program launching innovative athlete brand-building initiatives in partnership with LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wave Sports + Entertainment: Producer of athlete-led digital series and podcasts (e.g., New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce). Closely comparable business of packaging athletes into recurring long-form video/audio franchises with sponsorship monetization.
• Uninterrupted: LeBron James and Maverick Carter's athlete-first media platform producing original video, podcasts, and branded storytelling content. Highly comparable creator-led athlete media model with documented distribution partnerships and a celebrity-founder flywheel identical in shape to Hana Kuma's.
• Religion of Sports: Founded by Tom Brady, Michael Strahan, and Gotham Chopra to produce sports-focused film, series, and audio storytelling. Direct competitor in the 'premium athlete-driven narrative content' lane with comparable documentary/series/podcast formats.
• Players' Tribune: Pioneered first-person athlete-published storytelling across video and written formats — the historic template Hana Kuma operates within. Closely comparable athlete-self-narrative thesis, even if recently de-emphasized operationally.
• OBB Media: Michael B. Jordan's entertainment company spanning film, TV, audio, and brand content. Directly comparable as a global-superstar-founded multi-format storytelling studio with athlete/celebrity-adjacent IP and a focus on representation-driven narratives.

Emerging players

• Hello Sunshine: Reese Witherspoon's media company producing female-driven storytelling across film, TV, podcast, and book formats. Comparable celebrity-founded multi-format content studio with representation/mission-driven positioning akin to Hana Kuma's multicultural narrative focus.
• Mainstay: Early-stage athlete-focused media and newsletter company producing athlete-driven storytelling. Comparable target audience (sports fans and athletes themselves) and creator-led content model, though smaller and more newsletter-centric.

Broad incumbents

• The SpringHill Company: LeBron James and Maverick Carter's entertainment and production company — former parent of Hana Kuma and ongoing investor/strategic partner. Most directly comparable given the shared creator-led athlete-studio DNA, multi-format content strategy, and Fortune 500 brand-partnership pedigree.
• SpringHill/Fulwell 73: Merger entity combining The SpringHill Company and Fulwell 73, producing film, TV, and branded entertainment globally with massive production scale. Functions as both sibling and incumbent, representing the most likely large-platform exit or distribution path for Hana Kuma IP.

Others

• Religion of Sports Studios (Gotham Chopra): Gotham Chopra's independent production banner producing long-form sports documentaries and series. Direct adjacency to Hana Kuma's documentary/series roadmap and athlete-narrative focus, serving as a creator-side equivalent and ecosystem connection.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HanaKumaCo
• Instagraminstagram.com/hanakuma
• TikToktiktok.com/@hanakumaco
• Xx.com/HanaKumaCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors5 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hana Kuma