Pixta
Pixta operates Japan's largest stock visual content marketplace (PIXTA), connecting approximately 440,000 creators with approximately 680,000 buyers across over 100 million photos, illustrations, videos, and music items, while also offering custom photography services, AI training datasets, and the fotowa photographer-matching platform.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Pixta does
Pixta Co., Ltd. (ピクスタ株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered, Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market-listed (TYO:3416) operator of digital creative platforms, founded in 2005 as Onboard Co., Ltd. and renamed in 2009. Its flagship product, the PIXTA marketplace, is Japan's largest digital visual content platform, connecting approximately 440,000 creator members with approximately 680,000 purchasing members across more than 100 million items of stock photography, illustrations, video, and music. The company also operates fotowa, an on-location photographer matching service for consumers, and PIXTA On Demand / PIXTA Custom for commissioned B2B photography, with a 498,000-yen packaged B2B offering launched in June 2026.
The technology stack centers on a self-serve marketplace platform with an AI-powered search assistant (launched February 2024) built on generative AI for natural-language visual discovery, alongside similar image search and recommendation capabilities. PIXTA also operates a public API used by partners including DeNA, UUUM, VIDEO BRAIN, Global Walkers, and マヒトデザイン, and sells curated image and video datasets for machine learning training — including a newly launched June 2026 dataset line for elderly care and life-support AI applications. Content production is supported by wholly-owned subsidiaries in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and Korea (Topic Images, acquired February 2017 for approximately ¥1.16 billion), giving Pixta a multi-country Asian creator supply chain.
Revenue is generated through four streams: marketplace commissions on stock content sales, recurring subscriptions (annual packs launched June 2026 at ¥4,400–¥5,500), professional photography services (PIXTA Custom and PIXTA On Demand), and AI/ML training data licensing. Distribution combines a self-serve web marketplace with API-based embedding and direct sales for enterprise photography. Reported revenue has declined from approximately ¥24.4 billion (FY2021) to ¥17.0 billion (FY2025), with net income compressing from ¥1.6 billion to ¥587 million over the same period, indicating margin pressure as the company invests in AI-driven product extensions and B2B services to counter softening core marketplace economics.
Pixta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pixta
- Legal name
- ピクスタ株式会社
- Website
- https://pixta.co.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Pixta operates Japan's largest stock visual content marketplace (PIXTA), connecting approximately 440,000 creators with approximately 680,000 buyers across over 100 million photos, illustrations, videos, and music items, while also offering custom photography services, AI training datasets, and the fotowa photographer-matching platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pixta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Stock Photography and Visual Content Marketplace
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Publishing Industries (513), Graphic Design Services (54143)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (BPAMAJAM)
Keywords
Where Pixta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pixta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Stock Content Sales: PIXTA operates a digital marketplace where creators sell photos, illustrations, videos, and music to buyers. Revenue comes from transaction fees on sales between creators and purchasers.
- Subscription Plans: Annual packs and monthly subscription plans offering fixed download allocations for image materials
- Photography Services: PIXTAオンデマンド and PIXTAカスタム provide commissioned photography services for corporate clients, including photographer matching, model coordination, and custom shoots
- AI/ML Training Data: Sale of curated image datasets for machine learning and AI development purposes
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Pack 3-point |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Pack 5-point |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | PIXTA Custom Photography Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pixta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pixta operates Japan's largest digital stock content marketplace (PIXTA) connecting approximately 440,000 creators with approximately 680,000 buyers, offering over 100 million photos, illustrations, videos, and music assets. Beyond stock content, the company provides on-demand photography matching services (fotowa for consumers, PIXTA On Demand and PIXTA Custom for businesses), custom B2B photography packages, AI/ML training datasets, and subscription plans for visual content licensing.
