Live2D
Live2D is a Japanese software company (founded 2010) that provides the Cubism Editor and multi-platform SDKs for real-time 2D character animation, serving VTubers, game developers, animation studios, and educational institutions through subscriptions, marketplace commissions, SDK licensing, and custom studio services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersShinjuku, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Live2D does
Live2D Inc. (株式会社Live2D) is a Japanese technology company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Tokyo, focused on real-time 2D animation through its proprietary Cubism technology. The core product, Live2D Cubism Editor, animates static 2D illustrations via parameter-based deformation and physics, eliminating the need for frame-by-frame drawing and serving creators in VTubing, mobile and console gaming, animation production, and AI-driven character interfaces. The company also distributes Cubism SDKs for Unity, Unreal Engine, Cocos Creator, Web (JavaScript), Java, and Native (C/C++) platforms, plus plugins for Adobe After Effects and Photoshop, enabling broad embedding in third-party applications.
Revenue is generated through tiered annual and multi-year subscriptions for Cubism Editor PRO (split into indie and business tiers, with discounts on renewal and a separate 3-year student plan), SDK publishing licenses scaled to licensee revenue, marketplace commissions on the official nizima platform for buying and selling Live2D models and assets, and bespoke professional services through the Live2D Creative Studio. The company runs a community-led and product-led GTM model anchored by a freemium FREE tier, a 42-day trial, and an annual alive flagship event at Akihabara UDX, supported by regional Discord/QQ communities, the Live2D JUKU learning platform, and a global Creative Awards contest.
The company operates as a privately held Japanese corporation with no disclosed parent, funding rounds, or institutional investors in the available sources. Reference customers span entertainment and animation majors — including SEGA/Crypton Future Media (Project Sekai), Konami Digital Entertainment, ANYCOLOR (NIJISANJI), Cover Corporation (Hololive), Ufotable/Shueisha (Demon Slayer), Toei Animation/Shueisha (Dragon Ball), NTT (XR Concierge), and Sony Music Solutions (CHELULU) — alongside a long tail of individual creators and 200+ educational institutions served via the LEAP program.
Live2D firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Live2D
- Legal name
- Live2D Inc.
- Website
- https://live2d.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Live2D is a Japanese software company (founded 2010) that provides the Cubism Editor and multi-platform SDKs for real-time 2D character animation, serving VTubers, game developers, animation studios, and educational institutions through subscriptions, marketplace commissions, SDK licensing, and custom studio services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Live2D industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 2D Animation Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Game Backend & LiveOps Platforms (BaaS/Analytics/Hosting) (BPAMAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Generalist Live Streaming Platforms (Multi-Category) (MPACACAA)
Keywords
Where Live2D is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shinjuku
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Live2D business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cubism Editor Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year subscription plans for Cubism Editor PRO with tiered pricing for indie/business customers. Year 1, 2, and 3 have decreasing renewal rates creating land-and-expand dynamics.
- nizima Marketplace: VTuber model and illustration marketplace where creators can buy/sell Live2D models and materials, with transaction-based revenue
- Live2D Creative Studio Services: Custom Live2D model production services for enterprise clients requiring bespoke character development
- Cubism SDK Licensing: Publishing license agreements for commercial use of SDK in applications, with fees based on company revenue size
- Student Discount Program: 80% OFF 3-year plans for students and educators (2026 limited offer), generating long-term customer relationships
- nizima LIVE Subscriptions: VTuber streaming tool with annual subscription plans, cross-sold with Cubism Editor
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | PRO for Indie - Annual auto-renewing subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | PRO for Indie - Monthly subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PRO for Indie - 1-year fixed contract |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PRO for Indie - 3-year fixed contract |
| Subscription | Annual | PRO for Business - Annual auto-renewing subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | PRO for Business - Monthly subscription |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PRO for Business - 1-year fixed contract |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PRO for Business - 3-year fixed contract |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Student Discount - 3-year plan (2026 limited offer) |
| Subscription | Annual | nizima LIVE for Indie - Annual plan |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Live2D product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Live2D develops and sells Live2D Cubism, a real-time 2D animation technology that animates static illustrations through parameter-based deformation, eliminating the need for frame-by-frame drawing. Its core offerings include the Cubism Editor desktop application (PRO subscription), the Cubism SDK suite for embedding Live2D models in Unity, Unreal, Web, Native, Java, and Cocos Creator applications, the nizima marketplace for VTuber assets, nizima LIVE (webcam-based VTuber streaming tool), and Live2D Creative Studio for bespoke production services.
