What Guild does

Guild (株式会社Guild) is a Tokyo-based creator agency and YouTube content production company founded in September 2019. The company operates on an agent model rather than a traditional production-house lock-in, supporting high-profile Japanese internet personalities — including YouTuber Hikaru (4M+ subscribers), singer Mafumafu, and 2channel founder Hiroyuki Nishimura — who simultaneously serve as directors and equity-aligned partners. Headquartered in a WeWork space in central Tokyo's Marunouchi district, Guild runs a four-pillar service portfolio: Contents Studio (sponsor-attached YouTube production), YouTube Support (agent-type strategic and operational creator services), IDEA GUILD (an online idea marketplace connecting external creators with YouTubers), and Creator's Desk (program production coordination).

Guild's content output spans more than ten distinct YouTube programs across genres including talk variety (WinWinWiiin), cooking competition (Uchoten Restaurant), celebrity appraisal (Hikaru Purchase Appraisal Corps), business reality (Nontitle), documentary (Mirai-e), and TV-grade drama (the September 2025 Horie vs. Fuji TV project with veteran producer Suzuki Osamu). The company has demonstrated distribution flexibility through simultaneous YouTube and TOKYO MX broadcast integration and through co-production with established TV-industry figures.

Guild monetizes through three primary streams: advertising (sponsored content and YouTube ad revenue share), professional services (agent retainers and sponsorship-deal facilitation), and licensing/royalties from creator-led ventures including the ReZARD apparel brand co-founded with Hikaru. The most concrete scale signal is "related company sales exceeding 10 billion yen (~USD 67M)" disclosed alongside the April 2022 appointment of Hikaru and Mafumafu as directors, though this figure aggregates affiliated creator businesses rather than standalone Guild revenue. Strategic partnerships include a rare comprehensive Nintendo content licensing agreement (June 2020), a co-production relationship with U-NEXT, and a September 2025 collaboration with Japan's Liberal Democratic Party for YouTube live broadcast of the party's presidential debate.

Name

Guild

Legal name

株式会社Guild

Website

https://guild.to

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tokyo-based creator agency and YouTube content production company founded in 2019, operating on an agent model supporting high-profile Japanese internet personalities including Hikaru, Mafumafu, and Hiroyuki. Produces sponsored YouTube programming, manages creator brand partnerships, and runs an online idea marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media Production

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)

Keywords

• Youtube content production
• Creator agency services
• Digital media studio
• Sponsorship acquisition
• Talent management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Content Studio Production: Guild produces high-quality YouTube content with sponsorships attached, functioning as both production company and MCN. Revenue comes from producing shows like WinWinWiiin, Hikaru Purchase Appraisal Squad, and others with commercial partnerships.
2. YouTube Agent Support: Agent services for YouTubers including business development, planning, sponsorship acquisition, and operational support. Revenue from retainer fees or transaction-based compensation for matching creators with brand deals.
3. Project Production and Distribution: Producing and distributing YouTube content projects including documentary-style programming, reality shows, and talk shows with various production teams and distribution partners.
4. Creator Brand Partnerships: Supporting creator-led ventures including apparel brands (ReZARD), merchandise, and other commercial activities with creators as shareholders/partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Guild runs a YouTube-focused content studio that produces sponsor-attached TV-quality programming (e.g., WinWinWiiin, Nontitle, Mirai-E), an agent-style YouTuber support service providing business development, strategy, and operations, an online idea-acquisition salon (IDEA GUILD) that buys creative ideas from individuals and matches them to creators, and a production coordination desk (Creator's Desk) handling show production logistics.

