What Wave does

WAVE (株式会社ウエーブ) is a privately held Japanese online printing e-commerce company founded in 2000 in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture, and claims to be Japan's first internet-based print mail-order platform. The company operates a comprehensive direct-to-consumer web storefront (wave-inc.co.jp) selling customized printed products — flyers, business cards, postcards, posters, pamphlets, saddle-stitched and perfect-bound booklets, packaging, envelopes, tickets, panels, stickers, calendars, doujinshi, and ECO promotional items — to a horizontal customer mix led by small and medium-sized businesses, with additional reach into individual consumers, large enterprises, the doujinshi/anime community, and marketing/promotional buyers. As of mid-2025 the platform reports more than 230,000 registered users, supported by HQ/in-house production in Shiga plus enterprise-only sales offices in Tokyo and Osaka (the latter opened June 18, 2025).

The underlying production platform combines offset printing — including proprietary hybrid screening and high-definition (高精細) techniques — with on-demand digital printing, with in-house finishing and bag-making capabilities enabling integrated envelope production. Pricing is unit-based with steep volume discounts (e.g., flyers at ¥2.12/unit at 10,000 quantity, envelopes from ¥35,838 for 500 sheets at 5-day delivery) and tiered turnaround speeds; faster delivery commands roughly a 40% premium. The business also operates a wholly-owned subsidiary focused on FA (Factory Automation) machine development and sales (robo.wave-inc.co.jp), diversifying into adjacent industrial automation.

WAVE generates revenue primarily through one-time print product sales, supplemented by professional design services (Design Assist, Full Design, Data Correction) and add-on finishing/processing options (foil stamping, embossing, perforation, variable data, etc.). GTM is digital-first and self-serve, augmented by SEO-optimized product pages, organic social channels (Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube), and email/newsletter promotions tied to first-order coupons and seasonal campaigns. The company holds ISO 27001, Japan Color, Crion Mark Gold Plus, Vegetable Oil Ink, BCP, and SDG-related certifications. Ownership is privately held and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or controlling shareholders.

Name

Wave

Legal name

株式会社ウエーブ

Website

https://wave-inc.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WAVE is a privately held Japanese online print e-commerce platform, founded in 2000, that sells customized flyers, business cards, booklets, packaging, envelopes, and doujinshi to SMBs, individuals, enterprises, and the anime/convention community via in-house offset and digital printing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Printing (32311), Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Book Printing (2732), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Personalized & Customized Book Print-on-Demand (Variable Data, One-to-One) (MPAJANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss) (MPAJALAF), Large-Format & Specialty Printing (Signage, Posters, Displays) (MPAJALAD), Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH), Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

Keywords

• Online print services
• Commercial printing
• Business card printing
• Offset printing
• Print-on-demand

Headquarters

HQ city

Moriyama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Product Sales: One-time transaction model for customized printed materials including business cards, flyers, posters, brochures, envelopes, packaging, promotional items, and more. Revenue is generated per order based on quantity, paper type, print specifications, and delivery speed selected. Volume discounts apply for larger quantities.
2. Design Services: Supplementary design assistance including Design Assist (hand-drawn rough to professional design), Full Design (planning through production), and Data Correction services. These professional services complement the core print products and help customers who lack in-house design capabilities.
3. Processing Options and Add-ons: Additional revenue from folding, cutting, foil stamping, embossing, lamination, variable data printing, addressing services, and other finishing options that customers can add to their print orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wave operates a comprehensive online print-on-demand platform offering offset, on-demand, and digital printing services for individuals and businesses. The portfolio centers on flyers, business cards, postcards, posters, pamphlets, booklets (saddle-stitch, perfect binding, scrum binding), packaging, envelopes, tickets, panels, stickers, thick paper cards, die-cut cards, calendars, ECO fans, art paper prints, chopstick bags, custom tape, and CD/DVD jackets, with in-house production for quality control and rapid turnaround.

