Material Group

What Material Group does

Material Group (マテリアルグループ株式会社) is a Tokyo-based marketing communications holding company that operates eight specialized subsidiaries providing integrated PR and digital marketing services to enterprise and mid-market clients primarily in Japan. The group's offering combines traditional PR consulting (corporate communications, crisis management, media relations, government relations, brand building, and corporate styling) with proprietary CX technology products — chiefly Flipdesk, a web customer service and behavioral personalization tool installed across 1,500+ companies and 1,700+ sites, and Cross Talk, a hybrid scenario-and-QA AI chatbot for customer support. The group also operates CLOUD PRESS ROOM, a PR platform connecting corporate PR teams with over 1,400 registered media and 1,000+ contracted companies, plus specialty units covering startup PR (PRAS), product placement (Rooms), survey-based PR (n=FACT), PR placement into film/drama (FERMATA), and a Mamorel cybersecurity service in partnership with a British cybersecurity firm.

Material Group Inc. was established in August 2014 as the holding company (core subsidiary Material Inc. was founded in February 2005) and expanded through the 2021 addition of Flipdesk (rebranded to Material Digital in July 2023) and Rooms, the November 2022 capital-and-business alliance with PRAS, the December 2023 capital alliance with Candlewick, the October 2023 absorption of nano color's digital creative business into Material Digital, and the June 2025 acquisition of M's Up by Rooms. The company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market in March 2024 under ticker 156A. The business model is a hybrid of professional services revenue (project-based PR, brand, crisis, and digital marketing consulting for clients such as Mizkan, Iris Ohyama, AIZOME, Hokkaido Shimbun, CAMPFIRE, Lenovo Japan, Mercari Shops, and EVERING) and recurring SaaS subscription revenue from Flipdesk and Cross Talk, supplemented by transaction fees on Flipdesk (3% of sales on EC platform integrations) and commissions from related styling and product placement engagements.

Distribution combines a direct enterprise sales motion — including group-wide training via 'Material College' and thought-leadership channels such as a weekly podcast, the Public Relations Gakuin (PR Academy), and award-driven earned media — with channel/reseller relationships through makeshop byGMO, the ecforce partner program, UUUM (influencer), nano color, PRIZMA (survey-based PR), NeoFrame (interactive video), Mynavi (recruitment media), and Japanese short-form drama accounts on TikTok. Disclosed FY2025 revenue reached approximately ¥42.8B with operating income of ¥5.67B and EBITDA of ¥6.48B, reflecting year-on-year revenue growth of roughly 18% on top of 13% in the prior year, alongside a gross margin around 61%. The group's differentiation rests on a PR-centric methodology, dense in-house creative talent including former journalists, and a deep award record including Cannes Lions Gold (2023), Spikes Asia Brand Experience Gold (2024), ADFEST PR Agency of the Year (2024), multiple Japan PR Agency of the Year wins, and 120+ accumulated industry awards.

Name

Material Group

Legal name

マテリアルグループ株式会社 (Material Group Inc.)

Website

https://materialgroup.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Ipo

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Material Group operates 8 subsidiaries delivering PR consulting, digital marketing, and proprietary CX tools including Flipdesk and Cross Talk to enterprise and mid-market clients in Japan. Listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (ticker: 156A) since March 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations & Marketing Communications

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Public relations consulting
• Marketing communications services
• Digital customer experience
• Brand strategy consulting
• Web customer service

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flipdesk SaaS Subscription: WEB customer service tool provided as subscription service with tiered pricing plans including basic and premium options
2. Cross Talk Chatbot Service: Hybrid chatbot service with scenario and QA-based capabilities provided on subscription basis
3. Flipdesk Transaction Fees: Flipdesk includes transaction-based fees (3% of sales) on EC platforms in addition to monthly base fees
4. PR Consulting Services: Full-service PR consulting including PR strategy, crisis management, media relations, government relations, investor relations, and corporate PR
5. Brand Building and Storytelling: Brand strategy, story development, marketing communications planning and execution services
6. Product Placement Services: Product placement services through Rooms subsidiary, integrating products into video content
7. Styling Services: Corporate and executive styling services including custom suit production and styling consulting
8. Digital Marketing Consulting: Comprehensive digital marketing consulting including web advertising, SEO, and CRM services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Material Group is a comprehensive marketing communications group providing PR consulting, corporate communications, crisis management, digital marketing, and brand strategy services to enterprise clients. The group operates through 8 specialized subsidiary companies and combines PR storytelling methodology with proprietary digital tools — including Flipdesk (web customer service), Cross Talk (AI chatbot), and CLOUD PRESS ROOM (PR platform) — to deliver integrated marketing communications from strategy to execution.

