Kibidango
Kibidango is a Japan-based reward-based crowdfunding platform that connects Japanese and overseas product creators with Japanese backers, charging a commission on successfully funded campaigns and operating a post-campaign e-commerce sub-brand called Kibidango Store. Founded in 2013 and self-reported as Japan's largest crowdfunding platform by success rate at ~80%, it serves entrepreneurial creators and early-adopter Japanese consumers across hardware, consumer AI, and lifestyle categories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersKami-ochiai, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kibidango does
Kibidango Inc. is a Japan-based, reward-based crowdfunding intermediary that connects Japanese and overseas product creators with Japanese backers. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Kami-ochiai, the company operates the kibidango.com platform — self-reported as Japan's largest domestic crowdfunding service by success rate at approximately 80% — where creators set funding goals and offer reward tiers, and successful campaigns trigger a platform commission. The core technology is a crowdfunding marketplace infrastructure with project pages, payment processing, and backer community tooling, supplemented by a Shopify-based e-commerce sub-brand called Kibidango Store for post-campaign sales of successful products (e.g., Stickybones, Cluebox, Noise Master Buds).
Its revenue model is a marketplace commission on successfully funded projects, with no disclosed take rate. Backers can pay via credit card, Paidy (post-pay via convenience store / bank ATM), or Rakuten PAY (points-enabled). The customer base spans two segments — Japanese product creators (entrepreneurs, inventors, SMBs such as WANO-SEIMITSU, Funtabase, MetMo, Yorisuguri) seeking non-dilutive financing and market validation, and Japanese consumers seeking early access to innovative domestic products. Notable hosted projects include ViXion01 (~¥425M), X68000 Z (~¥354M), X68000Z2 (~¥344M), the WAINLUX K6 laser engraver (~¥144M), and more recent AI/smart-hardware campaigns such as Luna Ring 2, NextSense Smartbuds, and Night Storm X3.
The company has 11-50 employees, no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, no acquisitions, and no disclosed funding rounds. It conducts go-to-market through multi-channel organic social (X, Facebook, Instagram, LINE), a content/news property (Kibidango News / かわら版), a note blog, and a dedicated recruitment page — all emphasizing the platform's success-rate positioning rather than paid acquisition. The company operates exclusively in Japan with no disclosed international expansion beyond an overseas product-sourcing unit called Kibitan.
Kibidango firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kibidango
- Legal name
- Kibidango Inc.
- Website
- https://kibidango.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kibidango is a Japan-based reward-based crowdfunding platform that connects Japanese and overseas product creators with Japanese backers, charging a commission on successfully funded campaigns and operating a post-campaign e-commerce sub-brand called Kibidango Store. Founded in 2013 and self-reported as Japan's largest crowdfunding platform by success rate at ~80%, it serves entrepreneurial creators and early-adopter Japanese consumers across hardware, consumer AI, and lifestyle categories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kibidango industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Crowdfunding Platform
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based) (MPACAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Kibidango is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kami-ochiai
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Kibidango business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crowdfunding Commission: Platform takes a commission from successfully funded projects. Project creators set funding goals and offer rewards/perks to backers. When projects reach their target, the platform processes payments and takes a platform fee.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Kibidango product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kibidango is a Japan-based reward-based crowdfunding platform that enables project creators (entrepreneurs, inventors, and small businesses) to launch funding campaigns and offer reward tiers to consumer backers. The platform provides campaign infrastructure (funding target setting, reward tier management, payment processing, and supporter communication) and takes a commission on successfully funded projects. Successful projects can continue selling through the Kibidango Store e-commerce storefront.
Product overview
Kibidango operates as Japan's largest domestic crowdfunding platform with approximately 80% success rate, serving as an intermediary connecting project creators with backers to fund product development and manufacturing. The platform also hosts a Kibidango Store for successful products and includes a 'Project Seeds' category for pre-launch concepts. The portfolio includes diverse products across categories: smart wellness devices (Luna Ring 2 AI smart ring, NextSense Smartbuds EEG earphones), outdoor/safety equipment (Night Storm X3 night vision scope), kitchenware (Cuire.pro charcoal grill system), automotive care products (Carbon Eraser, Clay Eraser), precision tools (MetMo Pocket Grip multi-tool), personal electronics (Mag Plate 5 ultra-thin battery), and personal care devices (ThermoScratch thermal sensation device).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kibidango Store: An e-commerce storefront selling successfully crowdfunded products, featuring items like Stickybones, Cluebox, Houdini puzzle box, and Noise Master Buds.
