CELSYS
CELSYS develops Clip Studio Paint, an illustration, manga, and animation application used by 10 million+ creators globally. Headquartered in Tokyo and TSE Prime-listed, the firm also offers RETAS STUDIO for animation studios and an integrated creator ecosystem of materials and tutorials.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What CELSYS does
CELSYS is a Tokyo-headquartered, publicly traded software company (Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market, ticker 3663.T) that develops and distributes creative production tools for digital artists, illustrators, manga creators, and animation studios. Founded in May 1991 and now in its 35th year of operation, the company has built its core franchise around Clip Studio Paint — a comprehensive illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation application available in three tiers (DEBUT entry-level, PRO advanced hobbyist, EX professional commercial animation) across Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook. CELSYS also maintains RETAS STUDIO, a long-standing professional animation production suite used extensively in the Japanese animation industry, alongside legacy products such as RETAS!PRO and ComicStudio, and newer services including Clip Studio Reader (e-book) and DC3 (content distribution).
The company operates an integrated creator ecosystem anchored by Clip Studio START (a portal app with over 10 million registered members), Clip Studio ASSETS (a material distribution and marketplace platform), Clip Studio ASK (community Q&A), Clip Studio TIPS (tutorials), Clip Studio SHARE (work sharing), and Art Rocket (educational content). Distribution spans direct e-commerce via clipstudio.net and celsys.com, major app stores (iOS, Google Play, Galaxy Store), and significant OEM bundling partnerships — most notably a capital and business alliance with Wacom since April 2022, alongside Samsung Galaxy, VAIO, and other Asia-Pacific hardware partners. Global reach spans Japan, the United Kingdom (via CELSYS UK Ltd. established August 2025), Germany, France, Spain, the United States, and across the broader Asia-Pacific region.
CELSYS monetizes through monthly software subscriptions across the DEBUT, PRO, and EX tiers (with a Value Version at approximately ¥500/month), perpetual licenses with optional Update Pass, OEM bundling royalties, marketplace commissions on user-contributed assets, and enterprise volume licensing with special educational terms. Named enterprise customers include Wacom, Samsung Galaxy, VAIO Corporation, Nippon Animation, Kamikaze Douga, SIGNAL-MD, Liden Films Osaka, OLM Asia, Marza Animation Planet, Telecom Animation Film, and Studio HIBARI. Headcount stands at 51-100 employees; the user base has grown from 1 million creators in March 2015 to 10 million+ by December 2021. CELSYS completed mergers with ArtSpark Holdings in September 2022 and &DC3, Inc. in January 2025, reclassified to the TSE Prime Market in September 2024, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in May 2026.
CELSYS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CELSYS
- Legal name
- 株式会社セルシス
- Website
- https://celsys.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CELSYS develops Clip Studio Paint, an illustration, manga, and animation application used by 10 million+ creators globally. Headquartered in Tokyo and TSE Prime-listed, the firm also offers RETAS STUDIO for animation studios and an integrated creator ecosystem of materials and tutorials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CELSYS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Art and Animation Software
- NAICS
- Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rendering, Graphics & Simulation Middleware (MPAFAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Short-Form Video Creation, Editing & Templates Apps (MPACAHAE), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)
Keywords
Where CELSYS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
CELSYS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: Perpetual and subscription-based licenses for Clip Studio Paint with tiered versions (DEBUT, PRO, EX). Revenue from individual and volume purchases.
- Volume Licensing: Enterprise volume licensing program for organizations deploying Clip Studio Paint across multiple users.
- Hardware Bundling: Revenue from OEM partnerships where Clip Studio Paint is bundled with hardware from Wacom, Samsung, and other partners.
