Whatever
Whatever Co. is a Tokyo-based creative studio with offices in New York, Taipei, and Berlin that delivers advertising, branding, AR/AI applications, games, and stop-motion film IP for global enterprise clients such as Crunchyroll, Kao, UNIQLO, and Toyota, while monetizing original products like everies and HIDARI.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Whatever does
Whatever Co. is a Tokyo-headquartered creative studio operating across advertising, entertainment, and technology. Founded in 2011, the company employs 11-50 people across offices in Tokyo, New York, Taipei, and Berlin, and serves major Japanese and international enterprise clients including Crunchyroll, Kao Corporation, UNIQLO, Uber Eats, Toyota Woven, Cathay United Bank, SK-II, mercari, and Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as government and cultural institutions such as Miraikan.
The studio's core capabilities span creative direction, brand identity, advertising, film, large-scale installation design, and software development. Proprietary technology includes an AR + LLM + speech synthesis platform powering the consumer app 'everies' (built on Google Gemini), Unity-based 3DCG game development demonstrated by the Silent Cleaning horror game for Kao, and stop-motion animation with hand-carved wooden puppets for the HIDARI feature film. The company maintains a portfolio of original IP including RakugakiAR (approximately 460,000 downloads in its first five days, #1 paid app in eight countries), MoAR (Museum of AR), and HIDARI.
Whatever Co. generates revenue through three primary streams: project-based creative agency services billed to enterprise clients, one-time consumer app sales (everies at 300 JPY on iOS), and film/IP production including distribution deals and licensing. The studio monetizes brand work, original products, and content IP, with award validation (Cannes Lions Bronze 2026, Webby 2024 Best Video Animation, multiple JPPA Grand Prizes) and global brand recognition reinforcing its premium positioning in the Japan-anchored creative market.
Whatever firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whatever
- Website
- https://whatever.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Whatever Co. is a Tokyo-based creative studio with offices in New York, Taipei, and Berlin that delivers advertising, branding, AR/AI applications, games, and stop-motion film IP for global enterprise clients such as Crunchyroll, Kao, UNIQLO, and Toyota, while monetizing original products like everies and HIDARI.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whatever industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative and Advertising Services
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ), Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)
Keywords
Where Whatever is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Whatever business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Creative Agency / Client Services: Whatever Co. works on project-based creative engagements for major brands, providing concept development, design, and full production across advertising, branding, film, events, and product/service development. Revenue is generated through client fees for these creative projects.
- Consumer App Sales: The company develops and sells proprietary mobile applications directly to consumers through app stores. everies is sold at 300 JPY on the iOS App Store.
- Film / IP Production: Whatever Co. co-develops original film IP (such as HIDARI with dwarf studios and TECARAT) and may generate revenue through distribution deals, licensing, and content financing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | everies App - One-time purchase |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Whatever product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whatever Co. is a creative studio that conceives, designs, and produces work across advertising, entertainment, and technology — including brand campaigns, TV commercials, AR applications, 3D games, stop-motion films, and large-scale exhibitions for global enterprise clients. In parallel, the studio develops and sells proprietary consumer products such as the everies AR app (via the iOS App Store) and original IP including the HIDARI stop-motion film and Silent Cleaning game.
Product overview
Whatever Co. is a global creative studio offering a diverse portfolio of products and services spanning advertising, entertainment, technology, and experiential design. Their core offerings include original AR products (everies, RakugakiAR, MoAR), creative campaign work (Silent Cleaning horror game, HIME EVOLUTION brand redesign), science/educational installations (Miraikan Geo-Scope, Park of Aging), film projects (HIDARI stop-motion film), and interactive experiences. The company operates across categories from branding and film to product/service development and their own original projects, combining creative direction with technological execution using AI technologies like Google's Gemini.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative agency services (branding, campaigns, TV commercials, exhibitions, product/service design) End-to-end creative services including concept development, branding, TV commercials, product and service design, exhibition design, and new business development for major enterprise clients across Japan and globally.
- everies Consumer AR mobile app that lets users point their iPhone camera at everyday objects to converse with them as unique characters ('everies') with distinct personalities, voices, and appearances, powered by Google's Gemini AI.
- Silent Cleaning Full-fledged 3D exploration-style horror action and cleaning simulation game built in Unity with 3DCG for Kao Corporation, integrating real Kao cleaning products into gameplay mechanics with faithfully recreated feel and sounds.
- HIDARI (stop-motion film project) Original stop-motion samurai feature film inspired by legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro, co-developed with dwarf studios and TECARAT, using intricately carved wooden puppets animated frame-by-frame; currently in production as a 90-minute feature with Keanu Reeves voicing Jingoro.
- HIME EVOLUTION Brand character redesign and world-building project for Crunchyroll's official mascot 'Hime', establishing a new backstory as a fox spirit traveling between anime and human worlds, with companion characters Yuzu and Sudachi.
- Miraikan Geo-Scope & Geo-Online Permanent exhibition and accompanying web platform visualizing Earth through scientific data, including 20+ data visualizations at Miraikan plus educational and satellite-data web experiences.
- The Little Prince VR World's first location-based multiplayer VR experience based on 'The Little Prince', using HTC VR headsets in stadium environments so participants can explore the story universe together and interact with objects and characters.
Quantifiable outcome
- HIDARI proof-of-concept achieved 4.9M+ YouTube views and 120,000+ subscribers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Whatever
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whatever technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature4 records
Whatever partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- dwarf studios (AOI Pro. Inc.)coredwarf studios is an internationally recognized stop-motion animation studio (founded September 2003), known for NHK's Domo character, Netflix's Rilakkuma and Kaoru, and Academy Award-shortlisted Bottle George. They serve as producer and animation studio for HIDARI, co-developing the stop-motion feature film alongside Whatever Co. and TECARAT.
