What WAVES does

WAVES (株式会社WAVES, Muraoka Tatsuhiko, President) is a privately held, Tokyo-based influencer marketing agency founded on November 7, 2016, with registered capital of ¥10,000,000 and a headcount of 1–10. The company operates two business divisions: an Influencer Marketing Business that sells campaign planning, casting, SNS posting, second-usage rights, and account management to corporate clients, and a Production Business focused on developing and managing social-media creators and talent on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

At the center of the company is the i-Nation (アイネーション) influencer network, which WAVES describes as Japan's largest, aggregating Instagram users, YouTubers, and bloggers into a single pool reachable by brand clients. The platform underpins both revenue streams: enterprise clients hire WAVES for end-to-end campaign execution, while individual talent (e.g., former Nogizaka46 member Hatanaka Seira, pro windsurfer Ito Daiki, model/creative director Tamogami Tomoko) are managed under exclusive contracts within the Production Business. Add-on services include YouTube and Instagram account-operation outsourcing for corporate clients.

Commercially, WAVES runs a sales-led, direct-to-enterprise GTM centered on inbound contact-form inquiries and direct outreach, supplemented by press releases and joint industry seminars (e.g., with beauty-product firm BBO Co.). Customers span three segments: corporate/brand clients seeking influencer campaigns, individual creators/talent seeking management, and local-government/regional entities (evidenced by the 2020 Ube City settlement-promotion contract). Revenue comes from project-based marketing fees and recurring management commissions; no app, API, or AI capabilities are evidenced, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is founder-controlled, with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or subsidiary structure.

Name

WAVES

Legal name

株式会社WAVES

Website

https://waves.tokyo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WAVES is a Tokyo-based influencer marketing agency that sells campaign planning, casting, and social-media management to corporate clients, while managing creators and talent across Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter through its proprietary i-Nation influencer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Influencer Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Media Representatives (54184)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Influencer Marketing Agencies (BPAFAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Influencer Campaign Operations & Managed Services (BPAFAHAF), Influencer Strategy & Campaign Management (MPAAAHAA), Influencer & Creator Marketing (BPAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Influencer marketing services
• Talent management
• Social media marketing
• Creator management
• Influencer network

Headquarters

HQ city

Minato

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Influencer Marketing Services: Marketing support leveraging affiliated creators and talent, including campaign planning, execution, and social media account management for corporate clients.
2. Production/Talent Management: Training and management of creators and talent active on social media platforms including Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Revenue from talent activities, appearances, and content creation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WAVES is a Tokyo-based influencer marketing company operating two main divisions: an Influencer Marketing Business that leverages the i-Nation influencer network (Japan's largest, encompassing Instagram users, YouTubers, and bloggers) to plan and execute marketing campaigns for corporate clients, and a Production Business that develops and manages creators and talent active on social media platforms. The company also offers YouTube and Instagram account management outsourcing services for enterprise clients.

Product overview

WAVES operates two main business divisions: an Influencer Marketing Business utilizing their proprietary I-Nation influencer network platform, and a Production Business for talent/creator management. The I-Nation platform serves as the core infrastructure for influencer marketing services, connecting brands with content creators across Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. The company also offers account management outsourcing services for corporate clients seeking to leverage YouTube and Instagram for business purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• i-Nation (アイネーション): Japan's largest influencer network operated by WAVES, encompassing Instagram users, YouTubers, and bloggers for marketing services.

Products and services

• i-Nation (アイネーション) Influencer Network Japan-scale influencer network platform aggregating Instagram users, YouTubers, and bloggers. Provides services including SNS posting, brand collaborations (tie-up campaigns), secondary content licensing, product co-creation, casting, and social media account management for enterprise marketing clients.
• Influencer Marketing Business (インフルエンサーマーケティング事業) End-to-end marketing support services utilizing affiliated creators and talents through the i-Nation network. Includes campaign planning, content creation, SNS posting, brand collaboration execution, and promotion for corporate clients across industries.
• Production Business (プロダクション事業) Talent management and creator development services for influencers, models, YouTubers, and celebrities active on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Includes career management, scheduling, appearance negotiation, event planning (live performances, gift events), and YouTube creator representation.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ube City Government (宇部市役所)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2020WAVES entered a promotional service contract with Ube City Government in Yamaguchi Prefecture for relocation and settlement promotion. Seira Hatanaka was appointed as 'Ube City Relocation Settlement Supporter.' Services include promoting Ube City's appeal through YouTube and SNS platforms.
• BBO Co. (株式会社ビーボ)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 March 2019WAVES and BBO jointly hosted an influencer marketing seminar on February 13, 2019. BBO is a beauty product company (Belta series) and shared case studies on beauty industry influencer marketing and Instagram affiliate strategies.
• Shonan Share House Club / Daiki Ito (湘南シェアハウス部)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2018WAVES collaborated with Daiki Ito (Shonan Share House Club organizer, Terrace House cast member) to co-host the 'Shonan Sharehouse-bu x I-Nation 2018 S/S PARTY' event featuring models and Instagram users.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CyberAgent (CA Digital Entertainment): Major Japanese digital media conglomerate whose CA Digital Entertainment division operates AbemaTV and broader creator economy initiatives. Indirect competitor with materially larger capital and platform reach than WAVES.
• Hakuhodo DY Holdings: Major Japanese advertising agency group with established digital and influencer marketing practices. Direct broad-incumbent comparison for accessing enterprise clients seeking influencer-led campaigns at significant scale.
• Dentsu Inc. Japan's largest advertising agency group with global operations including influencer marketing capabilities under Dentsu Live and related units. Represents the strategic, full-service competitive context in which WAVES competes for enterprise brand budgets.

Direct peers

• BitStar Inc. Tokyo-based MCN and influencer marketing agency operating a creator network across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Closely comparable to WAVES in combining creator management with brand-side campaign execution for Japanese enterprises.
• UUUM Inc. Japan's largest publicly listed Multi-Channel Network (MCN) specializing in YouTuber and influencer management, with a roster including HIKAKIN. Direct competitor to WAVES' i-Nation influencer network and production business across both talent management and brand-marketing services.
• AnyMind Group: APAC-based marketing, influencer, and commerce platform with established Japan operations offering influencer marketing, creator monetization, and D2C enablement. Comparable end-to-end offering across influencer networks and brand campaign execution.
• VAZ Inc. Tokyo-headquartered influencer marketing agency managing a network of creators across short-video platforms and running tie-up campaigns for brands. Direct competitor with similar dual model of creator representation and campaign sales.

Emerging players

• Geelee Inc. Tokyo-based TikTok-focused MCN supporting short-video creators and providing brand collaboration services. Comparable to WAVES' talent management line and i-Nation's cross-platform coverage, though narrower in platform focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wavestokyo
• Facebookfacebook.com/wavestokyo
• Instagraminstagram.com/wavestokyo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 WAVES