What Avispa Fukuoka does

Avispa Fukuoka Co., Ltd. (アビスパ福岡株式会社) is a privately held professional football (soccer) club founded in September 1994 and headquartered at the Fukuoka Football Center in Kashiihama, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka. The club fields a senior team in Japan's J1 League (top division) under President and Representative Director Kawamori Takashi (川森敬史) and Vice President Tateishi Takayuki (立石敬之), and operates an integrated football ecosystem that includes age-grade academy teams (U-12 through U-18), a network of 20+ recreational soccer schools across Fukuoka Prefecture serving approximately 1,500 students, and a community outreach / hometown-activities program. The club plays home matches at Best Denki Stadium and trains at Gannosu Recreation Center and the Morokichi Ground in Itoshima.

The club monetizes through six revenue streams: (1) matchday revenue from season tickets (¥123,500–¥182,400 across three pricing windows and two stadium sides) and single-match sales at Best Denki Stadium; (2) broadcasting rights via DAZN and other media partners; (3) merchandise sales through stadium shops, an online store, Lawson convenience store partnership, and a co-branded apparel deal with Thai brand EGO Sport; (4) corporate sponsorship across 362 sponsor companies, including uniform partners Shinnihon Seiyaku, APAMAN, Agekke, Green Hotel, Septeni, Soft Service Holdings, SCO, and uniform supplier Yonex, plus DX partners, Sharen (social contribution) partners, and global partners; (5) academy and soccer-school fees (¥5,500 annual plus ¥3,850–¥4,950 monthly); and (6) the TEAM NAYBee tiered fan club membership (Junior ¥1,650 to Royal ¥330,000) with 5,747 members. The club has built an international player-development funnel through partnerships with Sint-Truidense VV in Belgium (since 2019; the Avispa VP also serves as STVV CEO) and Port FC in Thailand (since 2023), and in 2023 launched Avispa DAO — Japan's first professional sports team Web3 community — via Finanche, issuing digital item tokens for fan engagement.

Customer-facing channels include the official website (avispa.co.jp), X (119,681 followers), Instagram (59,054), LINE (67,538), Facebook (24,892), TikTok (26,400), and YouTube (19,232), totaling 316,797 followers as of February 2026. The supporting AGA (Avispa Global Associates) organization has 37,654 members comprising Fukuoka business leaders. Operationally, the club is currently mid-table in the J1 League (10th place, 21 points, as of June 2026) and is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no M&A activity, and no publicly traded equity.

Name

Avispa Fukuoka

Legal name

アビスパ福岡株式会社 (Avispa Fukuoka Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://avispa.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Avispa Fukuoka is a privately held Japanese J1 League professional football club founded in 1994, based in Fukuoka. It operates the senior team, a tiered youth academy, 20+ recreational soccer schools, and a tiered fan club, monetizing through ticket sales, broadcasting, merchandise, 362 corporate sponsors, and academy/school fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Football Club and Youth Soccer Development

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG)

Keywords

• Professional football club
• J-League soccer team
• Youth soccer academy
• Soccer schools
• Sports fan membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Matchday Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales for home games at Best Denki Stadium, including season tickets and individual match tickets
2. Broadcasting Rights: Revenue from broadcasting rights through DAZN and other media partnerships
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of official club merchandise including uniforms, goods, and collaborative products with partners like EGO Sport
4. Sponsorship: Revenue from official sponsors including uniform partners (Shinnihon Seiyaku, APAMAN, Agekke, Green Hotel, Septeni, Soft Service Holdings, SCO), uniform supplier (Yonex), and various support partners. Includes DX partners, Sharen partners, and global partners
5. Academy/School Programs: Revenue from soccer schools and academies with approximately 1,500 students, including training fees and selection fees
6. Fan Club Membership: Revenue from TEAM NAYBee fan club membership with tiered courses (Royal 330,000 yen, Platinum 55,000 yen, Gold 16,500 yen, Navy 3,850 yen, Junior 1,650 yen)

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Avispa Fukuoka operates a J1 League professional football club that delivers home match entertainment at Best Denki Stadium, a tiered fan membership program (TEAM NAYBee), and a structured youth development pipeline consisting of academy teams (U-12 to U-18) and 20+ recreational soccer school locations across Fukuoka Prefecture. The club monetizes matchday operations, broadcasting rights, official merchandise, corporate sponsorships, and academy/school tuition to sustain its sporting and community programs.

Product overview

Avispa Fukuoka operates as a professional football club with an integrated ecosystem of youth development and community engagement products. The core offering is the J1 League professional team, supplemented by Academy Programs (U-18, U-15, U-12) for elite youth development and Soccer Schools operating across 20+ locations for recreational participation. The club's membership system (TEAM NAYBee) provides tiered fan engagement through five levels, while specialized training programs offer goalkeeper, striker, defense, and midfielder instruction by academy coaches. Additional offerings include season ticket passes, official merchandise, the Avispa DAO Web3 community platform, and extensive hometown activity programs supporting local schools and community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEAM NAYBee: Fan club and membership program combining SOCIO and AVIGO fan club services, offering various tiers of membership benefits and game attendance experiences.
• Avispa DAO
• AGA (Avispa Global Associates)
• FUKUOKA TAKE ACTION!

