What Circus does

Circus Inc. (株式会社サーカス) is a privately held Japanese creative production company founded on April 1, 1990 and headquartered in Osaka. The firm operates as a full-service creative agency offering integrated web design and coding (responsive websites, WordPress, landing pages, large-volume HTML projects), graphic design and print production (brochures, catalogs, flyers, logos, posters, exhibition materials), and a growing portfolio of digital business efficiency tools. Customers range from listed corporations to individual shops across Japan, with primary segments including SMEs/mid-market businesses, multi-location retailers and franchise operators, and Japanese firms pursuing digital transformation and AI integration.

The company's technology stack is built on industry-standard tools (WordPress, HTML Living Standard, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Adobe XD/Illustrator/Photoshop) and integrates generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini) for both internal productivity and client-facing services. Notable proprietary offerings include SocialSync (SNS-to-website auto-posting), LLM-Responsive SEO with AI Auto SEO (automated on-page SEO and AI-search visibility), a multi-site unified CMS for franchise operators, an RPA tool (RoboPat DX), a generative-AI chatbot with 20,000+ installations, internet FAX cloudification, HTML bulk email delivery, digital catalog conversion, and a web accessibility compliance tool aligned with the April 2024 reasonable accommodation mandate. No proprietary AI models or patented technology platforms are disclosed.

Circus generates revenue through a mix of one-time project fees (websites from ¥255,000, brochures from ¥118,000, logos from ¥25,000), recurring SaaS subscriptions and tool resale (chatbot from ¥1,500/month, internet FAX at ¥30,000/month, mass email from ¥4,000/month), and performance-based ad management (15–25% of media spend or ¥2,000–¥10,000 per lead) plus EC search suggest optimization on a no-display-no-fee basis. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct outreach, website inquiry/estimate forms, online consultation booking, and content marketing; services are delivered nationwide via email (24/7/365) with no channel partners. The firm operates with approximately 10 employees including part-time and overseas staff and disclosed registered capital of ¥32,000,000.

Name

Circus

Legal name

株式会社サーカス (CIRCUS Inc.)

Website

https://circus.ac

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Circus is a Japanese creative production agency founded in 1990, offering integrated web design, graphic design, and a portfolio of digital business efficiency tools (chatbots, RPA, AI SEO, internet FAX) to SMEs and mid-market businesses across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative & Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (54181), Graphic Design Services (541430), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Other Services Related to Advertising (54189)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Merchandising Execution & Field Marketing Services (CRAOAOAB), Event Production & Technical Services (AV, Lighting, Staging) (BPAFAGAB)

Keywords

• Web design services
• Graphic design services
• Digital marketing agency
• Business efficiency tools
• Creative production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

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

Revenue model

1. Web Design & Coding Services: One-time project fees for responsive website design, HTML/CSS/JavaScript/PHP coding, WordPress installation and setup, landing pages, and large-scale HTML coding for high-volume page projects. Revenue is recognized upon project completion and delivery.
2. Graphic Design & Print Production: One-time fees for corporate brochures, catalogs, leaflets, posters, DM materials, labels/stickers, logos, illustrations, and exhibition/booth promotional materials. Includes offset printing and finishing services.
3. Business Efficiency Tools (SaaS/Tool Resale): Monthly or annual subscription fees for business improvement tools including chatbot systems, RPA automation software (RoboPat DX), internet FAX, HTML email mass delivery, digital catalog/ebook platforms, and web accessibility tools. Circus resells or implements these third-party tools for clients.
4. Web Advertising & Sponsorship Suggestion Services: Creative production and campaign management fees for META (Facebook/Instagram), Google, and LINE advertising. Sponsorship suggestion services are priced on a performance-reward basis for EC mall search suggestion improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Circus Inc. is a full-service creative production company providing web design, HTML/CSS/JavaScript/PHP coding, DTP/print design (brochures, catalogs, logos, flyers), and web advertising (META, Google, LINE). The company also distributes business efficiency SaaS tools including AI chatbot, RPA automation, Internet FAX, HTML email marketing, digital catalogs, web accessibility, multi-site CMS, and AI/LLM-responsive SEO. Services target Japanese SMBs and mid-market companies nationwide, delivered as one-stop solutions combining planning, design, coding, printing, and digital deployment.

Product overview

Circus (株式会社サーカス) is a comprehensive digital marketing and design agency founded in 1990 in Osaka, Japan, offering a portfolio of integrated web and print design services combined with digital business efficiency tools. The core product portfolio includes SocialSync Solution for automatic SNS-to-website content syndication, LLM SEO/AI Auto SEO for AI-powered search optimization, RPA automation via ロボパットDX, chatbot systems with generative AI, digital catalog conversion, Internet FAX cloudification, HTML email bulk sending, web accessibility tools, and multi-site CMS management. These tools are complemented by traditional services including web design/coding, responsive development, and graphic design (catalogs, brochures, logos, promotional materials). The company positions itself at the intersection of traditional advertising expertise and modern AI/digital transformation services, serving businesses from sole proprietors to franchises across Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Chatbot deployment increases inquiry volume by 130–400%
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability16 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FreakOut Holdings, Inc. Japanese programmatic-advertising and digital marketing technology company providing DSP, AI-driven ad targeting, and creative services — comparable in the AI/marketing-automation intersection that Circus is moving into with AI Auto-SEO and RPA offerings.
• transcosmos Inc. Major Japanese digital marketing, contact-center, and BPO services provider serving SMB and enterprise clients with digital advertising, web/DM production, and business-process outsourcing — directly comparable to Circus's full-service creative + BPO-adjacent positioning, but at vastly larger scale.
• Basic Inc. Japanese marketing-tech company operating marketing-automation tools, content platforms, and lead-generation services — close peer in combining proprietary marketing SaaS with agency-style implementation services for Japanese SMBs.
• BrainPad Inc. Japanese data-analytics and AI-driven digital-marketing services company offering marketing analytics, AI solutions, and consulting — analogous in providing AI/SEO-adjacent premium services to Japanese enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Septeni Holdings / digital holdings: Pure-play Japanese digital advertising agency group (Septeni, D.A.コンソーシアム, etc.) offering digital ad buying, creative, and marketing automation — directly comparable as a Japanese-focused digital marketing agency targeting brand-direct and performance clients.
• GMO AD Partners Inc. Japanese digital advertising and affiliate-marketing business within the GMO Internet group; operates SEO, performance marketing, and digital creative services — comparable in serving Japan-domiciled SMB advertisers with digital-led acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• Macromill, Inc. Japanese digital marketing research and platform company providing online research, AI-driven consumer insight, and digital marketing services — adjacent peer in providing Japanese-market digital marketing, analytics, and AI-enabled services to brand advertisers.
• Hakuhodo Inc. Japan's second-largest advertising agency; offers full-spectrum marketing, digital, creative, and media services including web design and SEO — broad incumbent against which Circus competes for SMB and mid-market Japanese brand-direct clients.
• Dentsu Inc. Largest Japanese advertising agency and global marketing-services group; provides integrated advertising, digital transformation, and customer-experience services at scale — broad incumbent defining the ceiling for Circus's competitive set.
• Digital Garage, Inc. Japanese digital-marketing, fintech, and technology-investment conglomerate operating digital advertising, payments, and content services — comparable as a diversified Japanese digital-services firm expanding into AI and marketing-tool adjacencies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circus-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Circus