Kayou

What Kayou does

Kayou is a Chinese pan-entertainment company founded in 2011 that manufactures and distributes collectible trading card games and creative stationery products built on licensed intellectual property. The company holds nearly 100 exclusive licenses and over 400 product references across entertainment franchises including My Little Pony (in collaboration with Hasbro), NARUTO, tokidoki, Demon Slayer, Monster Jam, and Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, with revenue dependent on five franchises for 86.1% of the total. The core offering is physical blind-pack trading cards organized into multi-tier rarity systems — up to 11 tiers in the KPop Demon Hunters line, including serialized SE cards numbered 1 to 366 and general BP cards numbered 1 to 999 — sold in boxes of five wrapped packs at $19.99 (Classic) and $22.49 (Energy) in the US and RMB 10-20 per pack in China through the Fanatics-enabled NBA Match Attax 2025 launch. The company emphasizes explicit probability disclosure on packaging as a consumer-protection feature differentiating it from blind-pack competitors.

Revenue mechanics are predominantly one-time product sales through three channel layers: (1) a 217-distributor, 351-retail-center network in China; (2) major US and global retail including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, GameStop, plus TikTok Shop and authorized TCG resellers like Crossing TCG; and (3) Shopify-powered direct e-commerce storefronts in 12+ countries (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam). Go-to-market combines convention activations at NY Toy Fair, NY Comic Con, Singapore Comic Con, and Spielwarenmesse with social media presence across X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Xiaohongshu, and LinkedIn, plus engagement programs like the Chase the Magic sweepstakes and Play the Magic preview events. The customer base is individual collectors across four primary personas — trading card collectors, youth/adolescents in China, anime and pop-culture fans, and K-pop fandom — with franchise IP serving as the primary segmentation axis rather than enterprise account dynamics.

The business is in active international expansion: US market entry in September 2025, Southeast Asia via Singapore Comic Con in December 2025, and Europe via Spielwarenmesse in February 2026. The company is privately held with 5,001-10,000 employees, a Delaware-incorporated US subsidiary (KAYOU US OFFICIAL STORE TRADING LIMITED), and a US office in Dover, DE. No institutional funding rounds are disclosed, indicating founder/management-controlled growth funded through operating cash flow rather than external capital.

Name

Kayou

Legal name

KAYOU US OFFICIAL STORE TRADING LIMITED

Website

https://kayouofficial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Kayou is a Chinese collectibles company manufacturing licensed trading card games including My Little Pony, NARUTO, and NBA Match Attax. It sells via major retailers, direct e-commerce, and 217 Chinese distributors while expanding into US, European, and Southeast Asian markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collectible Trading Cards

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Collectible Card Games (CCG/TCG) Retail (CRALAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment) (CRALAGAB), Sports Trading Cards Retail (CRALAGAA), Collectibles & Trading Cards Distribution (CRAOAMAC), Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI)

Keywords

• Collectible trading cards
• Licensed IP merchandise
• Anime trading cards
• Creative stationery products
• Sports trading cards

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trading Card Sales: Primary revenue from collectible trading cards featuring licensed IPs including My Little Pony, Naruto, Demon Slayer, KPop Demon Hunters, tokidoki, and Monster Jam. Products sold in packs, boxes, and collector editions at various price points.
2. Licensed IP Products: Revenue from toys, stationery, and collectible figures based on licensed intellectual properties. Expansion beyond cards into collectible figures, stationery, and bundled products.
3. Sports Trading Cards: NBA Match Attax 2025 series as first officially licensed NBA trading card product in China, priced at RMB 10 and RMB 20 per pack through Fanatics partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kayou manufactures and sells collectible trading card games and creative stationery products built on nearly 100 exclusive licensed intellectual properties including My Little Pony, NARUTO, tokidoki, KPop Demon Hunters, and NBA. Products are sold in sealed packs, boxes, and collector editions with multi-rarity tier systems including serialized limited edition cards, distributed through direct e-commerce, major retailers, and a large-scale China distributor network.

Product overview

Kayou is a Chinese pan-entertainment company specializing in trading cards and collectibles. The company's product portfolio consists primarily of licensed trading card games and collectible card sets across multiple intellectual properties including My Little Pony (Friendship Eternal Cards series), NARUTO (Smriti Collectible Card Heaven Scroll), tokidoki (Wonder Voyage Collection), KPop Demon Hunters (Classic and Energy editions), and NBA Match Attax 2025 (via Fanatics partnership). The core offering comprises physical trading cards with various rarity levels, often bundled with fan engagement programs like the 'Chase the Magic' sweepstakes. The company operates primarily as a product manufacturer and IP licensee, with distribution through its own online stores, retail partners (Amazon, Best Buy, Target, GameStop), and distributor networks across China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the U.S. The portfolio also extends into collectible figures, stationery, and bundled products, supported by event activations like Play the Magic preview nights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KPop Demon Hunters: Collectible trading card collection based on Netflix's animated film KPop Demon Hunters, featuring Classic and Energy editions
• My Little Pony Friendship Eternal Cards
• Chase the Magic