Products and services
- Kibidango Crowdfunding Platform Japan's largest domestic reward-based crowdfunding platform (self-reported ~80% success rate), enabling Japanese creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to launch funding campaigns with reward tiers, supported by integrated payment processing, project management tools, and backer community engagement.
- Kibidango Store Shopify-based e-commerce sub-brand storefront that retails products after their crowdfunding campaign window closes, extending the sales life of successfully crowdfunded items from the Kibidango platform.
Companies that use Kibidango
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kibidango technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Kibidango partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and supporting.
- ZuikiminorJapanese brand Zuiki launched their Vividnode Mobile AI mini PC through Kibidango's crowdfunding platform. Kibidango serves as the exclusive crowdfunding distribution channel for this product.
- PaidysupportingPaidy is integrated as a payment option for Kibidango, enabling users to pay via convenience store or bank ATM transfers (post-pay). This payment method allows supporters to make pledges without immediate credit card charges until project success.
- RakutensupportingRakuten PAY is available as a payment method on the platform, allowing Rakuten users to easily support projects using their existing Rakuten account and points.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kibidango competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Makuake: Makuake is Japan's leading reward-based crowdfunding platform, operated by Makuake Inc. (a Digital Holdings group company). It is the most direct competitor to Kibidango, serving Japanese creators and consumers with a similar commission-based marketplace model.
- CAMPFIRE: CAMPFIRE is one of Japan's largest crowdfunding platforms, hosting reward-based, donation, and equity crowdfunding campaigns. It competes head-to-head with Kibidango for Japanese creators and offers overlapping category coverage.
- Readyfor: Readyfor is a Japan-focused crowdfunding platform strong in donation and pre-purchase models for civic, social, and product projects. It competes with Kibidango for Japanese creators seeking community-driven funding.
- GreenFunding: GreenFunding, operated by JTB Group-affiliated companies, is a Japanese reward-based crowdfunding platform that competes with Kibidango, particularly for travel, lifestyle, and consumer product campaigns.
Regional players
- Kickstarter: Kickstarter is the global leader in reward-based crowdfunding. While primarily serving US/EU creators, it also attracts Japanese creators and competes with Kibidango for international brand campaigns seeking Japanese backer reach.
- Indiegogo: Indiegogo is a global reward-based crowdfunding platform with a strong tech and hardware creator base. It competes with Kibidango for the same category of innovative hardware creators (smart rings, audio devices, optics) seeking Asian backer demand.
- Zeczec: Zeczec (嘖嘖) is Taiwan's leading reward-based crowdfunding platform, comparable in model and category mix to Kibidango. Useful as a regional benchmark for APAC crowdfunding platform economics outside Japan.
- Wadiz: Wadiz is South Korea's leading reward-based crowdfunding platform with a comparable creator and consumer profile to Kibidango. It serves as a regional peer for benchmarking APAC crowdfunding monetization and category mix.
Broad incumbents
- Xiaomi Youpin: Xiaomi Youpin is Xiaomi's curated crowdfunding and retail platform for Xiaomi-ecosystem hardware. While not a pure crowdfunding marketplace, it overlaps with Kibidango's hosted-product model for innovative consumer tech in APAC.
- Taobao Crowdfunding: Taobao Crowdfunding is Alibaba's reward-based crowdfunding arm embedded in Taobao. As a broad incumbent with massive Chinese traffic, it represents the scaled-platform benchmark that Kibidango's hosted-product marketplace competes against for innovative Asian hardware brands.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kibidango social profiles
Digital presenceKibidango financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kibidango leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kibidango funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kibidango 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 Kibidango
What does Kibidango do?
Kibidango is a Japan-based reward-based crowdfunding platform that enables project creators (entrepreneurs, inventors, and small businesses) to launch funding campaigns and offer reward tiers to consumer backers. The platform provides campaign infrastructure (funding target setting, reward tier management, payment processing, and supporter communication) and takes a commission on successfully funded projects. Successful projects can continue selling through the Kibidango Store e-commerce storefront.
Is Kibidango a public or private company?
Kibidango is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kibidango founded?
Kibidango was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kibidango based?
Kibidango is headquartered in Kami-ochiai, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Kibidango make money?
One revenue line is on record: crowdfunding Commission.
Who are Kibidango's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Makuake, CAMPFIRE, Readyfor and GreenFunding. Regional players are Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Zeczec and Wadiz. Broad incumbents are Xiaomi Youpin and Taobao Crowdfunding.
Does Kibidango have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kibidango.
What industry is Kibidango in?
Kibidango's product category is Crowdfunding Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAFAJ, Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based). Its SIC code is 7372.