Othello

What Othello does

Othello Inc. (株式会社オセロ / 株式会社OTHELLO) is a Tokyo-headquartered cross-border influencer management and creative agency operating as a Multi-Channel Network (MCN). Founded in September 2016 in the Ebisu area of Shibuya ward, the company's core function is to bridge Japanese and Chinese creator economies: it provides end-to-end management for Japanese content creators seeking to expand into Chinese social media platforms, and conversely runs promotional campaigns for Chinese brands entering Japan and Japanese brands entering China. Its three primary service lines are the OTHELLO Creator Management Service (including Chinese-language training, content planning, video production, subtitle translation, event qualification, and sales channel development), Brand China/Japan Expansion Support (influencer-driven cross-border campaign planning), and Content Planning and Production (lifestyle-aligned content adaptation for both markets).

The company's underlying technology and distribution assets are built around official certified MCN partnerships with major Chinese social platforms — Weibo (微博), Bilibili, RED / Xiaohongshu, Douyin, QQ Music, and NetEase Cloud Music — plus Western platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok). Othello is the only Japanese MCN to have won Weibo's 'Most Influential Overseas MCN TOP10' award three consecutive times, a credential that functions as a primary trust signal for inbound creator and brand demand. The company operates a bilingual Japanese and Chinese website with a consultation-based contact form.

Othello is a privately held Japanese kabushiki kaisha with three disclosed shareholders: Allied Architects Inc. (アライドアーキテクツ株式会社), a Japanese social media marketing firm as majority/strategic investor; INMYSHOW USA, INC., providing US-market expertise; and Yoshida Masaki Office (株式会社吉田正樹事務所), an entertainment-industry individual investor. Revenue is generated through managed services (creator management fees and brand campaign project work) under non-publicly-disclosed, consultation-based pricing. No external venture funding rounds, headcount figures, or revenue disclosures are publicly available.

Name

Othello

Legal name

株式会社OTHELLO

Website

https://othellooo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Othello is a Tokyo-based cross-border MCN that manages Japanese content creators expanding into Chinese social media platforms and runs influencer-driven brand campaigns for companies entering the Japan or China markets, leveraging certified partnerships with Weibo, Bilibili, RED, and Douyin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Influencer Management and Talent Agency Services: Full-service management for Japanese creators expanding into China, including Chinese language learning support, planning, content production, advertising partnerships with Chinese companies, and monetization through sales channels. Services for Japanese/Chinese influencers including casting, cultivation, and management for cross-border promotional campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Othello is a Japan-based MCN (Multi-Channel Network) and creative agency that provides comprehensive management and promotional support for Japanese content creators expanding into Chinese social media platforms. It also supports Japanese and Chinese brands entering each other's markets by planning and executing trend-aligned influencer-driven campaigns. Core offerings include Chinese language training, video and content production, subtitle translation, event qualification support, advertising partnership brokering, and sales channel development across Chinese platforms such as Weibo, bilibili, RED, Douyin, QQ Music, and NetEase Cloud Music.

Product overview

OTHELLO is an MCN (Multi-Channel Network) company that bridges Japanese and Chinese creator economies. The company operates three interconnected service pillars: (1) Creator Management Service for Japanese content creators expanding to Chinese social media platforms, (2) Brand Expansion Support for Japanese/Chinese brands entering each other's markets, and (3) Content Planning and Production that creates and adapts lifestyle content for cross-border audiences. As an official certified partner of major Chinese platforms including Weibo, bilibili, RED (Xiaohongshu), Douyin, and NetEase, Othello provides comprehensive creator economy management including Chinese language training, video production, subtitle translation, and sales channel development. The company leverages its deep cultural understanding of both markets to maximize creator potential and deliver trend-setting content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OTHELLO Creator Management Service Comprehensive management and economic support service for Japanese content creators seeking to expand into Chinese social media markets. Includes Chinese language training, content planning, video production, photo shoots, subtitle translation, event qualification, advertising partnership introductions, and sales channel development in China. Targeted at Japanese social media influencers and creators.
• Brand China/Japan Expansion Support Promotion support service for Japanese and Chinese brands seeking to enter each other's markets. Uses influential creators in Japan and China to plan and deliver trend-aligned content and promotional campaigns across social media platforms. Targeted at corporate marketing and brand teams.
• Content Planning and Production Creates and edits content tailored to lifestyle preferences of audiences in Japan and China. Produces promotional content that drives sales while respecting creator style and audience sentiment, adapting materials for cross-border audiences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Weibo (微博)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial certified MCN partner. Othello is recognized as Weibo-certified MCN and the only Japanese company to win 'Most Influential Overseas MCN TOP10' three consecutive times.
• BilibilicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial platform partnership for video content distribution and creator support services.
• RED (小红书)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial platform partnership for lifestyle and e-commerce content creator support.
• Douyin (抖音)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial platform partnership for short-video content creator support and promotion.
• QQ Music (QQ音乐)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform partnership for music-related content and creator support services.
• NetEase Cloud Music (网易云)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform partnership for music streaming content and creator support services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UUUM Inc. Tokyo-headquartered MCN managing a large Japanese creator roster (e.g., HIKAKIN) and operating multi-channel YouTube and broader video influencer businesses. Most directly comparable Japanese MCN counterpart to Othello, though UUUM's creator base is primarily domestic while Othello specializes in cross-border Japan-China.
• VAZ Inc. Japanese influencer marketing agency and MCN providing creator management, brand campaigns, and cross-platform distribution (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram). Comparable to Othello in operating model (talent management + brand matchmaking) and Japanese domicile; differs in geographic focus (primarily domestic Japan vs. Othello's Japan-China corridor).
• BitStar Inc. Tokyo-based MCN offering end-to-end creator services including content production, talent management, and brand collaboration across Japanese and Asian markets. Directly comparable in service architecture (creator + brand + production) and target geographies overlapping with Othello's Japan-China corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Dentsu Inc. Japan's largest advertising agency group with extensive global operations including mainland China via Dentsu China. Competes with Othello for Japan-China brand budgets at the top end of the market; structurally different as a full-service holding-company network rather than an MCN-led niche operator.
• Allied Architects Inc. Majority shareholder of Othello and Japanese social media / influencer marketing firm operating the broader Allied group of companies. Comparable as a Japanese creator-economy operator with overlapping service lines and overlapping client roster, though typically serving larger domestic brand accounts rather than Othello's cross-border niche.
• Hakuhodo Inc. Japan's second-largest advertising agency offering full-service creative, media, and content production including influencer marketing through dedicated units. Comparable in providing brand-side cross-border China campaigns (e.g., via Hakuhodo DY Holdings' Chinese network); differs as a broad incumbent with advertising as one of many lines rather than Othello's MCN-native model.

Regional players

• INMYSHOW USA, Inc. Disclosed shareholder of Othello and a cross-border content / influencer marketing firm specializing in connecting Chinese brands and creators with US and Western markets. Comparable operating model (cross-border creator economy management), differing geography (China ↔ US versus Othello's Japan ↔ China).
• AnyMind Group: Singapore-headquartered influencer marketing, e-commerce, and digital marketing platform operating across 13 Asian markets including Japan and mainland China. Comparable as an Asia-wide creator-economy operator competing for the same Japan-China cross-border brand budgets Othello targets, though with a broader pan-Asia footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/othello_oo

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 Othello