Product overview

Wave operates a comprehensive online print-on-demand platform offering offset, on-demand, and digital printing services for individuals and businesses. The product portfolio centers on core printing categories including flyers, business cards, postcards, posters, pamphlets, and booklets (saddle stitch, perfect binding, and scrum binding). Specialized products include packaging boxes (caramel, pillow, N-style), envelopes, tickets, panels, stickers, thick paper cards, die-cut cards, calendars, ECO fans, art paper prints, chopstick bags, custom tape, and CD/DVD jackets. The company serves the doujinshi/indie publishing market with dedicated printing services. Print technologies offered include high-precision offset printing with hybrid screening, on-demand digital printing, and digital printing for perfect-bound booklets. Complementary services include finishing options (folding, perforation, foil stamping, embossing, lamination), variable data printing (address, serial numbers, barcodes), and design services (Design Assist, Full Design, and Data Correction). The platform targets B2C and B2B customers with volume pricing tiers and multiple turnaround speed options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flyer Printing (チラシ/フライヤー印刷)

Quantifiable outcome

• 230,000+ registered users selecting Wave for printing needs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vistaprint (Cimpress): Vistaprint, the consumer/SMB brand of Cimpress plc, is the global benchmark for online commercial printing e-commerce — offering business cards, flyers, signage, packaging, and promo products through a self-serve web platform. Wave operates the same fundamental business model at a smaller, Japan-only scale.
• Raksul: Raksul is a publicly listed Japanese online commercial printing platform offering flyers, business cards, books, and broader printing via an e-commerce interface with in-house and partner production. It is the closest direct competitor to Wave, serving the same SMB/enterprise customer base in Japan with a near-identical product catalog.
• Printpac: Printpac is a Japanese online print-on-demand e-commerce site offering business cards, flyers, posters, books, and packaging. It competes head-to-head with Wave on the same horizontal Japanese SMB print market with similar pricing tiers and product breadth.
• MOO: MOO is a UK/US-headquartered premium online printing brand specializing in business cards, marketing collateral, and customized print products via e-commerce. It mirrors Wave's direct-to-consumer/SMB online print model with emphasis on quality, customization, and design-led offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Dai Nippon Printing (DNP): Dai Nippon Printing is a major Japanese printing conglomerate operating across commercial printing, packaging, decorative materials, and electronics. It is a broad incumbent whose scale, customer relationships, and R&D investment form the strategic backdrop against which smaller online printers like Wave compete.
• Toppan Holdings: Toppan is one of Japan's largest diversified printing conglomerates with broad capabilities across commercial printing, packaging, security printing, and digital interfaces. While much larger than Wave, Toppan competes in adjacent Japanese print and packaging segments and represents the broad-incumbent pressure on specialist online printers.
• Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a US-based online photo and personalized print platform offering cards, photo books, gifts, and marketing materials via e-commerce. It shares Wave's online direct-to-consumer/SMB print model and seasonal promotional cadence, though it skews more consumer-photo and less commercial-business print.
• Nippon Printing Company: Nippon Printing is one of Japan's oldest and largest printing companies with a portfolio spanning commercial printing, packaging, interior decor, and information communication. It overlaps with Wave on commercial printing and packaging but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a specialist online platform.

Emerging players

• Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand e-commerce platform focused on apparel, accessories, and customized merchandise for creators and SMBs. While its product mix skews toward apparel rather than paper-based print like Wave's, it shares the same horizontal online print-on-demand DNA and competes for the same creator/SMB wallet.
• Mixam: Mixam is an online print-on-demand platform specializing in books, booklets, magazines, brochures, and similar bound printed products with global delivery. It is comparable to Wave's doujinshi/booklet services and competes for self-publishers and small publishers needing short-run bound printing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wave_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Wave-incCoJp
• Facebookfacebook.com/WAVE.inc.co.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/wave_print_inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wave