Makuake
Makuake is a Japanese crowdfunding and product-incubation platform, publicly listed on the TSE Growth Market (ticker 4479), that enables businesses and creators to fund and pre-sell new products through a curated "supportive purchasing" marketplace serving 3.3M+ supporters and complementing crowdfunding with post-campaign EC mall distribution and AI-powered consumer research.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Makuake does
Makuake, Inc. (株式会社マクアケ, ticker 4479) is a Tokyo-headquartered, publicly-listed Japanese crowdfunding and product-incubation platform operating as a subsidiary of CyberAgent Group. Founded in May 2013 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market in December 2019, the company runs the Makuake.com "supportive purchasing" platform that connects product creators and businesses ("executors") with a 3.3M+ supporter community to pre-purchase and fund new products before mass production. The platform's curation model requires executors to articulate novelty ("atarashii") and creator narratives, with dedicated curators accompanying each project from page design through delivery. Cumulative platform metrics reach 50,000+ projects and ¥120B+ (~US$8B) in total backing across 50,000+ projects.
Makuake's product surface has evolved beyond core crowdfunding into a Plan-Debut-Growth (PDG) lifecycle. Supporting services include Makuake Insight — an AI-augmented consumer research tool that visualizes purchase behavior and post-campaign review data; Makuake STORE for EC Malls — sales, promotion, and logistics outsourcing on Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, and TikTok Shop; Makuake Incubation Studio — new-business development support; and Diggly — a Rakuten-embedded discovery commerce page launched in April 2026. Distribution is augmented by physical retail partnerships with SB C&S (SoftBank group) and Nojima, plus a network of approximately 100 financial institution referral partners.
Makuake's business model rests primarily on transaction fees collected on successful crowdfunding campaigns, supplemented by commission-based revenue from Makuake STORE's EC mall operations and subscription/usage revenue from Makuake Insight. Pricing for individual campaigns is set by executors, while Makuake's take rate and Insight subscription pricing are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market combines product-led growth (the platform itself as primary acquisition channel), event-driven marketing (FIELDSTYLE TOKYO, Spring Headphone Festival, Makuake GINZA TOUCH LOUNGE popups), and channel partnerships with major Japanese e-commerce and electronics retailers. AI tooling is deployed as workflow augmentation for curators and as consumer insight analytics rather than as a standalone product offering.
Makuake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Makuake
- Legal name
- 株式会社マクアケ
- Website
- https://makuake.co.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Makuake is a Japanese crowdfunding and product-incubation platform, publicly listed on the TSE Growth Market (ticker 4479), that enables businesses and creators to fund and pre-sell new products through a curated "supportive purchasing" marketplace serving 3.3M+ supporters and complementing crowdfunding with post-campaign EC mall distribution and AI-powered consumer research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Makuake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Makuake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crowdfunding Transaction Fees: Makuake charges fees on successful crowdfunding/pre-order projects. The platform takes a commission on the total amount raised through project campaigns. This is the primary revenue stream, generating cumulative backing amounts exceeding 120 billion yen across 50,000+ projects.
- Makuake STORE EC Mall Services: Makuake operates branded storefronts on Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, and TikTok Shop (Makuake STORE), charging fees for sales, promotion, and logistics services rendered on behalf of project executors post-campaign. Handling 400+ SKUs across malls as of 2026, growing month-over-month.
- Makuake Insight Subscription: A B2B research-as-a-service tool provided to businesses and project executors, enabling access to consumer insights data and AI-powered analysis for product planning and development decisions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Makuake STORE commission for EC mall operations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Makuake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Makuake operates a curated crowdfunding and pre-order platform that connects project executors (businesses, manufacturers, and creators) with supporters who pre-purchase novel products and services before mass production. The platform takes a commission on successful projects and supports the full lifecycle from product planning and campaign curation through to post-campaign EC distribution via Makuake STORE on major marketplaces. Complementary services include Makuake Insight (AI-powered consumer research), Makuake STORE for EC Malls, and Makuake Incubation Studio.
