Magus

What Magus does

MAGUS Co., Ltd. (株式会社MAGUS / マグアス) is a Tokyo-based private media and solutions company founded on March 8, 2021, that operates a dual business combining Japan's only international-standard art media platform with B2B art consulting services for corporations. Its core products are ARTnews JAPAN, the licensed Japanese edition of the 1902-founded US art media brand operated under agreement with Penske Media Corporation, and a B2B Art Solutions practice that delivers international brand strategy, VIP client events, office art installations, and art-business development consulting to enterprise clients including Audi Japan, Kokuyo, and Mynavi Corporation. The company also runs MAGUS Art School, an online-centric education offering distributed through third-party platforms Peatix and ArtSticker plus Bunkamura physical ticket sales.

The platform architecture is editorial and service-driven rather than technology-driven: no proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capability is disclosed. MAGUS monetizes through three distinct revenue streams — project-based professional services fees from corporate art solutions clients, advertising and partnership revenue from the ARTnews JAPAN online media platform (free membership with premium content), and transaction-fee revenue from ticket sales for art appreciation, art-as-business, and lifestyle courses. B2B pricing is not publicly disclosed; consumer course pricing is set per session on third-party platforms.

MAGUS is backed by a syndicate of five major Japanese strategic investors — Terada Warehouse (logistics/art preservation), Mitsubishi Estate (real estate), Daimaru Matsuzakiya Department Store, TSI Holdings (fashion), and Tokyu Corporation (entertainment) — whose diverse industry positions provide cross-sector distribution and venue access that materially extend the company's reach beyond its small headcount. The company operates exclusively within the Kanto Region of Japan and has no disclosed international expansion, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Magus

Legal name

株式会社MAGUS

Website

https://magus-corp.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

MAGUS (株式会社マグアス) is a Tokyo-based private company founded in 2021 that operates ARTnews JAPAN, Japan's only international-standard art media platform, alongside B2B art consulting services (brand strategy, VIP events, office installations) for enterprise clients and an online art education program distributed through third-party platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Consulting & Media

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAA

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

SECONDARYMPAAAAAI

B2B/ABM Creative Agencies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

Keywords

• Art consulting services
• Corporate art solutions
• Art media publishing
• Event production services
• Art education courses

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. Corporate Art Solutions: Provides art strategy consulting and execution services to corporations, including international brand strategy, VIP client events, social contribution programs, and art-business seminars for business professionals.
2. Media Publishing (ARTnews JAPAN): Online media platform publishing art news, market insights, artist interviews, and feature content across economy, social, and culture categories. Operates on a free membership model with premium content.
3. Art Education (MAGUS Art School): Online-centric courses covering art appreciation, art as business, and lifestyle enjoyment. Courses delivered via Peatix and ArtSticker platforms.
4. Event Production & Curation: Plans and operates art exhibitions, corporate art events, and art installations. Revenue generated through project-based fees for exhibition curation, event production, and art installation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MAGUS provides B2B art consulting and solutions services to corporations — including international brand strategy using art, VIP client event production, office art installations, employee communication programs, and art business development. It also operates ARTnews JAPAN, the Japanese edition of the US-founded (1902) art media publication, publishing original Japanese content and translated international art news across economy, social, and culture categories. In addition, MAGUS runs MAGUS Art School, an online-centric art education program covering art appreciation, art as business, and lifestyle enjoyment.

Product overview

MAGUS operates a dual business model consisting of (1) ARTnews JAPAN, an online art media platform delivering original Japanese content and translated international art news across economy, social, and culture verticals, and (2) B2B Art Solutions services offering corporations strategic consulting for art integration, from international artist collaborations to office art installations and new business development. The company also maintains MAGUS Art School as an educational offering. These offerings work together to create MAGUS's stated goal of building a 'new art economic zone' connecting artists, consumers, and enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARTnews JAPAN: Japanese edition of the world's oldest art media brand (established 1902 in the U.S.), operated by MAGUS. Publishes art news from economic, social, and cultural perspectives.