- TECARAT (Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd.)coreTECARAT specializes in content production and visual/art design for advertising and film. The name derives from the Japanese word 'te' (hand), reflecting the belief that ideas are brought to life by human hands. They handle puppet fabrication and art production for HIDARI, creating the intricately carved wooden puppets.
- Japan Arts Council / Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)minorHIDARI was selected for the 'Film Frontier – Feature Animation Creator Support' program, part of the Cultural Arts Activity Infrastructure Enhancement Fund (Creator Support Fund), administered by the Japan Arts Council with funding from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- Annecy International Animation Film Festival / Cannes AnimationcoreThe Annecy Animation Showcase (a dedicated animation program within the Marché du Film at Cannes Film Festival) selected HIDARI for its annual presentation, providing a platform to pitch to international distributors, investors, and industry professionals. Past selections have gone on to become completed feature films.
- Keanu ReevescoreKeanu Reeves stars as the lead voice of Hidari Jingoro in HIDARI, marking his first role in a Japanese original production. He has contributed creative input to the project and called it 'exciting.' This high-profile attachment provides significant international visibility.
- CrunchyrollcoreCrunchyroll, the world's largest anime streaming platform, partnered with Whatever for brand renewal, specifically the HIME Evolution project to redesign the official mascot character Hime in conjunction with Crunchyroll's brand refresh.
- Kao CorporationcoreKao Corporation, a leading Japanese home care brand, collaborated with Whatever Co. to create 'Silent Cleaning,' a 3D exploration-style horror action and cleaning simulation game. Whatever handled concept, design, and full development, integrating real Kao cleaning products into gameplay. Some featured products saw sales double after the campaign.
- Material Inc.minorMaterial Inc. handled PR direction and PR production for Silent Cleaning campaign, contributing to earned media coverage including Campaign Asia features and Cannes Lions coverage.
- studio ALBLE inc.minorstudio ALBLE inc. led influencer marketing for Silent Cleaning, coordinating with mega-influencers to drive organic streaming and social media reach.
- Steam / ValveminorSteam (Valve) served as the distribution platform for Silent Cleaning, the free-to-play horror game that trended #1 on release day and reached tens of millions of viewers through streamer coverage.
- Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)coreMiraikan is one of Japan's leading science museums. Whatever created the renewed 'Geo-Scope' permanent exhibition and 'Geo-Online' web platform, visualizing Earth through scientific data for intuitive public interaction.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Whatever competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tool of North America: Independent creative studio combining commercial directing, design, and interactive production. Comparable to Whatever's multidisciplinary model spanning film, design, AR, and technology under a single creative umbrella.
- Anomaly: Independence-first creative agency with offices in NY, LA, London, Shanghai, and Toronto, known for brand strategy plus product and campaign execution. Directly comparable to Whatever in operating philosophy and willingness to build original IP and tech-driven client work.
- Mother: Independent global creative agency with offices in London, NY, LA, and Shanghai, known for unconventional, genre-bending brand work. Comparable to Whatever in creative philosophy and willingness to operate across mediums rather than within traditional agency silos.
- PARTY: Tokyo-based creative agency producing campaigns, digital products, and brand experiences for Japanese and global clients. A closer-sized Japanese peer competing for similar brand work and known for blending technology with creative direction.
- Unit9: London-headquartered creative technology studio producing interactive experiences, AR, games, and film for global brands. Directly comparable to Whatever's blend of creative direction, AR/game development, and experiential installations for enterprise clients.
- Resn: Wellington-based creative technology studio known for award-winning interactive digital experiences and AR work for global brands. Comparable to Whatever in combining craft, code, and emerging tech to deliver breakthrough brand campaigns.
- BUCK: Independent creative design and technology studio with offices in LA, NY, and Amsterdam, producing award-winning motion, interactive, and AR/VR work for global brands. Highly comparable to Whatever as a tech-forward creative studio that blends design, code, and brand campaign execution.
Broad incumbents
- Wieden+Kennedy: Globally recognized independent creative agency with a track record of culture-defining campaigns and a dedicated Tokyo office. A broader incumbent peer that competes for the same enterprise brand work and pursues original creative IP development.
- Hakuhodo: One of Japan's largest advertising agencies with deep enterprise client rosters and growing digital/technology capabilities. A broader incumbent peer operating in the same Tokyo-anchored creative services market as Whatever, with significantly greater scale.
- DENTSU: Global advertising and public relations group headquartered in Tokyo, serving many of the same Japanese and multinational enterprise clients (Toyota, UNIQLO via Fast Retailing). Larger incumbent covering the same end-market with broader service lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whatever social profiles
Digital presenceWhatever financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whatever leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Whatever funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whatever M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whatever
What does Whatever do?
Whatever Co. is a creative studio that conceives, designs, and produces work across advertising, entertainment, and technology — including brand campaigns, TV commercials, AR applications, 3D games, stop-motion films, and large-scale exhibitions for global enterprise clients. In parallel, the studio develops and sells proprietary consumer products such as the everies AR app (via the iOS App Store) and original IP including the HIDARI stop-motion film and Silent Cleaning game.
Is Whatever a public or private company?
Whatever is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Whatever founded?
Whatever was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Whatever based?
Whatever is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Whatever make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Creative Agency / Client Services are the primary driver. The others are consumer App Sales and film / IP Production.
Who are Whatever's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tool of North America, Anomaly, Mother, PARTY, Unit9, Resn and BUCK. Broad incumbents are Wieden+Kennedy, Hakuhodo and DENTSU.
Does Whatever have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whatever.
What industry is Whatever in?
Whatever's product category is Creative and Advertising Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAJ, Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams). Its NAICS code is 5132.