M-UP

What M-UP does

M-UP Holdings is a Tokyo-headquartered (Shibuya) public holding company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 3661 that operates an integrated entertainment-technology platform for fan engagement across Japan. The group is built around eight wholly-owned subsidiaries that collectively cover the full fan lifecycle: Fanplus operates official artist and sports fan clubs with membership subscription, commerce, and content distribution; Ticketplus handles electronic ticketing; FanStream provides live-streaming distribution integrated into fan club apps; VR MODE produces virtual-reality content; DearU operates a messaging/bubble-app platform; Roen Japan runs apparel and merchandise; Creative Plus handles animation and games; and THE STAR JAPAN extends the platform into Korean entertainment IP.

The underlying technology is a multi-product SaaS-style stack deployed per artist or sports organization: each fan club app integrates membership management, content publishing (text, image, video, music), live streaming, ticketing access points, e-commerce storefronts, and digital collectibles (digital trading cards). Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring fan-club subscription fees, transaction-based fees on Ticketplus ticketing, e-commerce GMV, and content distribution — with named deployments across music (back number, KYUHYUN, KO1KEYZ, luv), professional sports leagues and clubs (SV League, F League, LEAGUE H, Nagoya Grampus), combat sports (RIZIN), stage entertainment (MANKAI STAGE), and retail/venue partners (ROUND1, GRAND STAGE). Geographic focus is Japan-dominant, with Korean entertainment as a bridge product via THE STAR JAPAN.

The business model is a vertical-specialist B2B platform play: M-UP onboards rights-holders (labels, agencies, leagues, tournament organizers) as enterprise clients, deploys a configured fan engagement stack for each, and monetizes the resulting user base via subscription and transaction economics, with shared infrastructure across the eight subsidiaries creating cross-sell potential. Selection for the METI IP360 growth-stage content-industry subsidy program in 2025 provides external validation of the company's scaling position within the Japanese entertainment-technology sector.

Name

M-UP

Legal name

株式会社エムアップホールディングス

Website

https://m-up.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

M-UP Holdings is a Tokyo-listed (TSE: 3661) entertainment-technology holding company that operates an integrated fan-engagement platform across eight subsidiaries, serving Japanese music artists, professional sports leagues, and entertainment properties with fan club apps, electronic ticketing, live streaming, e-commerce, and digital collectibles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Fan Engagement Technology

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (71121), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Subscription Fan Membership Platforms (Paid Communities) (MPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paid Live Events & Virtual Tickets (Webinars/Streams) (MPACAFAC), Direct Fan Messaging & Paid DMs (1:1/1:Many) (MPACAFAH), Merchandising & On-Site Retail (Tour Merch, Pop-ups) (MPAIAFAJ), Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI), Creator/Artist Direct-to-Fan Streaming & Membership (MPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Electronic ticketing services
• Fan club platforms
• Entertainment e-commerce
• Sports fan engagement apps
• Live streaming infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fan Club Memberships: Recurring membership fees and services for artist fan clubs, providing exclusive content, advance ticketing, and fan engagement services.
2. E-commerce / Merchandise Sales: Online sales of artist merchandise, goods, and official fan club products through digital storefronts.
3. Electronic Ticketing: Ticket sales and distribution services for concerts, events, sports matches, and entertainment venues with transaction-based revenue.
4. Digital Content Services: Digital card collections, streaming services, VR content, and other digital entertainment content offerings.
5. App Services: Sports and entertainment mobile applications providing fan engagement tools, digital collectibles, and event-related services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

M-UP Holdings operates an integrated fan engagement platform for the entertainment and sports industries through 8 wholly-owned subsidiaries. The group provides electronic ticketing (Ticket Plus/チケプラ) with an official ticket trade marketplace, fan club and fan site management (Fanplus), merchandise e-commerce, official artist websites, sports fan engagement applications and digital card collections (VOLZ), live event streaming (FanStream/StreamPass), fan messaging services (Dear U plus), VR/360° content (VR MODE), anime and game digital content (Creative Plus), and Korean artist fan club and e-commerce services (THE STAR JAPAN). Its products serve both enterprise customers (artists, idol groups, K-pop acts, professional sports leagues and teams, event organizers, venues, stage productions) and end consumers (fans purchasing memberships, tickets, merchandise, and digital content).

Product overview

M-UP Holdings is a Japanese entertainment technology conglomerate operating multiple specialized subsidiaries under a unified group structure. The portfolio comprises Fanplus (fan club/EC), Ticket Plus/チケプラ (electronic ticketing with Trade marketplace), VOLZ (sports fan engagement apps including digital card collections), Dear U plus (bubble messaging platform), Creative Plus (anime/game content), VR MODE (VR/360° content), THE STAR JAPAN (Korean entertainment), and Roen Japan (apparel). Services span fan club management, e-commerce, ticketing, live streaming, digital collectibles, and VR experiences, connected through shared group infrastructure and cross-promotional capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fanplus (ファンプラス) - Fan Club and E-commerce Platform

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• e-plus (e+): One of Japan's major e-ticketing and event services platforms, operating across concerts, sports, and live events. Competes head-to-head with Ticketplus on mobile-first ticketing and event entry infrastructure.
• Pia Corporation: Japan's largest ticketing platform (ぴあ/チケットぴあ) serving concerts, sports, theaters, and entertainment venues. Directly competes with M-UP's Ticketplus on primary ticketing and venue relationships, with overlapping artist and event-organizer customer base.
• 17LIVE Japan: Live streaming platform connecting creators with fans via subscriptions, virtual gifts, and 1:1 messaging. Comparable to M-UP's Dear U plus (bubble/personal messaging) and FanStream monetization model.
• SHOWROOM (DeNA): Live streaming platform owned by DeNA focused on idol, music, and fan-engagement streaming. Direct peer in the streaming-to-fan engagement space that M-UP addresses via FanStream/StreamPass.
• Lawson Entertainment / Lawson Ticket: Lawson HMV Entertainment's Lawson Ticket (ローチケ) is a major Japanese ticketing outlet with deep convenience-store distribution. Competes with Ticketplus on broad-audience ticketing, though distribution-led rather than mobile-first.

Emerging players

• Colorful: Operates paid 1:1 fan messaging services (colorful message) for Japanese music artists and idols. Closest direct competitor to M-UP's Dear U plus bubble platform business.
• Sorare: Global sports digital collectibles/NFT platform with official licensing across soccer, NBA, and MLB. Most direct competitor to M-UP's VOLZ digital card collection business for Japanese sports leagues, though operating internationally.

Broad incumbents

• CyberAgent: Japanese digital entertainment conglomerate with AbemaTV (streaming), Cygames (games), and digital advertising. Comparable as a diversified entertainment tech holding with streaming and fan engagement components, though much larger scale.
• Avex Group: Major Japanese music entertainment conglomerate covering artist management, live events, fan club operations, and digital distribution. Comparable as a music fan engagement and artist services platform, though at significantly larger scale.
• Rakuten Ticket: Ticketing platform under Rakuten Group with broad e-commerce integration. Competes with Ticketplus on primary ticketing and cross-platform consumer reach, leveraging the Rakuten ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about M-UP