- Creative Community Services: Material marketplace through Clip Studio ASSETS where creators can post and sell materials, with platform commission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | DEBUT - Entry-level version for beginners |
| Subscription | Monthly | PRO - Mid-tier version for serious hobbyists and professionals |
| Subscription | Monthly | EX - Highest-tier version for commercial animation production |
| Subscription | Monthly | Value Version |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Perpetual License |
| Per seat | Annual | Volume License |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
CELSYS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CELSYS develops and sells Clip Studio Paint, a digital illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production application available in tiered versions (DEBUT, PRO, EX) across Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook. The company also offers the RETAS STUDIO professional animation suite, the CLIP STUDIO TABMATE peripheral, an e-book solution (Clip Studio Reader), a content distribution solution (DC3), and an ecosystem of creator community services including CLIP STUDIO START, ASSETS, ASK, TIPS, SHARE, and Art Rocket.
Product overview
CELSYS provides a comprehensive creative software ecosystem centered on Clip Studio Paint, an illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production application available in three versions (DEBUT for beginners, PRO for advanced hobbyists, and EX for professional commercial animation). The product runs on Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook. Supporting the core product is a platform of creator services including CLIP STUDIO START (a portal app with over 10 million registered members for managing and launching software), CLIP STUDIO ASSETS (material marketplace), CLIP STUDIO ASK (community Q&A), CLIP STUDIO TIPS (tutorials), CLIP STUDIO SHARE (work sharing), and Art Rocket (educational content). The company also offers RETAS STUDIO for professional animation production and DC3 for content distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clip Studio Paint: Illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production app for digital creators.
- RETAS STUDIO
- Clip Studio ASSETS
- Clip Studio TIPS
- Clip Studio ASK
- Clip Studio Share
- Clip Studio START
- DC3
- Clip Studio Reader
Products and services
- Clip Studio Paint A comprehensive illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production application available in DEBUT, PRO, and EX versions across Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook platforms, offering drawing tools, vector line support, animation timeline, 3D models, and cloud backup for individual creators and studios.
- RETAS STUDIO Professional animation production software suite developed for the Japanese animation industry, providing end-to-end animation tooling for studios.
- CLIP STUDIO START A portal app and web service connecting creators with Clip Studio Paint and various services, featuring work management, cloud backup, material downloads, and integration with other Clip Studio services for digital artists.
- CLIP STUDIO ASSETS Creative material distribution service for downloading and sharing screen tones, 3D models, brushes, and other creative assets, with platform commission on user-contributed content for Clip Studio Paint users.
- CLIP STUDIO ASK Community Q&A platform where Clip Studio Paint users share information, ask questions, and discuss topics about the application with other creators.
- CLIP STUDIO TIPS Platform for reading and publishing tutorials on using Clip Studio Paint and creative techniques, including official courses and community-contributed guides.
- CLIP STUDIO SHARE Platform for sharing creative works with other people, allowing creators to publish and discover artwork made with Clip Studio Paint.
- Art Rocket Educational platform offering thousands of tips for artists to improve skills in character art, comics, manga, and concept art, distributed via the Clip Studio Paint how-to-draw portal.
- Clip Studio Reader E-book solution launched for reading and distributing digital content, providing digital book viewing capabilities integrated with the Clip Studio ecosystem.
- DC3 Content distribution solution for distributing digital content, established via &DC3, Inc. and subsequently integrated into CELSYS.
- CLIP STUDIO TABMATE Peripheral hardware controller accessory designed to enhance the Clip Studio Paint drawing and editing experience, sold alongside the core software.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10 million+ creators worldwide using Clip Studio Paint
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CELSYS
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CELSYS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
CELSYS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wacom Co., Ltd.coreCapital and business alliance since April 2022. Clip Studio Paint bundled with Wacom pen tablets (Intuos Pro, MovinkPad) and displays (Cintiq Pro, One, Movink). Both companies collaborate on technology development and projects supporting creative communities. Joint presence at events like Connected Ink and DoKomi Germany.
- Samsung GalaxycoreClip Studio Paint for Galaxy bundled with Samsung Galaxy products and distributed worldwide through Galaxy Store.
- Art RocketminorContent partnership providing thousands of tips and tutorials for improving artistic skills across illustration, manga, character art, and concept art.