Product overview

Guild operates as a multi-faceted YouTube entertainment company comprising four main service areas: Contents Studio (high-quality video production with sponsors), YouTube Support (agent-type support for creators), IDEA GUILD (creative idea marketplace), and Creator's Desk (production coordination). The company has produced multiple YouTube shows including WinWinWiiin, Uchoten Restaurant, Hikaru Purchase Appraisal Corps, テレビじゃ流せない話, Mirai-e, 論破王の壁を越えろ, and 賛否両論, with Nontitle being their business reality format. Guild functions as both a content creator and talent management agency, uniquely operating as an agent model rather than traditional production company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contents Studio YouTube content production studio service that attaches sponsors to content plans and produces higher-quality videos, commercializing YouTube into TV-equivalent programming. Aimed at advertisers, sponsors, and creators seeking TV-grade production values.
• YouTube Support Agent-style support service for YouTubers going beyond basic necessities to consider channel direction and strategy, co-creating 'growing videos'. Supports both independent and production company-affiliated creators.
• IDEA GUILD Online planning salon that purchases/acquires creative ideas from individuals, connecting idea creators with YouTubers and other creators to bring unique ideas to market.
• Creator's Desk Program production desk service handling production coordination for various shows and content projects. Functions as a back-office production coordination layer supporting Guild's content lineup.
• WinWinWiiin YouTube talk variety show featuring Nakata Atsuhiko presenting guest charm points and Miyasaka Hiroyuki exploring topics in depth. Sponsored content product on Guild's YouTube distribution.
• Hikaru Purchase Appraisal Corps (ヒカル買取鑑定団) YouTube celebrity variety show where Hikaru and Miyasako Hiroyuki visit wealthy celebrities' homes to appraise and purchase luxury brand items. Sponsored entertainment content product.
• Uchoten Restaurant (有頂天レストラン) YouTube cooking battle show where top chefs compete against ambitious young chefs. Sponsored entertainment content product featuring restaurants and culinary talent.
• テレビじゃ流せない話 (Mafumafu, Hikaru, Hiroyuki Tipsy Talk) YouTube live-streamed tipsy talk variety show featuring Mafumafu, Hikaru, and Hiroyuki discussing topics too controversial for TV. Sponsored entertainment content product.
• Mirai-E (ミライエ) YouTube documentary series following aspiring entrepreneurs building future-defining companies, judged by investors after 3 months. Co-produced with U-NEXT.
• 論破王の壁を越えろ (Reiwa no Tora featuring Hiroyuki) YouTube business pitch show where entrepreneurs seek investment and advice from Hiroyuki and other investors. Sponsored entertainment content product tied to Reiwa no Tora.
• Sanpi Ryoron (賛否両論) YouTube real talk show where Hikaru, Aojiru Prince, and Yoruzawa Tsubasa discuss modern Japanese issues, with sponsor-attached production.
• Nontitle (ノンタイトル) Season H YouTube business reality show where real entrepreneurs and creators compete in business challenges, fundraising, product development, organization building, and marketing. Season H features Guild executives competing across teams.
• 20 Years After: Horie vs Fuji TV (堀江貴文VSフジテレビ 20年目の真実) YouTube drama project recreating the Horie Takafumi vs Fuji TV controversy, combining TV-quality production with YouTube-native format. Sponsored drama content product.

Quantifiable outcome

• Related company sales exceeding 100 billion yen announced upon public disclosure of board appointments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) JapanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Guild collaborated with Japan's LDP for a YouTube live broadcast of the party presidential debate. Guild director Hiroyuki (Nishimura) served as host while Guild coordinated production with Samurai Partners for the political YouTube event.
• Suzuki Osamu (Startup Factory)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2025Guild partnered with TV producer Suzuki Osamu and his Startup Factory to launch a new YouTube documentary project. The collaboration combines television-quality production standards with YouTube's digital distribution, starting with a recreation drama about the Horie vs Fuji TV controversy.
• Torisori Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2022Guild supports the Restaurant 2.0 Project, a collaboration between Miyase's Gyushijo (beef restaurant) and Torisori. Guild provides various coordination and support services for the project.
• Nakama City, Fukuoka PrefectureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2022Guild entered a city promotion partnership with Nakama City, Fukuoka Prefecture. As part of the agreement, Guild appointed Hiroyuki (Nishimura) as an advisor to the city for social media and digital promotion initiatives.
• ReZARD (Apparel Brand)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2022Guild co-founded the apparel brand ReZARD with YouTuber Hikaru. This represents a successful creator brand venture where Guild provides business support and Hikaru provides brand identity and marketing reach.
• Nintendo Co., Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2020Guild secured a comprehensive licensing agreement with Nintendo for the use of Nintendo's game intellectual property in content creation. This enables Guild-affiliated creators to create content using Nintendo game footage with monetization rights. The agreement overcame Nintendo's standard guidelines which typically exclude corporate entities from content licensing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UUUM: Japan's largest listed MCN, managing HIKAKIN and other top YouTubers with a production-company-style model. Directly comparable to Guild in the Japanese creator agency space, though UUUM uses exclusive multi-creator contracts versus Guild's agent model.
• BitStar: Tokyo-based creator management and MCN supporting Japanese YouTubers and VTubers. Comparable to Guild as a Japanese creator talent agency with production and brand-partnership services.
• VAZ: Japanese creator agency and YouTube MCN focused on teen/family creators and short-form video. Overlaps with Guild on the talent management and brand-partnership services it offers to Japanese YouTubers.
• Geelee: Japanese creator management company that supports YouTubers with business development and production. Directly comparable to Guild's YouTube Support agent service.
• Kiii: Japan-focused creator talent agency (subsidiary of Balus). Overlaps with Guild on multi-channel-network services and brand deal brokering for Japanese YouTubers.
• Samurai Partners: Japanese creative production company; director Hiroyuki Irie is Samurai's representative and a Guild director. Closely intertwined peer that co-produced the LDP debate and operates in the same political x YouTube content lane as Guild.
• ON/OFF: Japanese production company and talent agency associated with creators like Fujiwara. Comparable as a Japanese creator production house with multi-channel-network functions similar to Guild's Contents Studio.
• STARBASE: Japanese MCN managing creators like Fischer's and providing content production support. Directly comparable to Guild's MCN-style operations and creator management.
• FREE Aborn: Japanese MCN and creator production firm. Overlaps with Guild on YouTube talent representation and sponsorship facilitation for Japanese creators.

Broad incumbents

• GACKT / AVEX (artist management benchmark): Large Japanese entertainment conglomerate with deep artist management, music publishing, and YouTube creator businesses. A broad incumbent against which Guild's creator-management and music talent (Mafumafu) capabilities are benchmarked.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Guild