Number Nine
Number Nine is a Tokyo-based digital content company that operates an electronic book distribution service for manga artists, publishing webtoon content through LINE Manga in Japan and NAVER Webtoon internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Number Nine does
Number Nine (ナンバーナイン) is a Tokyo-based digital content company that operates an electronic book distribution service purpose-built for manga artists. The core platform enables Japanese manga creators and webtoon studios to publish and distribute their works as e-books, providing digital publishing and monetization infrastructure for creators. Selected works distributed through the service have achieved top-10 rankings on LINE Manga 2024, indicating audience-validated content with demonstrated engagement on Japan's leading webtoon platform.
The company distributes its webtoon catalog through two principal channels: LINE Manga for the Japanese domestic market and NAVER Webtoon's international platforms for global reach. Its revenue model centers on licensing/royalty income from content distribution; specific commission structures, fee schedules, and contract terms are not publicly disclosed, and no pricing plans are listed on the public website. Number Nine's B2B customer base consists of manga artists and webtoon creators (漫画家), while end consumers of the distributed content are reached indirectly through its platform partners.
Number Nine is privately held and has secured strategic capital from Kayac (~100 million yen in March 2024) and Line Digital Frontier, the Japanese investment arm of NAVER Webtoon (undisclosed stake in January 2025 — Naver Webtoon's first investment in an overseas webtoon studio). The company employs 51–100 people and is led by Founder & Representative Director Takuma Kobayashi, COO & Director Kentaro Arai, and CXO & Director Takuya Shoroku. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, public revenue figures, or named enterprise customers are disclosed in available sources.
Number Nine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Number Nine
- Legal name
- Number Nine (ナンバーナイン)
- Website
- https://no9.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Number Nine is a Tokyo-based digital content company that operates an electronic book distribution service for manga artists, publishing webtoon content through LINE Manga in Japan and NAVER Webtoon internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Number Nine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Manga Publishing and Distribution
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Webtoon & Digital Comics Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Manga Publishing (Japanese & Global) (MPAJAGAA), Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Number Nine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Number Nine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Electronic book distribution for manga artists: Operates an electronic book distribution service for manga artists, monetizing via content distribution. Specific revenue mechanics (e.g., commission, royalties, subscription split) are not publicly disclosed.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
Number Nine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Number Nine is a digital content distribution service designed specifically for manga artists, enabling Japanese creators to publish and distribute their works as e-books and webtoons. The studio produces webtoon content that reaches readers through third-party platforms such as LINE Manga in Japan and NAVER Webtoon internationally, with selected titles ranking in the top 10 of LINE Manga 2024. The company operates as a webtoon studio, combining content production with a dedicated electronic book distribution service for creators.
Product overview
Number Nine operates as a single unified product — a digital e-book distribution service for manga artists (漫画家のための電子書籍配信サービス「ナンバーナイン」). The core platform, also branded as ナンバーナイン, is used by Japanese manga creators to digitally publish and distribute their works. Output from the platform (top-ranked webtoons) is distributed internationally through partnerships with LINE Manga and NAVER Webtoon.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Number Nine (ナンバーナイン) — Electronic Book Distribution Service for Manga Artists Digital content distribution service designed specifically for manga artists, enabling Japanese creators to publish and distribute their works as e-books and webtoons. Selected works are syndicated to LINE Manga in Japan (top-10 ranking in 2024) and to NAVER Webtoon internationally.
Quantifiable outcome
- Top-10 ranking on LINE Manga 2024
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Number Nine
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Number Nine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Number Nine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NAVER WebtooncoreNAVER Webtoon distributes Number Nine's webtoon content internationally through its global platforms, extending the studio's reach beyond Japan. NAVER Webtoon is also the parent of Line Digital Frontier, which took a financial stake in Number Nine in January 2025.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Number Nine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shogakukan: Major Japanese manga publisher operating Sunday Webry and other digital manga platforms. Comparable as a Japan-based publisher with both print and digital/webtoon distribution channels targeting similar manga reader audiences.
- Kadokawa: Japanese publishing and entertainment conglomerate operating BookWalker and ComicWalker digital manga platforms. Directly comparable as a Japan-based digital manga distribution platform serving both domestic and international readers.
- Kakao Entertainment: Korean digital content giant operating webtoon platforms (including Piccoma in Japan) and entertainment IP. Comparable as a global webtoon publishing and distribution platform with both creator network and platform capabilities similar to Number Nine's ambition.
- Kodansha: One of Japan's largest manga publishers operating Magazine Pocket and other digital manga platforms. Comparable as a Japanese digital manga publisher and platform, with substantially deeper IP library and capital than Number Nine.
- WEBTOON Entertainment: Global webtoon platform parent (Naver Webtoon) and Number Nine's primary international distributor and investor. Comparable as the leading global webtoon publishing and distribution platform; their relationship with Number Nine creates a hybrid peer/partner dynamic.
- Shueisha: Major Japanese manga publisher behind Shonen Jump+, Manga Plus, and an enormous print/digital IP catalog. Directly comparable as a Japan-based digital manga publisher and distributor, but operates at vastly larger scale across both print and digital.
Direct peers
- Piccoma: Japan's leading webtoon platform operated by Kakao Piccoma (Kakao Entertainment Japan). Directly comparable as a Japanese webtoon distribution platform competing for the same reader base and manga artist partnerships.
- Manga Box (DeNA): Japanese digital manga/webtoon platform operated by DeNA, distributing serialized manga content to Japanese readers. Comparable as a Japan-based digital manga distribution platform with similar content and audience.
- Comico: Japan-based webtoon and digital comics platform operated by NHN Japan. Directly comparable as a Japanese webtoon publishing and distribution platform serving similar manga artist and reader segments.
- pixiv Comic: Japanese webtoon and digital comics platform operated by pixiv. Comparable as a Japan-based webtoon distribution platform targeting similar manga artist and reader communities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Number Nine social profiles
Digital presenceNumber Nine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number Nine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Number Nine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Number Nine 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 Number Nine
What does Number Nine do?
Number Nine is a digital content distribution service designed specifically for manga artists, enabling Japanese creators to publish and distribute their works as e-books and webtoons. The studio produces webtoon content that reaches readers through third-party platforms such as LINE Manga in Japan and NAVER Webtoon internationally, with selected titles ranking in the top 10 of LINE Manga 2024. The company operates as a webtoon studio, combining content production with a dedicated electronic book distribution service for creators.
Is Number Nine a public or private company?
Number Nine is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Number Nine founded?
Number Nine was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Number Nine based?
Number Nine is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Number Nine make money?
One revenue line is on record: electronic book distribution for manga artists.
Who are Number Nine's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Shogakukan, Kadokawa, Kakao Entertainment, Kodansha, WEBTOON Entertainment and Shueisha. Direct peers are Piccoma, Manga Box (DeNA), Comico and pixiv Comic.
Does Number Nine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Number Nine.
What industry is Number Nine in?
Number Nine's product category is Digital Manga Publishing and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAK, Webtoon & Digital Comics Publishing Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAJAGAA, Manga Publishing (Japanese & Global). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.