- UNICORN (廈門聯合優創網絡科技有限公司)minorJoint venture company established in China in July 2012 for regional market development and operations.
- Bookwalker TaiwanminorCelsys sponsors global illustration contest held by BOOKWALKER TAIWAN, promoting Clip Studio Paint among Asian creator communities.
- ArtSpark Holdings Inc.coreJoint holding company established with HI CORPORATION in 2012. Merged back into CELSYS in September 2022.
- &DC3, Inc.coreSubsidiary established in June 2022 for content distribution solution DC3. Merged into CELSYS in January 2025.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
CELSYS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Adobe: Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, Fresco, and After Effects compete directly with Clip Studio Paint in illustration, digital painting, and animation. Adobe Creative Cloud is the dominant incumbent in the professional creative software space that CELSYS serves.
- Procreate: Procreate is a leading digital painting app for iPad that directly competes with Clip Studio Paint for individual illustrators and hobbyists. Both products target mobile and tablet creators with subscription and one-time-purchase models.
- Corel: Corel Painter and PaintShop Pro compete with Clip Studio Paint in the digital painting and illustration segment. Corel is an established incumbent with a similar target market of professional and prosumer digital artists.
- Serif (Affinity): Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher compete with Clip Studio Paint in illustration and creative production. Affinity's one-time-purchase pricing model is a direct strategic alternative to CELSYS's subscription-based tiers.
- ibis inc. ibisPaint is a mobile-first digital painting app that competes with Clip Studio Paint for tablet and smartphone illustrators. Both target the same casual-to-prosumer creator segments with freemium subscription models.
- MediBang: MediBang Paint is a free digital painting and manga creation tool that overlaps directly with Clip Studio Paint's manga and illustration use cases. It serves similar hobbyist and prosumer creator segments globally.
- SYSTEMAX Software Development (Paint Tool SAI): Paint Tool SAI is a lightweight Japanese-developed digital painting application that competes with Clip Studio Paint in the illustration and manga space, particularly among Japanese creators.
Emerging players
- Krita Foundation: Krita is a popular open-source digital painting application that competes with Clip Studio Paint, particularly among hobbyist and indie creators. Its free positioning creates a price-anchored competitor to CELSYS's DEBUT tier.
Broad incumbents
- Autodesk: Autodesk's SketchBook and broader media & entertainment suite (Maya, 3ds Max) overlap with Clip Studio Paint's illustration and animation offerings. Autodesk is a much larger incumbent in the broader creative and animation tooling market.
- Canva: Canva's design platform now includes illustration, animation, and AI-assisted creative tools that broaden the competitive set for Clip Studio Paint, particularly for prosumer and small-business creator segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CELSYS social profiles
Digital presenceCELSYS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CELSYS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CELSYS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
CELSYS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CELSYS 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 CELSYS
What does CELSYS do?
CELSYS develops and sells Clip Studio Paint, a digital illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production application available in tiered versions (DEBUT, PRO, EX) across Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook. The company also offers the RETAS STUDIO professional animation suite, the CLIP STUDIO TABMATE peripheral, an e-book solution (Clip Studio Reader), a content distribution solution (DC3), and an ecosystem of creator community services including CLIP STUDIO START, ASSETS, ASK, TIPS, SHARE, and Art Rocket.
Is CELSYS a public or private company?
CELSYS is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was CELSYS founded?
CELSYS was founded in 1991. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CELSYS based?
CELSYS is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does CELSYS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are volume Licensing, hardware Bundling and creative Community Services.
Who are CELSYS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Adobe, Procreate, Corel, Serif (Affinity), ibis inc., MediBang and SYSTEMAX Software Development (Paint Tool SAI). Krita Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Autodesk and Canva.
Does CELSYS have an API?
No public API is recorded for CELSYS.
What industry is CELSYS in?
CELSYS's product category is Digital Art and Animation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAFAB, Rendering, Graphics & Simulation Middleware, with a secondary code of MPACAHAE, Short-Form Video Creation, Editing & Templates Apps. Its NAICS code is 51219 and its SIC code is 7812.