Makaira

What Makaira does

Makaira K.K. (マカイラ株式会社) is a Tokyo-based public affairs consultancy founded in June 2014 by CEO Ko Fujii. The firm describes itself as Japan's pioneering dedicated public affairs practice and provides four overlapping service lines: public affairs consulting, public relations, business development, and branding and creative development. It serves a client base that spans startups (the largest disclosed segment at over half of clients), large enterprises, government bodies, and NGOs, with named engagements including Baobab Inc., Toyama Prefecture, and Hokkaido University. Internally, it operates a hybrid talent model that explicitly blends practitioners from government, academia, corporations, startups, NPOs, journalism, and the arts, organized under a co-representative structure (CEO and COO) since September 2020.

The firm's go-to-market is built on multi-year advisory retainers and project-based engagements, layered with thought-leadership media (PublicAffairsJP), podcasts, and event IP. It maintains a portfolio of sub-brands — Makaira Art & Design (MAD), Makaira Public Relations, pubcari, and PublicAffairsJP — that extend the core practice into creative, content, and event services. International reach is delivered via partnership rather than owned offices: a Global Communicators relationship since 2016 and IPRN membership since February 2022 give the firm multinational coverage normally associated with larger PR holding companies. The 10th-anniversary slate in August 2024 introduced four new initiatives, including partnerships with The Good Lobby and CALL4, signaling movement into advocacy-network and litigation-adjacent verticals.

The business model is fee-for-service consulting, with revenue mechanics that combine retainer fees, project fees, and event/sponsorship income. As an unlisted, founder-led firm with approximately 40 employees, Makaira has not disclosed external funding; its only disclosed principal investment outside consulting is a March 2022 capital allocation to Baobab Inc., an AI training-data company. Competitive position rests on category definition, hybrid-sector talent, and international network access rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Makaira

Legal name

マカイラ株式会社

Website

https://makairaworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Makaira K.K. is a Tokyo-based public affairs consultancy founded in 2014 that advises startups, large enterprises, government bodies, and NGOs on policy engagement, communications, business development, and branding, leveraging a hybrid talent bench and global PR network partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Affairs Consulting

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Public affairs consulting
• Non-market strategy
• Government relations
• Policy advocacy
• Strategic communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

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. Public Affairs Consulting: Fees for strategic consulting engagements covering non-market strategy design, policy research, lobbying, cross-sector coordination, and public affairs execution support for enterprises, startups, NGOs, and government bodies.
2. Public Relations Services: Value-based public relations consulting supporting organizations in building supporter networks and social consensus around social issues.
3. Business Development and Branding Services: Business development partnership and brand management services for companies pursuing social change, including creative development and social good brand strategy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Makaira provides public affairs consulting, supporting clients from non-market strategy design through political and administrative advocacy execution. It also delivers value-driven public relations, business development partnerships, branding, and creative development for social change, enabling corporations, startups, NGOs, and government bodies to build stakeholder consensus and implement social innovation.

Product overview

Makaira is a public affairs consulting firm offering a portfolio of services organized around social change implementation. The core offering consists of Public Affairs Consulting (non-market strategy, policy advocacy, lobbying) and Public Relations services. Three sub-brands extend the portfolio: Makaira Art & Design (MAD) for creative and branding work targeting social good; PublicAffairsJP as a specialist media platform; and pubcari for tri-sector talent recruitment. Programs like THE SOCIAL GOOD ACADEMIA provide practical education, while the Public Policy Research Group hosts events on policy topics. The company operates as a consulting firm rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Makaira Art & Design (MAD): Creative team focused on art and design for social good, business development, branding support, and creative tool development.
• PublicAffairsJP
• Makaira Public Relations
• Pubcari

