HA-LU

What HA-LU does

HA-LU (株式会社HA-LU) is a privately held Japanese short drama production company founded in 2024 and headquartered in Tokyo, operating with a small team of 1-10 employees. The company produces vertical-format short dramas with romantic storylines, casting established K-POP and Asian entertainment talent such as Cha Jun-ho and Ren Komai, with its debut title 'I Became My Favorite Housemaid' reaching top popularity on the global distribution platform Kanta within its first week of release.

The company's core technology and product is the production of vertical short drama content, led by a popular influencer and distributed globally through the Kanta platform. HA-LU's business model is content licensing to distribution platforms (licensing/royalties stream), with Kanta functioning as both the primary channel partner and effectively the sole named customer in the public record. Marketing is conducted primarily through the Kanta platform itself and influencer-led promotion.

HA-LU secured two funding rounds in 2024 — an angel round in August from Mr. Osamu Suzuki and Mr. Kataishi of yutori, followed by a subsequent round in October from Boost Capital, CyberAgent Capital, and Startup Factory. The company is positioned within a global short drama market that third-party research projects could reach 8.7 trillion yen by 2029, and it explicitly targets global audiences with K-POP idol entertainment content.

Name

HA-LU

Legal name

株式会社HA-LU

Website

https://ha-lu.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HA-LU is a Tokyo-based short drama production company founded in 2024 that produces vertical-format romantic dramas featuring K-POP idol talent and licenses them to the global Kanta distribution platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Drama Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

IRL & Lifestyle Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Theater, Comedy & Performing Arts (Digital Performances) (MPAGAOAF)

Keywords

• Short drama production
• Vertical video content
• K-POP entertainment content
• Influencer-led content production
• Digital drama licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing to Platforms: HA-LU produces short dramas and licenses/distributes content through global platforms such as Kanta. Revenue is generated from content licensing deals with distribution platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

HA-LU is a Tokyo-based short drama production company that produces vertical short-form drama content featuring K-POP idols and romantic storylines. The company licenses and distributes its productions through global short drama platforms such as Kanta, targeting international audiences interested in K-POP and Asian entertainment content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• I Became My Favorite Housemaid Vertical short drama featuring K-POP idols Cha Jun-ho and Ren Komai in a romantic story about a K-POP idol and a secret maid, produced for global audiences and distributed through the Kanta platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved top position in popularity within first week on Kanta platform

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KantacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 February 2026Kanta is the global short drama platform where HA-LU distributes its content. HA-LU produced and released 'I Became My Favorite Housemaid' on Kanta, achieving top popularity within the first week. Kanta serves as the primary distribution channel for HA-LU's productions globally.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CJ ENM: Korean entertainment conglomerate producing and distributing scripted drama, film, and K-content globally (including via Studio Dragon and tvN). Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Asian content production and global distribution space that HA-LU competes against for K-POP/K-drama audience attention.
• Studio Dragon: Major Korean drama production studio (subsidiary of CJ ENM) producing premium scripted content for global streaming platforms. Comparable as a regional drama production incumbent serving global K-content demand, though operating at longer-format scale.
• Kakao Entertainment: Major Korean digital entertainment platform producing and distributing webtoons, web novels, and K-drama content globally. Comparable as an incumbent player in the broader Asian short-form and serialized content ecosystem relevant to HA-LU's K-content positioning.
• Netflix Asia Content: Global streaming incumbent investing in Asian-language scripted content including K-drama and short-form originals. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Asian/global premium content distribution market where HA-LU's short dramas compete for viewer attention and licensing budgets.

Direct peers

• Crazy Maple Studio: Operator of ReelShort, DramaBox, ShortMax, and GoodShort — leading vertical short drama production and distribution platforms globally. Directly comparable to HA-LU in content format (vertical short dramas), business model (platform-driven distribution), and target audience (mobile-first drama consumers).
• GoodShort: Vertical short drama platform with a focus on translated and localized short-form drama content across global markets. Comparable to HA-LU in production format and global licensing/distribution approach.
• DramaBox: Standalone vertical short drama app (now under Crazy Maple Studio's portfolio) producing and licensing serialized short-form drama globally. Directly comparable in format, monetization model, and content licensing approach.
• FlexTV: ByteDance-backed vertical short drama platform producing and distributing serialized short-form drama content globally. Closely comparable to HA-LU in content format, mobile-first distribution model, and global audience targeting.
• Kuku TV: Tencent-backed short drama platform focused on serialized vertical drama content in Asian and global markets. Directly comparable to HA-LU as a short-drama production/distribution peer with a strong Asian content focus.
• 点众科技 (Dianzhong Tech): Leading Chinese short drama production and distribution company with a large content library and global distribution footprint. Directly comparable to HA-LU as a short-drama production studio focused on serial vertical content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ha-lu-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HA-LU