Product overview
Live2D is a Japanese technology company offering a comprehensive suite of products centered on its proprietary 2D real-time animation technology. The core product is Live2D Cubism Editor, a desktop application that animates static 2D illustrations through parameter-based deformations and physics, eliminating the need for frame-by-frame animation. The product portfolio spans developer tools (Cubism SDKs for Unity, Native, Web, Java, Unreal Engine, and Cocos Creator), VTuber tools (nizima LIVE for webcam-based streaming), a marketplace (nizima for buying/selling models), an online video editor (nizima ACTION!! in beta), educational services (Live2D JUKU with video courses and live critiques), professional production services (Live2D Creative Studio), and community programs (Creative Awards contest, annual alive event). The company also supports the creator ecosystem through student discounts and education aid programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- nizima: Official Live2D marketplace for VTuber models, illustrations, and streaming materials where creators can buy and sell works.
- nizima LIVE
- nizima ACTION
- Live2D JUKU
- Live2D Creative Studio
- Live2D Creative Awards
Products and services
- Live2D Cubism Editor Flagship desktop application for creating Live2D animations. Artists animate 2D illustrations by manipulating deformation parameters, layers, and physics without frame-by-frame drawing. Available in FREE and PRO tiers with a 42-day trial.
- Live2D Cubism SDK
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ commercial titles use Live2D technology worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Live2D
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Live2D technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability5 records
Feature11 records
Live2D partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ANYCOLOR Inc.coreVTuber agency (NIJISANJI) sponsoring alive 2025 event. Featured in session 'VTuber×Live2Dモデルの"今"と"未来"について話したい！' alongside Cover Corporation. Uses Live2D for VTuber character models.
- Cover CorporationcoreHololive Production parent company sponsoring alive 2025 event. Co-presenting VTuber industry session with ANYCOLOR. Major user of Live2D for virtual creator character models.
- Unity Technologies JapancoreOfficial sponsor of alive 2025. Unity is the primary game engine platform supported by Cubism SDK for real-time rendering of Live2D models in games and applications.
- G2 StudioscoreGame development studio sponsoring alive 2025. Present in career meetup with session on 'Live2D制作チームのメンバー育成と研修プログラム' (team building and training programs for Live2D production).
- Sumzap Inc.coreGame developer sponsoring alive 2025. Present in career meetup. Session on '企業がLive2Dバーチャル社員をパワーアップさせたお話' (enhancing corporate virtual employees with Live2D).
- f4samurai Inc.coreGame studio sponsoring alive 2025. Present in career meetup. Session 'Live2Dと衣装デザインの魅力を最大限に引き出すための工夫' in 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ Magia Exedra.
- Celsys Inc. (CLIP STUDIO PAINT)coreCreator of CLIP STUDIO PAINT illustration software, sponsoring alive 2025. Session on 'VTuberデザインのためのCLIP STUDIO PAINT活用講座'. Deep integration with Live2D workflow.
- CG-ARTSminorJapan Media Arts Festival organizer (公益財団法人画像情報教育振興協会) sponsoring alive 2025. Educational content partner for digital art education.
- Kyoto Institute of DesignminorEducational institution (京都芸術デザイン専門学校) exhibiting at alive 2025. Part of LEAP education program network.
- Tokyo Content Incubation Center (TCIC)minorTokyo Metropolitan Government-supported content business incubator (東京コンテンツインキュレーションセンター) exhibiting at alive 2025.
- Automatón MediaminorJapanese gaming media outlet sponsoring alive 2025. Press and media coverage partner for gaming industry news.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Live2D competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Esoteric Software (Spine): Developer of Spine, a 2D skeletal animation tool widely used in mobile and indie games. Direct competitor to Cubism Editor in the 2D real-time animation for games niche, with similar deformation/runtime philosophy and Unity/Unreal runtimes.