Products and services

• ARTnews JAPAN An online art media platform operated by MAGUS as the Japanese edition of the US-based 'ARTnews' (established 1902). Publishes art content across three pillars: ECONOMY (art market insights, business applications), SOCIAL (gender, race, climate, education), and CULTURE (exhibitions, artist interviews, fashion, music, food). Delivers both US-edition translated content and original Japanese reporting. Free membership model with premium content.
• Art Solutions (法人向けアートソリューション) B2B art consulting and solutions services for corporations. Service areas include international brand strategy (supporting Japanese artists globally, visual production with world-renowned artists), VIP client marketing (exclusive art events, gallery buyouts), inner communication (office art installations, employee-artist workshops), and art business development consulting. Designed for enterprises lacking in-house art expertise.
• MAGUS Art School Online-focused educational platform offering courses on art across three themes: 'Liberal Arts' (learning about art), 'Business' (art in corporate strategy), and 'Life Style' (enjoying art as a lifestyle). Features guest lectures from historians, sociologists, gallery owners, and business professionals. Distributed via Peatix and ArtSticker; select lifestyle courses sold at Bunkamura venue.
• Event Planning & Production Planning and operation of art-related events including exhibitions, promotional pop-up galleries, exclusive VIP gatherings, and art fair collaborations for corporate clients. Notable projects include Audi Japan's Roppongi Hills pop-up modern art gallery and CADAN ROPPONGI sponsorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20s–30s demographic shows high art purchase rates: over 70% of 20s and over 60% of 30s have purchased art in the past 3 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Bunkamura (Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2022Bunkamura (operated by Tokyu Corporation) collaborates with MAGUS on art events, exhibitions, and the ARTnews JAPAN lifestyle course ticket sales. Bunkamura also partners on events at Art Fair Tokyo and Bunkamura's own programming.
• PMC (Penske Media Corporation)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 22 September 2021MAGUS signed a license agreement with PMC to launch the Japanese edition of 'ARTnews,' the world's oldest art media brand founded in the US in 1902. PMC also owns WWD, Rolling Stone, and Variety. MAGUS operates and localizes ARTnews JAPAN under this licensing arrangement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ADK Holdings: Japanese integrated advertising and creative agency group serving major domestic enterprises with brand strategy, content, and event services. Comparable in operating model to MAGUS's B2B art solutions practice, though ADK is far larger and not art-specialized.
• Hakuhodo (Hakuhodo DY Group): One of Japan's largest advertising agency groups, providing integrated brand strategy, creative, and event services to enterprises. Comparable to MAGUS in serving Japanese corporates with B2B creative and brand-building work, though at vastly larger scale and without the art-specialized positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global auction house and art market leader with auction, private sale, and advisory services. Comparable to MAGUS in serving art buyers and corporate clients with art-related professional services, with a much larger and globally established operation.
• Sotheby's: Global auction house and art market leader operating across auctions, private sales, advisory, and art-related financial services. Comparable to MAGUS in providing B2B art services to high-net-worth individuals and corporates, though Sotheby's is a centuries-old market incumbent in a different revenue model.
• Dentsu: Japan's largest advertising agency and a global marketing services group. Comparable to MAGUS as a broad incumbent in Japanese B2B brand and creative services, with a much wider portfolio and global reach that dwarfs MAGUS's specialized art focus.

Others

• Cool Japan Fund: Japanese government-affiliated investment fund that supports the global expansion of Japanese cultural and creative industries. Comparable to MAGUS in the Japanese art/culture investment ecosystem, though Cool Japan Fund operates as an LP/investor rather than a creative services provider.
• Mori Art Museum: Major contemporary art museum in Tokyo with corporate programming, education, and exhibitions that engage Japanese enterprise and consumer audiences. Comparable to MAGUS in operating at the intersection of contemporary art, corporate audiences, and educational content in Japan, though as a non-profit institution rather than a commercial operator.

Emerging players

• Artsy: Global online art marketplace and editorial media platform connecting collectors with galleries and auction houses. Comparable to MAGUS in combining an art-focused media destination with adjacent commercial services, though Artsy is marketplace-driven and globally focused rather than Japan-centric B2B consulting.
• Phaidon: Global publisher of books and digital content on art, architecture, design, and visual culture. Comparable to MAGUS in the art publishing and content space, though Phaidon operates in print and digital globally and lacks the B2B consulting layer.
• The Art Newspaper: International art-focused news publication covering the global art market, auctions, exhibitions, and policy. Directly comparable to ARTnews JAPAN as a licensed/branded art media product, with overlapping editorial positioning and similar content pillars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magus_corp_jp
• Facebookfacebook.com/maguscorpjp
• Instagraminstagram.com/artnewsjapan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Magus