Pencil

Name

Pencil

Legal name

株式会社ぺんしる

Website

https://pencilpro.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pencil is a small Japanese entertainment content production company offering integrated services — game software development, Steam platform porting, music and voice production, character merchandise, and event hosting — for Japanese gaming and entertainment clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Game Development and Entertainment Content Services

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Music Publishers (512230), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMAKAB

Mobile Game Publishing & App Game Stores

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Gaming Platforms & Digital Worlds

SECONDARYMPAFAKAM

Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Gaming & Interactive Entertainment (Video Games, Esports)/Gaming Operations & Services (QA, Localization, LiveOps, Customer Support)

Keywords

• Game software development
• Steam game porting
• Character content production
• Music CD production
• Event convention planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Nerima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Game Software Sales and Sales Support: Development and sale of game software titles along with sales support services for game titles
2. Music CD Production: Planning and production of music CDs, including original soundtracks and related audio content
3. Character Merchandise: Planning and production of character-related merchandise and products
4. Voice Content: Creation and production of voice content for games, media, and entertainment applications
5. Steam Porting Services: Development services for porting game software to Steam platform, enabling cross-platform distribution

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Pencil develops and sells game software and provides specialized Steam game porting services to Japanese and international game publishers. Beyond software, the company plans and produces music CDs, voice content, character goods, and character-driven content, and it offers event and convention planning services for entertainment industry clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Game Software Development & Sales

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Valve CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for Steam platform game porting. Pencil develops and ports game software to Steam, enabling global distribution through Valve's platform. This is a core component of the company's service offerings.

Scale indicators1 record

Others

• Valve Corporation: Owner of the Steam platform that underpins Pencil's core porting service. Not a competitor but a partner and infrastructure provider whose policy decisions materially shape Pencil's opportunity set.

Direct peers

• 8-4 Ltd: Tokyo-based specialist studio focused on game localization and Steam porting for Japanese titles. Direct functional peer for Pencil's Steam Game Porting Development service.
• NIS America: Subsidiary of Nippon Ichi Software that handles localization, porting, and Western publishing of Japanese games on PC (including Steam) and consoles. Comparable offering in bridging Japanese IP to PC/global markets.
• DANGEN Entertainment: Indie-focused publisher dedicated to bringing Japanese games to Western audiences primarily through Steam. Comparable small publisher that pairs Japanese IP with Steam-native distribution.
• XSEED Games: Localization and publishing arm of Marvelous that ports Japanese titles (especially niche JRPGs and visual novels) onto Steam and other English-language platforms. Closest functional analog to Pencil's Steam porting service.
• MAGES. Inc. Japanese game developer and publisher known for visual novels (Science Adventure series) and multi-format content (game, music, anime). Comparable integrated entertainment IP studio profile.

Broad incumbents

• Aniplex Inc. Sony-owned Japanese entertainment company spanning games, anime, music, and character merchandising. Comparable multi-format entertainment IP production stack, at significantly larger scale.
• Nihon Falcom: Pioneering Japanese PC game developer (Ys, Trails) with established Steam global presence. Similar heritage and Steam-first distribution ethos, but with proprietary IP and much larger headcount.
• Spike Chunsoft: Long-established Japanese game developer and publisher with strong visual novel and PC catalog on Steam. Operates in the same broad vertical as Pencil but at meaningfully larger scale.

Regional players

• viviON, Inc. Japanese digital content distributor (visual novels, manga, games) and named Pencil client. Comparable Japanese-region focus on anime/character IP commercialization with adjacent overlap in PC distribution.

Market position

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pencil_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Pencil