- Celsys (CLIP STUDIO PAINT): Celsys's CLIP STUDIO PAINT is the dominant illustration and 2D animation tool for anime/manga creators, with deep overlap in Live2D's target user base (Japanese illustrators, VTuber creators, animation students). Celsys is a co-sponsor of alive 2025 and a frequent workflow pairing.
- Denchi (VTube Studio): VTube Studio is the most widely used free VTuber streaming app (Steam, iOS, Android), directly competing with Live2D's nizima LIVE for webcam-driven VTuber avatar control and competing for the same individual VTuber creator wallet.
- Holotech (Animaze): Animaze is a desktop VTuber avatar app with face-tracking for streaming and content creation. It directly overlaps with nizima LIVE in functionality (webcam-driven avatar control) and competes for the same individual VTuber and content creator segment.
Broad incumbents
- Adobe (Character Animator & Animate): Adobe Character Animator and the recently discontinued Animate address overlapping 2D character animation and live-capture use cases. Adobe is a broad creative suite incumbent; its 2026 Animate discontinuation actively funnels users toward Live2D as a migration target.
- Unity Technologies: Unity is the primary game engine platform supported by Cubism SDK and an alive 2025 sponsor. As a broad incumbent, Unity's built-in 2D animation, UI tools, and Animator compete with Live2D's value proposition at the engine layer.
- Epic Games (Unreal Engine): Unreal Engine supports a Cubism SDK plugin and competes via MetaHuman and built-in 2D animation tooling. As a broad incumbent in game/film production, Epic represents both an integration partner and a competitive risk for Live2D in higher-end pipelines.
Emerging players
- pixiv (VRoid Studio): VRoid Studio enables easy 3D avatar creation and is positioned as a 3D-native alternative to Live2D model workflows. It represents an emerging threat in the VTuber/avatar space, particularly if 3D avatars gain favor over 2D for AI/spatial computing applications.
Regional players
- Cocos: Cocos is a Chinese-headquartered game engine with an official Live2D SDK integration. It is a regional platform player where Live2D is embedded but where alternative 2D animation tooling (Spine, Cocos-native) is also competitive, especially in the Chinese mobile market.
Others
- Cover Corporation (Hololive Production): Cover Corp is a major Live2D enterprise customer and alive 2025 co-sponsor, not a competitor. Included as an ecosystem participant because its Hololive talent roster sets the de facto standard for 2D VTuber production quality, shaping downstream Live2D demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Live2D social profiles
Digital presenceLive2D financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Live2D leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Live2D funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Live2D 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 Live2D
What does Live2D do?
Live2D develops and sells Live2D Cubism, a real-time 2D animation technology that animates static illustrations through parameter-based deformation, eliminating the need for frame-by-frame drawing. Its core offerings include the Cubism Editor desktop application (PRO subscription), the Cubism SDK suite for embedding Live2D models in Unity, Unreal, Web, Native, Java, and Cocos Creator applications, the nizima marketplace for VTuber assets, nizima LIVE (webcam-based VTuber streaming tool), and Live2D Creative Studio for bespoke production services.
Is Live2D a public or private company?
Live2D is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Live2D founded?
Live2D was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Live2D based?
Live2D is headquartered in Shinjuku, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Live2D make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Cubism Editor Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are nizima Marketplace, live2D Creative Studio Services, cubism SDK Licensing, student Discount Program and nizima LIVE Subscriptions.
Who are Live2D's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Esoteric Software (Spine), Celsys (CLIP STUDIO PAINT), Denchi (VTube Studio) and Holotech (Animaze). Broad incumbents are Adobe (Character Animator & Animate), Unity Technologies and Epic Games (Unreal Engine). pixiv (VRoid Studio) is listed as an emerging player. Cocos is listed as a regional player. Cover Corporation (Hololive Production) is listed as an others.
Does Live2D have an API?
No public API is recorded for Live2D.
What industry is Live2D in?
Live2D's product category is 2D Animation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAL, Game Backend & LiveOps Platforms (BaaS/Analytics/Hosting), with a secondary code of MPACACAA, Generalist Live Streaming Platforms (Multi-Category). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7371.