Whatever

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.

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

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

• Creative agency services
• Brand advertising campaigns
• Augmented reality applications
• Experiential design installations
• Film and content production

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core 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

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• dwarf studios (AOI Pro. Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026dwarf 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.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026TECARAT 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026HIDARI 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 AnimationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026The 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 ReevescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Keanu 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.
• CrunchyrollcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Crunchyroll, 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 CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2025Kao 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.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025Material 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.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2025studio ALBLE inc. led influencer marketing for Silent Cleaning, coordinating with mega-influencers to drive organic streaming and social media reach.
• Steam / ValveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 August 2025Steam (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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Miraikan 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/whtevr_co
• Facebookfacebook.com/whatever.inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/whatever_tokyo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Whatever