Products and services

• My Little Pony Friendship Eternal Cards Trading card game and collectible card series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise, available in multiple editions including Moon Edition and Moon Edition 2 with various rarity levels and 189 cards in the latest edition. Targeted at MLP collectors and youth fans.
• NARUTO Smriti Collectible Card Heaven Scroll Trading card collection based on the NARUTO anime franchise, featuring characters and scenes from the series in a collector-focused format for anime fans.
• tokidoki Wonder Voyage Collection Cards Roaming Edition Trading card collection featuring the tokidoki brand's whimsical characters and designs, part of Kayou's lifestyle and entertainment IP portfolio.
• KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Trading card collection based on Netflix's animated KPop Demon Hunters film, available in Classic Edition ($19.99) and Energy Edition ($22.49). Features 11 rarity levels including serialized SE cards inspired by the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song 'Golden', numbered 1 to 366, and BP cards numbered 1 to 999. Each box contains five individually wrapped packs of eight cards.
• NBA Match Attax 2025 China's first officially licensed NBA trading card product, launched in partnership with Fanatics Collectibles. Priced at RMB 10 and RMB 20 per pack, distributed through 217 distributors and 351 retail centers nationwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Market expansion from 2.8B to 26.3B yuan in China's card trading market (2019-2024), eightfold growth driven by youth interest

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Fanatics CollectiblesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2025Partnership with global sports and entertainment collectibles giant Fanatics Collectibles to jointly launch NBA Match Attax 2025 series as China's first officially licensed NBA trading card product. Represents Fanatics' market entry into China and Kayou's debut in sports IP trading cards.
• HasbroflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 2 February 2025Collaboration with American toy and game company Hasbro to launch MY LITTLE PONY Friendship Eternal Cards – Moon Edition 2 in the US market. Includes sweepstakes program allowing fans to design a pony character with the original MLP artist Andy Price. First market for new version of My Little Pony Card Game.
• Crossing TCGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized third-party retailer partner in the US market for My Little Pony, Naruto, and tokidoki trading cards. Products available on crossingtcg.com official website.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering Kayou's online store operations, providing website hosting, payment processing, and personalized advertising services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Topps (Fanatics Collectibles): Topps, now owned by Fanatics Collectibles, is a major trading card manufacturer spanning sports (MLB, NBA, NFL licenses) and entertainment (Star Wars, Marvel). It is directly comparable as a licensed-IP trading card competitor and is also the parent of Kayou's NBA Match Attax partner Fanatics Collectibles.
• The Pokémon Company: The Pokémon Company operates the world's largest trading card game (Pokémon TCG) with global distribution and multi-billion dollar revenue. It is directly comparable as a collectible card game (CCG/TCG) manufacturer and is the dominant force Kayou competes against in the global TCG market.
• Upper Deck: Upper Deck manufactures licensed sports and entertainment trading cards (NHL, Marvel, Disney) with global distribution. Directly comparable as a licensed-IP trading card manufacturer competing in the same sports and entertainment card categories Kayou operates in.
• Panini: Panini is the global leader in sports and entertainment trading cards (including the Match Attax line that Kayou now co-distributes with Fanatics in China). It is directly comparable as a licensed-IP trading card manufacturer and distributor with global multi-category presence in sports and entertainment collectibles.
• Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering): Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary, operates Magic: The Gathering, the world's premier fantasy TCG. Directly comparable as a TCG manufacturer and Hasbro-affiliated entity (Kayou partners with Hasbro for MLP). Magic demonstrates the global TCG scale Kayou aspires to.
• Konami (Yu-Gi-Oh!): Konami manufactures and distributes the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game globally, one of the top three TCGs alongside Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. Directly comparable as a licensed-IP (anime-based) trading card game manufacturer with global distribution and collector communities.

Broad incumbents

• Funko: Funko is a publicly traded collectibles manufacturer known for Pop! vinyl figures spanning entertainment, anime, and sports licenses. Comparable as a multi-IP licensed collectibles manufacturer and retailer with global distribution, though it focuses on figures rather than trading cards.
• Hasbro: Hasbro is a major toy and games company and Kayou's Flagship licensing partner for My Little Pony. Comparable as a brand licensor and major collectibles/games manufacturer (Magic: The Gathering, Monopoly, MLP). Hasbro's MLP franchise is foundational to Kayou's Western market entry.
• Bandai Namco: Bandai Namco is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate that manufactures licensed collectibles including anime trading cards, figures, and toys. Comparable as a Japanese-anchored licensed-IP collectibles manufacturer with strong anime IP relationships (overlapping with Kayou's Naruto and Demon Slayer licenses).

Others

• Fauna (formerly Cardmarket): Cardmarket is Europe's largest TCG secondary marketplace. Comparable as ecosystem infrastructure for the European trading card market where Kayou is entering, providing insight into collector community dynamics and secondary-market liquidity that drives primary sales.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PonyJPEventKY
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kayou_us
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kayouanimation
• Instagraminstagram.com/kayouus
• TikToktiktok.com/@kayou_us

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kayou