Product overview

Material Group is a comprehensive marketing communications group offering integrated PR and digital marketing services through a multi-subsidiary structure. The group provides both strategic consulting services (corporate PR, marketing PR, crisis management, government relations) and technology products (CX marketing tools). The core product portfolio includes: Flipdesk (web customer service tool), Cross Talk (AI chatbot), CLOUD PRESS ROOM (PR platform), FERMATA (product placement), n=FACT (survey-based PR), Mamorel (cybersecurity), short drama PR services, and styling/casting services. These operate as an integrated platform-plus-services model where strategic consulting work is enabled by digital tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flipdesk: Web customer service tool for site visitors, tracking browsing/purchase data to personalize interactions and improve CX.
• Cross Talk
• CLOUD PRESS ROOM
• FERMATA
• n=FACT
• SHABEL

Products and services

• Flipdesk Web customer service tool that captures visitor behavior data (visit/browse/purchase) to deliver personalized messaging through campaign notifications, coupons, and chat support for e-commerce and digital businesses.
• Cross Talk Hybrid chatbot with machine learning that supports both scenario-based and QA-based conversation flows for automated customer support and CX improvement.
• CLOUD PRESS ROOM Cloud-based PR platform connecting corporate PR teams with registered media professionals (over 1,400 press personnel as of December 2024), helping standardize PR execution regardless of company size.
• FERMATA Product placement service for drama and film productions, integrating a press room network to secure media placements for brands in video content.
• n=FACT Survey-based PR service combining PRIZMA's survey creation expertise with CLOUD PRESS ROOM's media relations platform for integrated PR campaigns from research to release.
• Mamorel Cybersecurity service provided by Material Digital through partnership with British Cybersecurity, targeting enterprise digital security needs.
• Short Drama PR Service Integrated short drama marketing service combining content planning, production, and PR activity support for brand communication campaigns across short video platforms.
• Corporate Styling Service Executive and corporate styling service partnered with BEAMS F, offering tailored fashion consultation, custom suit production, and PR support for corporate leadership branding.
• SHABEL Talkactive PR planning unit that generates spontaneous consumer speech and dialogue through social media activation and integrated marketing communication strategy design.
• Marketing Business Due Diligence Marketing-focused M&A due diligence consulting service providing market research, strategic planning, implementation support, and P&L management for private equity and corporate transactions.
• PR Consulting Services Full-service PR consulting including PR strategy, crisis management, media relations, government relations, investor relations, and corporate PR for enterprise clients and startups.
• Brand Building and Storytelling Brand strategy, story development, and marketing communications planning and execution services for corporate clients building and refreshing brand identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flipdesk reached over 1,700 implementation sites and 1,500+ companies
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mynavi (マイナビ)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 August 2025Business partnership for co-selling recruitment-focused services. Combines Material's short drama PR services with Mynavi's recruitment media platforms (Mynavi News, Mynavi Gakumado) for enhanced recruitment communication targeting younger generations.
• M's Up (エムズアップ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2025Acquisition of all shares in hair and makeup service company M's Up. Strengthens Rooms' styling services by combining costume/fashion styling with professional hair and makeup for enhanced talent representation.
• SHABELminorOthers · 7 May 2025New internal planning unit for talkactive PR services focusing on activating organic speech and dialogue through social media. Provides PR-inspired integrated marketing communication services.
• HA-LUminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2025Official PR partnership for Shibuya Aoharu 2.0 Festival. Material serves as official PR partner providing storytelling and PR activity support for Z-generation culture event.
• Hakuhodo PROJECT_VegaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2025Joint podcast production 'PR Secret Society' hosted by Director Oneue and Hakuhodo ECD Koyama. Weekly discussions on PR topics targeting students and PR professionals.
• ctow (社長の名は)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2025Service partnership with CEO documentary short drama account (19M+ views). Combines CEO drama content with PR strategy for corporate branding and recruitment communications.
• AsmarQ (アスマーク)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2025Service partnership for marketing-focused business due diligence. Combines AsmarQ's consumer behavior research expertise with Material's marketing strategy capabilities for M&A and investment decision support.
• angirz (コワゾー)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 March 2025Service partnership with horror short drama account 'Kowazo' (1M+ followers). Enables horror-genre short drama content creation combined with PR strategy for clients seeking unique entertainment-focused marketing.
• studio15 (ドラマみたいだ)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2025Service partnership with short drama account 'Drama Mitai Da' (400M+ views, 250K+ followers). Provides short drama content creation and PR strategy services for brand marketing communications.
• PRIZMAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025Service partnership combining PRIZMA's survey-based PR releases with Connected Material's CLOUD PRESS ROOM platform. Enables comprehensive PR from research and release creation to media relations through approximately 1,400 registered press personnel.
• nano color (ナノカラー)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023Business partnership for advertising creative production combining nano color's customer-centered strategy design with Material Digital's digital marketing solutions. Enables integrated communication strategy from planning to execution.
• UUUMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2023Strategic partnership combining UUUM's influencer business with Material's PR solutions and storytelling expertise. Joint marketing solutions including integrated PR, influencer business, video production, and PR consulting.
• makeshop byGMOcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 April 2023Flipdesk integration with makeshop byGMO EC platform. EC operators using makeshop can easily implement Flipdesk from the management interface with special pricing plan including free initial setup and 5,000 JPY monthly fee plus 3% commission.
• CAMPFIREcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2022Business partnership with Japan's largest crowdfunding platform for PR support of CAMPFIRE projects. CLOUD PRESS ROOM platform provides free project information publication and PR promotion for CAMPFIRE project creators.
• PRAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Capital and business partnership with startup-focused PR company PRAS. Strengthens group capabilities in startup PR support and combines with CLOUD PRESS ROOM platform for enhanced services.
• SUPER STUDIO (ecforce)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 October 2022Participation in ecforce partners certification program. Flipdesk and digital marketing services distributed through ecforce EC platform partner network.
• Beams FminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2022Partnership with Beams F flagship store for executive styling services. Combines Beams F's experienced shop stylists with Material's PR and media relations expertise for corporate branding support.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Platinum Inc. Platinum Inc. is a Tokyo-based PR and marketing firm listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, providing PR strategy, digital marketing, and content production services to Japanese enterprise and consumer brands. It is a direct comparable to Material Group's core PR consulting business.
• Sunny Side Up Group: Sunny Side Up Group is a Tokyo-based PR and marketing communications firm listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market. It is the most direct domestic competitor to Material Group, offering similar PR consulting, digital marketing, and event services to Japanese enterprise clients.
• Vector Group: Vector Group is a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed PR and communications holding company operating multiple subsidiaries in PR, IR consulting, and digital marketing. Its group structure and focus on IR/financial PR make it a close structural and strategic peer to Material Group.