Products and services

• Avispa Fukuoka Professional Football Club (J1 League Team) Professional men's first team competing in J1 League, Japan's top professional football division. Participates in J1 League, Levain Cup, and Emperor's Cup competitions, with home matches at Best Denki Stadium in Fukuoka.
• Academy Programs (U-18, U-15, U-12) Elite youth development teams targeting players aged 12-18, competing in national leagues and tournaments. Includes U-18 (high school), U-15 (junior high), and U-12 (elementary) squads under the club's academy coaching staff.
• Soccer Schools (20+ Locations across Fukuoka Prefecture) Recreational and developmental soccer programs for children aged 4-15 operating across 20+ locations in Fukuoka Prefecture, including toddler, beginner, advanced, futsal, goalkeeper, and adult classes. Annual membership 5,500 yen; monthly fees 3,850-4,950 yen.
• TEAM NAYBee Fan Club Membership Unified fan membership program with five course tiers (Royal 330,000 yen, Platinum 55,000 yen, Gold 16,500 yen, Navy 3,850 yen, Junior 1,650 yen) offering match tickets, exclusive events, merchandise, and player interactions.
• Season Ticket Passes Annual ticket packages granting access to all home games with assigned seats across premium, main stand, back stand, and goal-side sections. Pricing tiers include super early bird (from 123,500 yen), early bird (from 133,000 yen), and general sale (from 152,000 yen).
• Official Club Merchandise (Goods) Official club merchandise including uniforms, accessories, and limited-edition items distributed through stadium shops, the official online store, Lawson convenience stores, and authorized retailers including the EGO Sport partnership in Thailand.
• Avispa DAO (Web3 Community Platform) Web3-based sports innovation community utilizing blockchain technology to issue digital item tokens for fan engagement and participatory projects, developed in partnership with Finanche.
• Hometown Activities Program Community outreach program including school visits, para-sports experiences, blind football clinics, grass-lawn projects at local schools, and FUKUOKA TAKE ACTION! social contribution activities supporting community development in Fukuoka.

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• EGO SportkeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026Official global partnership signed March 26, 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. Includes co-branded apparel development and sales, Thailand-themed home game events, and sales activities in Thailand. Part of Asian strategy to establish player development routes from Southeast Asia to Japan and Europe.
• Port FCkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2023Partnership with Thai League 1 club to promote both clubs' development and human resource exchange between Thailand and Japan. Joint business creation and Asian strategy implementation through collaboration with Bangkok-based club owned by Muang Thai Insurance CEO Madam Pang.
• Sharen (Social Contribution) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2023Co-creation partnership program for companies with regional contribution initiatives. FUKUOKA TAKE ACTION! focuses on three themes: co-education, society/health, and community development. Activities include blind football workshops, grass planting projects, and programming workshops at stadium.
• Money ForwardcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 June 2022DX partner providing cloud accounting and back-office SaaS services to support local business digitalization in Kyushu region.
• Early-Cross Tax Accounting CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 June 2022Fukuoka-based accounting firm serving as DX partner with focus on business succession, inheritance, and IT-based professional services for local enterprises.
• Sint-Truidense VV (STVV)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019Partnership with Belgian First Division A club for human resource exchange, international exchange, and knowledge sharing. Avispa Fukuoka Vice President Tateishi Takayuki serves as CEO. Japan national team defender Tomiyasu graduated from Avispa academy and transferred to European clubs via STVV.
• DAZNkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial DAZN stadium designation for broadcasting partnership. Match streaming and content distribution through international sports platform.
• Shinnihon Seiyaku (Premium Uniform Partner)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary uniform sponsor with logo placement on official match uniforms. Major supporter since 2023.
• Yonex (Official Uniform Supplier)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial equipment supplier providing match and training uniforms for all teams.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vissel Kobe: J1 club with high international profile, prior global star signings, and broad sponsor portfolio. Comparable on the international-partnership and brand-positioning dimensions relevant to Avispa's Port FC and STVV ties.
• Gamba Osaka: J1 club with strong corporate backing, established academy, and large supporter base. Direct comparable for revenue scale and J1 sponsor economics in the Kansai corridor.
• Jubilo Iwata: Mid-sized Japanese football club (J1/J2) with significant youth academy operations and regional corporate backing. Comparable in scale, academy focus, and dependency on central J-League revenue distribution.
• Yokohama F. Marinos: Top-tier J1 club with major corporate backing (Nissan) and a top-of-league commercial profile. Useful upper-bound benchmark for what scaled J1 sponsorship and ticketing can achieve.
• Sagan Tosu: J1 club serving a smaller regional market with comparable revenue mix and corporate sponsorship dependence. Useful benchmark for mid-tier J1 club economics outside Japan's largest metropolitan areas.
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima: J1 club with a strong regional city affiliation and deep community outreach similar to Avispa's Fukuoka focus. Comparable revenue composition and reliance on local corporate partnerships.
• Cerezo Osaka: J1 club with established youth academy, large fan-membership base, and similar diversified revenue model. Comparable in scale of community programs and youth development infrastructure.
• Kashima Antlers: One of Japan's most decorated J1 clubs with a long-standing sponsor portfolio and academy system. Useful benchmark for what an upper-tier J1 commercial and academy footprint looks like at maturity.
• Nagoya Grampus Eight: J1 League club with comparable mid-tier commercial structure, multi-tier sponsorship portfolio, and significant academy footprint. Most directly comparable J1 peer in terms of scale, sponsor diversity, and reliance on regional corporate partners.

Broad incumbents

• Borussia Dortmund: Publicly listed European football club with diversified revenue (matchday, broadcasting, sponsorship, merchandising) and a deep academy pipeline. Provides a global valuation and revenue-mix benchmark for a sports-club business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/avispaf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/avispachannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/avispaf
• Instagraminstagram.com/avispaf
• TikToktiktok.com/@avispaf_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avispa-fukuoka

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 Avispa Fukuoka