Products and services

• Public Affairs Consulting (パブリックアフェアーズ・コンサルティング) Non-market strategy design and execution, policy research, advocacy, lobbying, and cross-sector stakeholder coordination for companies, startups, NGOs, and government bodies pursuing social change.
• Public Relations (パブリックリレーションズ) Value-based public relations services focused on building supporter networks and social consensus around social issues for companies, NGOs, and local governments pursuing social change.
• Makaira Art & Design (MAD) Social formation creative team providing business development support, branding, and creative tools development using art and design to achieve substantive social good.
• PublicAffairsJP Specialist media platform focused on public affairs, featuring theory, knowledge, interviews with professionals, and event announcements for the public affairs community.
• pubcari Tri-sector talent placement and recruitment support service connecting professionals with public affairs career opportunities across government, business, and civil society.
• THE SOCIAL GOOD ACADEMIA Practical educational program operated by Makaira Art & Design that combines business development, public affairs, and art & design approaches for social good implementation.
• Makaira Public Policy Research Institute (公共政策研究会) Educational and networking events series covering policy topics including lobbying, content policy, GX policy, and democratic innovation, featuring expert speakers and open participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than half of Makaira's clients are Japanese startups, supporting innovation ecosystem growth
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• CALL4 (Public Litigation Platform)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2024CALL4 is a public litigation support platform that advocates for using litigation as a mechanism for social change. Makaira's partnership with CALL4 combines public affairs consulting with public litigation support, enabling social change through both policy advocacy and the judicial system.
• The Good LobbyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Good Lobby is an EU-based NGO focused on democratizing lobbying and improving transparency and governance in corporate political activities. Makaira partnered with The Good Lobby in 2024 to support the spread of 'Good Lobby' (transparent, responsible lobbying) principles in Japan, aligning with Makaira's mission to improve policy dialogue and social change implementation.
• NEWPEACEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2020NEWPEACE is a planning and production company known for its 'Visioning' methodology for social narrative creation. Makaira partnered with NEWPEACE to launch the 'Social Change Implementation Collaboration Project,' combining Makaira's non-market strategy expertise with NEWPEACE's vision development and creative storytelling capabilities to drive social change initiatives.
• Global CommunicatorsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Washington DC-based Global Communicators is Makaira's strategic partner for international public affairs and communications. The partnership enables Makaira to serve clients internationally and support Japanese organizations with global public strategy needs. Global Communicators' co-founder Jim Harff led international government negotiations and PR campaigns in the 1990s that influenced outcomes in Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
• IPRN (International Public Relations Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIPRN is a global network of independent PR agencies headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Makaira joined IPRN in February 2022 and participates in its global award programs. CEO Fujii also serves on the IPRN board of directors. The network enables Makaira to refer and receive international public relations work globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Finsbury: Global public affairs and corporate communications advisory firm. Comparable service mix in public affairs and strategic communications, but with much larger international footprint.
• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with a dedicated public affairs practice. Comparable in providing high-level government relations and policy communications, but operates at vastly larger scale across many markets.
• Brunswick Group: Global critical issues advisory firm combining public affairs, corporate communications, and investor relations. Comparable in advisory positioning on complex stakeholder issues, but operates at significantly larger scale globally.
• APCO Worldwide: Global public affairs and strategic communications firm with broad corporate, government, and policy advisory services. Overlaps with Makaira in government relations and stakeholder engagement, but operates at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Burson (BCW): Global public relations and public affairs agency formed from the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. Comparable public affairs advisory capabilities, but at global incumbent scale with much broader service portfolio.
• Fleishman-Hillard: Global public relations and public affairs agency with strong Asia presence. Comparable in providing integrated public affairs and PR services, but as part of a much broader global portfolio.

Direct peers

• Aalto Public Affairs: Public affairs and government relations consultancy based in the UK. Directly comparable to Makaira's policy advocacy, government engagement, and stakeholder consultation services.
• Hanbury Strategy: UK-headquartered public affairs and strategic communications consultancy. Comparable in size, boutique positioning, and focus on helping clients navigate political, regulatory, and reputational issues.
• Kekst CNC: Global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy advising corporates, governments, and investors on complex stakeholder issues. Closely comparable to Makaira in service mix, client type, and senior advisory positioning.
• Kreab: EU-headquartered public affairs and communications consultancy with strong public sector and corporate policy advisory practices. Comparable to Makaira's non-market strategy and government relations offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/makairaworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/makairaworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makaira

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Makaira