Broad incumbents

• Hakuhodo: Hakuhodo is Japan's largest advertising agency and the parent of Hakuhodo DY Holdings. It offers integrated marketing communications including PR, digital, and CX services, and competes with Material Group for major Japanese enterprise clients (notably Material Group even jointly produces a podcast with a Hakuhodo ECD).
• Edelman: Edelman is the world's largest independent PR firm, with significant presence in Japan and Asia-Pacific. It competes for global and regional mandates from major enterprise clients and represents the global PR standard against which Material Group's Asia-leading creative reputation must be measured.
• FleishmanHillard: FleishmanHillard is a top global PR and integrated communications agency with strong Asia-Pacific operations including Japan. It competes for multi-market enterprise PR mandates that Material Group targets, and represents one of the international networks Material Group must differentiate against.
• Dentsu Group: Dentsu is the largest Japanese-headquartered global advertising and marketing services group, offering integrated communications including PR, digital, and CX. As the dominant incumbent in Japanese advertising, it sets competitive benchmarks that Material Group must beat for major enterprise accounts.
• ADK Holdings: ADK Holdings is one of Japan's major advertising holding companies, providing full-service creative, digital, and PR communications. Its broad portfolio of integrated marketing services competes directly with Material Group's end-to-end marketing communications offering.

Emerging players

• Plaid (KARTE): Plaid operates KARTE, a leading Japanese real-time customer behavior analytics and CX platform. It is the closest Japan-native competitor to Material Group's Flipdesk offering in web personalization and conversion optimization for e-commerce and digital businesses.
• Septeni Holdings: Septeni Holdings is a Japanese digital marketing group specializing in digital advertising, data-driven marketing, and ad-tech. Its focus on digital-first marketing complements Material Group's Material Digital subsidiary, particularly in CX and conversion optimization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aohalu2_0sai
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/material-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/aohalu2_0sai
• TikToktiktok.com/@kowazo_horror

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Material Group