What Starryworks does

Starryworks is a Japanese design studio founded in Osaka in 2006 by Koji Kimura, operating as a small (1–10 employee) privately held creative practice with stated capital of ¥10,000,000. The studio produces cross-disciplinary work spanning web design, sound design, interactive installations, and visual identity, and has built a portfolio of proprietary deliverables including the Parametric VI Tool, the snd.dev UI sound asset library, PLAYFUL BOOKS (interactive picture books housed in subsidiary BUTTON INC.), and the Hue Coffee Roaster mobile-order platform (spun off into Hue Inc.).

The studio's client base is anchored by Japanese enterprise and cultural-sector accounts, including West Japan Railway Company (JR West), Panasonic/Technics, Kirin Brewery, Dentsu Lab Tokyo, the TAWARAYA ryokan, and Mikurasima Village government. In 2023, Starryworks co-developed UNMUTE with Dentsu Lab Tokyo, a productized sound design solution, representing a shift from pure services toward repeatable product offerings. The studio's revenue model is primarily project-based creative services, supplemented by product subsidiaries (BUTTON INC., Hue Inc.) and asset libraries (snd.dev). Starryworks has expanded its physical footprint to Awaji Island (2023) and reinvested in its headquarters (2024), while pruning its portfolio through the 2018 divestiture of Darkness Inc.

Starryworks positions itself at the intersection of design, sound, and interactive technology, serving brand, cultural, and public-sector clients in Japan. Its competitive profile rests on cross-disciplinary talent and a body of proprietary creative assets rather than on technology, data, or platform scale. The business is self-funded, has no external capital, and operates without disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Starryworks

Legal name

株式会社STARRYWORKS

Website

https://starryworks.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Starryworks is a Japanese design studio founded in 2006 in Osaka, delivering cross-disciplinary creative services in web, sound, and interactive installations to enterprise, cultural, and public-sector clients across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Content Production & Co-Creation Studios (BPAFAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Tools & Production (Overlays, Alerts, Encoding, Editing, Audio) (MPAFAEAC), Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Creative design studio
• Interactive installations
• Sound design solutions
• Digital signage systems
• Parametric visual identity

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative Project Services: Project-based creative services including web design/development, installations, signage content, video production, and app development for corporate and institutional clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

STARRYWORKS is a boutique creative design studio that delivers project-based creative services to Japanese corporate brands, cultural institutions, government entities, and event producers, including website design and development, visual identity systems, interactive installations, signage content, motion graphics, video production, and custom mobile applications. In parallel, the studio develops and distributes a small portfolio of proprietary products (UNMUTE sound design solution, snd.dev UI sound asset library and JavaScript SDK, PLAYFUL BOOKS interactive picture book apps, Hue Coffee Roaster mobile-ordering app, and LINQ BOARD signage with AI moderation).

Product overview

STARRYWORKS is a design studio offering a portfolio of creative products and services. Core offerings include UNMUTE (sound design solution developed with Dentsu Lab Tokyo), snd.dev (free UI sound asset library with JavaScript SDK), PLAYFUL BOOKS (interactive picture book apps), Hue Coffee Roaster (mobile-order cafe app), and LINQ BOARD (interactive signage with AI moderation). The Parametric VI Tool enables parametric design of their visual identity system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UNMUTE Sound design solution that integrates interaction design and sound design expertise to actively utilize sound as a medium, creating more beautiful, vivid, and exciting experiences. Co-developed with Dentsu Lab Tokyo.
• snd.dev Website offering UI sound assets created by sound designers free of charge and license-free, paired with a custom JavaScript library for easy embedding into websites and apps, plus an original typeface used on the site.
• PLAYFUL BOOKS Magical picture books that combine with smartphones to enhance the reading experience with sound effects, background music, lighting effects, and interactive responses to page knocking.
• Hue Coffee Roaster Mobile Order App Mobile-order cafe application where customers can order and pay entirely from smartphones, with the ability to select coffee by 'color' through an original app developed by STARRYWORKS for the Hue Coffee Roaster cafe.
• Parametric VI Tool Web-based parametric design tool for STARRYWORKS's visual identity system, allowing adjustment of various convex and concave parameters to generate logo variations.
• LINQ BOARD Message board signage content system allowing users to leave messages as stickers on spherical vision displays, with AI-powered content moderation for safe operation on public installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12-month video production for THE TAWARAYA with seasonal content randomization
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dentsu Lab TokyocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023Joint development of UNMUTE sound design solution. Dentsu Lab Tokyo contributes interaction design expertise while STARRYWORKS contributes sound design and technical implementation capabilities. The partnership integrates expertise cultivated through prior collaborations.
• West Japan Marketing Communications Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency partner for multiple spherical vision projects at JR stations. Provides creative direction and production coordination for LINQ VISION installations.
• BUTTON INC.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of STARRYWORKS focused on children-focused digital content and services. Collaborated on SUMMER SONIC 2022 project.
• Hue Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary focused on restaurant/café operations and coffee business. STARRYWORKS developed the mobile ordering app for Hue Coffee Roaster.
• PARADOX CorporationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreative agency partner for town brand website project along Odakyu line.
• Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationIP owner and game supervisor for LINQVISION x PAC-MAN interactive signage allowing up to 14 simultaneous players on spherical displays.
• CACTUS Co.,Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency partner for Magic Snow Dome interactive window display at Grand Front Osaka.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PARTY: Tokyo-based creative studio producing brand experiences, interactive installations, and digital campaigns for major Japanese and global brands. Directly comparable in scale and project mix to Starryworks' commission work for JR West, Panasonic, and Kirin.
• Rhizomatiks: Japanese creative technology studio known for combining programming, sound, and design into live performances and installations (notably with Perfume). Comparable to Starryworks' cross-disciplinary approach spanning code, sound, and physical installations.
• Takram: Japanese design engineering studio that combines branding, product design, and technology prototyping. Comparable to Starryworks' parametric design methodology and end-to-end concept-to-implementation model.
• TeamLab: Japanese interdisciplinary art collective building large-scale digital installations and immersive experiences. Highly comparable to Starryworks' interactive installation work (LINQ VISION, NOTES, lumen) and shared focus on fusing technology, design, and physical space.
• Bascule Inc. Tokyo creative studio working across brand identity, motion, and interactive experiences for Japanese enterprises. Similar scope and boutique scale to Starryworks.
• WOW Inc. Tokyo visual design studio focused on motion graphics, branding, and interactive digital experiences for brands. Comparable to Starryworks' video, motion, and brand identity capabilities.
• NAKED, INC. Tokyo creative studio specializing in immersive, experiential installations and projection mapping for cultural and commercial venues. Overlaps with Starryworks' signage, installation, and public-facing digital experience work.
• Whatever Co. Japanese creative studio delivering brand strategy, identity, and digital experiences for enterprise clients. Closely comparable to Starryworks' commission work for clients like THE TAWARAYA and Mikurasima Village.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy spanning brand, product, and experience design. Comparable in service mix (brand identity, interactive experiences, multidisciplinary studios) but at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Dentsu Lab Tokyo: Innovation arm of Dentsu Group, focused on creative technology, interaction design, and product R&D. Direct partner on UNMUTE; operates at broader scope and significantly larger scale than Starryworks but works on adjacent categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starryworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Starryworks