Product overview
Makuake operates as a platform-plus-services architecture centered on its core crowdfunding/pre-order service (Makuake). The platform connects product creators (executors) with supporters for 'supportive purchasing' of new products and experiences. Supporting services include Makuakeインサイト for consumer research with AI-powered analysis, Makuake STORE for EC mall distribution (Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, TikTok Shop), Makuake Incubation Studio for business growth support, and Diggly for Rakuten-embedded discovery commerce. Additional services include Makuake quality standards (品質基準) and the Makuake Award recognition program. The PDG (Plan-Debut-Growth) cycle framework supports products from planning through crowdfunding debut to sustained general sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Makuake Incubation Studio: インキュベートスタジオプログラム（MIS）— 新規事業創出支援サービス
- Makuakeインサイト
- Makuake STORE
- Makuake STORE for ECモール
Products and services
- Makuake (マクアケ) Crowdfunding Platform Core crowdfunding and pre-order platform that connects project executors (businesses, manufacturers, creators) with supporters who pre-purchase novel products and services. Operates with dedicated curator accompaniment from page design through delivery.
- Makuake Insight (マクアケインサイト) AI-powered consumer insight research service available to businesses, visualizing who buys, why they purchase, and decision-making factors using proprietary purchase data and supporter voices.
- Makuake STORE for EC Mall (Makuake STORE for ECモール) Post-crowdfunding EC mall distribution service that handles sales, promotion, and logistics for project executors across Rakuten Market, Yahoo! Shopping, and TikTok Shop, enabling sustained retail growth after a Makuake campaign ends.
- Makuake STORE General sales platform supporting general retail availability for products that completed a Makuake crowdfunding campaign.
- Makuake Incubation Studio (MIS) Incubation support service for new business creation, providing tools and assistance for new product development and venture growth.
- Diggly (ディグリー) Curated discovery commerce experience on Rakuten Market that showcases Makuake STORE products with editorial-style storytelling content, focused on serendipitous discovery of new products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cumulative backing total exceeding 120 billion yen across 50,000+ projects
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Makuake
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Makuake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability6 records
Feature3 records
Makuake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, growth and support.
- SoftBank (SB C&S) — SoftBank GinzacoreMakuake and SB C&S co-hosted the 'Makuake GINZA TOUCH LOUNGE' popup at SoftBank Ginza (July 9-17, 2026), featuring ~10 gadgets and audio products from ongoing and past Makuake projects. Products were available for hands-on experience, with some available for purchase during the event.
- Rakuten Group (楽天グループ)coreMakuake partnered with Rakuten to launch 'Diggly,' a curated discovery shopping experience within Rakuten Market. Makuake STORE products are featured with editorial-style storytelling content. This aligns with Makuake's GROWTH phase strategy — extending product reach beyond the Makuake platform to Rakuten's massive user base. The Diggly page emphasizes serendipitous discovery and creator stories.
- OXS (Our X Space)minorOXS, a gaming audio brand from Shenzhen, China, launched its Thunder Duo Dolby Atmos speaker system on Makuake Japan, priced at 36% discount during the campaign period. This was OXS's Japan market debut, leveraging Makuake's platform reach.
- Kotsukotsu (コツコツ)minorKotsukotsu Co., Ltd. ran a Makuake crowdfunding project for its 'Emergency Yellow' disaster prevention pouch, inspired by the retired Doctor Yellow train. The project exceeded its 100,000 yen target within hours, raising over 2.5 million yen (2,500%+ of target).
- Nojima (ノジマ)growthMakuake partnered with consumer electronics retailer Nojima to provide in-store product experience opportunities. This is the first Makuake corner in Nojima stores, located in two metropolitan area stores, enabling consumers to try Makuake products before purchasing.
- Rakuten Group — Makuake STORE Rakuten BranchcoreMakuake operates a branded store on Rakuten Market as part of the Makuake STORE for EC Malls service. Makuake handles sales, promotion, and logistics for project executors on Rakuten. The store reached 400+ SKUs and won Rakuten Shop of the Month (Outdoors/Leisure) in April 2026.
- Yahoo! ShoppingcoreMakuake operates a branded storefront on Yahoo! Shopping as part of the Makuake STORE for EC Malls service, handling sales, promotion, and logistics for project executors. This extends product reach beyond the Makuake platform.