Product overview
Pixta operates three creative platforms: PIXTA (stock content marketplace), fotowa (photographer matching service), and PIXTA On Demand (location-based photography services). PIXTA is Japan's largest stock photo marketplace with over 100 million content items, approximately 440,000 creator members, and approximately 680,000 purchasing members. The company has expanded from stock content into custom photography services (PIXTA Custom, PIXTA On Demand), AI development datasets, and subscription plans. PIXTA's portfolio includes PIXTA, fotowa, PIXTA Custom, PIXTA On Demand, PIXTA machine learning datasets, and the PIXTA PLUS media platform. The company also operates subsidiaries in Singapore, Vietnam, and Korea, and maintains partnerships for API integration across major Japanese and international platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Pixta
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pixta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration25 records
AI capability10 records
Feature3 records
Pixta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PIXTA ASIA PTE. LTD.coreSubsidiary company operating PIXTA services in Singapore and Southeast Asian markets
- PIXTA VIETNAM CO., LTD.coreVietnam subsidiary handling content creation, creator development, and regional operations
- POTONOW CO.,LTD.minorRelated subsidiary company within the PIXTA group
- 株式会社YASUMI WORKSminorSubsidiary company within the PIXTA group
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pixta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Adobe Stock: Stock content marketplace integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem. Competes with PIXTA for creative professional customers, particularly those already using Adobe tools, with the advantage of bundled distribution through Creative Cloud.
- Getty Images: Premium stock photography and editorial imagery platform with global reach and iStock subsidiary. Competes with PIXTA in editorial and commercial stock imagery, particularly for news and high-end commercial use cases.
- iStock (by Getty Images): Microstock photography platform owned by Getty Images. Competes with PIXTA in affordable, subscription-based stock imagery for SMBs, designers, and content creators.
Direct peers
- Pond5: Stock video footage and media marketplace. Direct competitor to PIXTA's video content offerings, serving filmmakers, agencies, and content creators needing licensed video footage.
- Depositphotos: Subscription-based stock photography and video platform. Directly comparable marketplace model to PIXTA, serving SMB and individual buyers with flexible subscription pricing.
- Shutterstock: Global stock photography, illustration, video, and music marketplace with millions of contributors and buyers. Direct competitor to PIXTA in the licensed stock content model, though Shutterstock operates at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Freepik: Stock graphics, photos, and design assets platform with strong presence in design community. Direct competitor to PIXTA for illustrations, vectors, and photos, with significant growth in the Asian and European markets.
Regional players
- 123RF: Stock photography marketplace with strong presence in Asia-Pacific markets. Comparable to PIXTA in serving Asian creative professionals with subscription-based stock imagery access.
Emerging players
- Pexels: Free stock photo and video platform with curated library. Similar to Unsplash as a free alternative that commoditizes the lower tier of stock imagery, competing with PIXTA for budget-conscious users.
- Unsplash: Free high-quality stock photography platform with large community of photographers. Indirect competitor to PIXTA — primarily targets users unwilling to pay for stock, but pressures the low end of PIXTA's pricing spectrum.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pixta social profiles
Digital presencePixta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pixta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Pixta subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Pixta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pixta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pixta
What does Pixta do?
Pixta operates Japan's largest digital stock content marketplace (PIXTA) connecting approximately 440,000 creators with approximately 680,000 buyers, offering over 100 million photos, illustrations, videos, and music assets. Beyond stock content, the company provides on-demand photography matching services (fotowa for consumers, PIXTA On Demand and PIXTA Custom for businesses), custom B2B photography packages, AI/ML training datasets, and subscription plans for visual content licensing.
Is Pixta a public or private company?
Pixta is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Pixta founded?
Pixta was founded in 2005. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Pixta based?
Pixta is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Pixta make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Stock Content Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription Plans, photography Services and AI/ML Training Data.
Who are Pixta's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Adobe Stock, Getty Images and iStock (by Getty Images). Direct peers are Pond5, Depositphotos, Shutterstock and Freepik. 123RF is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Pexels and Unsplash.
Does Pixta have an API?
Yes. PIXTA API allows external platforms and partners to access and integrate PIXTA's stock image and video content library. Available to enterprise partners for embedding PIXTA content directly into third-party applications and services. Supports content search, download, and licensing through programmatic access. Notable API partners include DeNA, UUUM, materials, ツクリンク, handsshare, マヒトデザイン, VIDEO BRAIN, and エックスサーバー社. Developer documentation is at pixta.jp.
What industry is Pixta in?
Pixta's product category is Stock Photography and Visual Content Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAJAM, Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51212 and its SIC code is 7822.