- TikTok ShopgrowthMakuake operates a store on TikTok Shop as part of Makuake STORE for EC Malls, enabling discovery commerce through short-form video and live shopping. Makuake hired a gadget video creator (200K+ followers) as an employee to strengthen TikTok Shop operations and live commerce strategy.
- SB C&S (SB C&S株式会社)coreSB C&S is a SoftBank Group company handling distribution of IoT products and smart appliances. The partnership, announced April 2025, supports Makuake project executors in transitioning from crowdfunding to mass retail. SB C&S provides access to SoftBank shops, electronics retailers, drugstores, EC, and B2B channels. The companies co-hosted the 'Makuake GINZA TOUCH LOUNGE' popup at SoftBank Ginza (July 9-17, 2026) showcasing Makuake products.
- Krys (France)minorRokid (via FutureModel) partnered with French optical retailer Krys to distribute Rokid smart glasses in France. Makuake enabled Rokid's Japan market success, which served as credibility for European expansion. Krys supports prescription lens requirements for Rokid glasses.
- Kaken Test Center (一般財団法人カケンテストセンター)supportMakuake partnered with Kaken Test Center, a textile and industrial testing institute founded in 1948, to strengthen quality control. Kaken assists with product testing, quality standards consultation, and advertising expression guidance to ensure Makuake quality standards are met.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Makuake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kibidango: Japan-focused import/crowdfunding platform bringing global products to Japanese consumers. Overlaps with Makuake in sourcing exclusive Japan-market product debuts.
- Kickstarter: Global crowdfunding pioneer operating a reward-based pre-order model for creative and hardware projects. Competes with Makuake for cross-border brand debuts and global creator mindshare.
- Indiegogo: International reward-based crowdfunding platform with strong tech/hardware positioning. Competes for global AI hardware and consumer electronics brands seeking early-adopter validation.
- Readyfor: Japanese crowdfunding platform with strong positioning in donation/cause-based and product crowdfunding. Overlaps with Makuake in the product incubation and pre-sales segment in Japan.
- Campfire: Japan's largest homegrown crowdfunding platform, operating a comparable pre-order/backing model for new products and creative projects. Directly competes with Makuake for Japanese creators and supporters.
Emerging players
- Mercari: Japanese C2C marketplace that has expanded into curated new-product discovery (Mercari Shops, Hallo). Adjacent as a Japan-focused marketplace exploring small-business product incubation.
Broad incumbents
- Patreon: Global creator monetization platform enabling recurring fan funding. While not a direct product pre-sale peer, it represents an alternative monetization model competing for creator mindshare.
Regional players
- Makuake STORE for EC Malls: Internal Makuake-operated storefront on Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, and TikTok Shop. Not a competitor but referenced as the post-crowdfunding distribution layer in Makuake's own PDG cycle.
Others
- Rakuten Group: Japan's largest e-commerce conglomerate and Makuake's strategic partner for both Makuake STORE and Diggly. Adjacent as a discovery/commerce infrastructure provider that could either accelerate or substitute Makuake's role.
- CyberAgent Group (Parent): Listed Japanese internet conglomerate and Makuake's parent company. Operates ABEMA and other digital platforms; provides strategic and capital support that distinguishes Makuake from independent peers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Makuake social profiles
Digital presenceMakuake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Makuake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Makuake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Makuake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments42 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Makuake
What does Makuake do?
Makuake operates a curated crowdfunding and pre-order platform that connects project executors (businesses, manufacturers, and creators) with supporters who pre-purchase novel products and services before mass production. The platform takes a commission on successful projects and supports the full lifecycle from product planning and campaign curation through to post-campaign EC distribution via Makuake STORE on major marketplaces. Complementary services include Makuake Insight (AI-powered consumer research), Makuake STORE for EC Malls, and Makuake Incubation Studio.
Is Makuake a public or private company?
Makuake is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Makuake founded?
Makuake was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Makuake based?
Makuake is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Makuake make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Crowdfunding Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are makuake STORE EC Mall Services and makuake Insight Subscription.
Who are Makuake's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kibidango, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Readyfor and Campfire. Mercari is listed as an emerging player. Patreon is listed as a broad incumbent. Makuake STORE for EC Malls is listed as a regional player. Others are Rakuten Group and CyberAgent Group (Parent).
Does Makuake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Makuake.