Project Asteri

What Project Asteri does

Project Asteri, Inc. is a boutique artist management and label services company founded in January 2020 by Kimi Kato and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company is structured as a privately held firm with no disclosed external institutional funding and operates with a small core team including a Korea lead (Leslie Cho). Its functional role is to serve as a cross-border bridge between Japanese artists seeking international audiences and international artists seeking entry into the Japanese market, with operational presence across the United States, Japan, and Korea.

The company delivers four services: artist management, music production and distribution, marketing and promotion planning and execution, and A&R and label services support. Revenue mechanics are a mix of professional services fees (artist management, marketing campaigns) and recurring distribution royalties plus licensing income. Pricing is fully quote-based with no published rate card; go-to-market is event- and relationship-driven, including live concert experiences such as the "ennichi" Japanese Music Experience LA event (scheduled December 2025), matsuri-format live events, concert film screenings, artist showcases in Tokyo and Seoul, and The Kimi Kato Show radio program syndicated across US, Japan, and France (added via My Indie Radio Paris in October 2025 and FM HOPE / Kyushu Osaka FM HOPE in November 2025) plus Pantheon Podcasts and Radio Candy Media for podcast distribution.

The underlying platform is not a technology product; it is a relationship and events business anchored by the founder's two decades of experience at Universal Music Japan, Virgin Music, and Avex and by Leslie Cho's 25+ years at Warner Music, BMG, and Universal Music. The current and adjacent client roster includes BAND-MAID, MACO, SiM, HEY-SMITH, Kroi, BEK & Moberg, CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE, and Ako, with prior or referenced work touching OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM (cited at 10B+ streams), PSYCHIC FEVER ("Just Like Dat" cited at 300M+ views), Steve Aoki, Laufey, Dayglow, JVKE, Beverly, and f5ve. Strategic institutional ties in 2025 include CEIPA (Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association), Toyota Group via the MUSIC WAY PROJECT, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Government of Japan.

Name

Project Asteri

Legal name

Project Asteri, Inc

Website

https://projectasteri.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Asteri is a Los Angeles-based boutique artist management and label services company founded in 2020 that bridges Japanese artists with international markets and international artists with Japanese audiences, operating across the US, Japan, and Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Label Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Artist management services
• Music label services
• Music distribution
• Marketing and promotion
• Artist development

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Artist Management Services: Comprehensive label services for independent artists including A&R, marketing, promotion, and career development
2. Music Distribution: Distribution and exposure services for independent artists and labels in the United States, Japan, and Korea markets
3. Record Label Services: Production and release services under Project Asteri label including MACO's releases (HEARTBREAKER, MY LIFE MY LOVE) and BEK & Moberg releases
4. Marketing and Promotion: Planning and executing marketing and promotion campaigns for artists across US, Japan, and Korea markets

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Project Asteri is a boutique artist management and label services company that provides music production, distribution, and strategic marketing and promotion for artists and labels across the United States, Japan, and Korea markets. The company serves as a cross-border bridge, helping Japanese artists achieve global reach and assisting international artists with entry into the Japanese market. Additionally, it operates The Kimi Kato Show radio/podcast program and a Shopify-powered merchandise online store as supporting brand assets.

Product overview

Project Asteri is a boutique artist management and label services company offering a unified portfolio of services including comprehensive label services, artist management, music production and distribution, and strategic marketing and promotion across the United States, Japan, and Korea markets. The company also operates The Kimi Kato Show, a radio/podcast program showcasing Japanese culture and music, and maintains an online merchandise store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist Management Services
• Music Distribution
• Marketing and Promotion
• Record Label Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 billion total streams for represented artist OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Kyushu Osaka FM HOPEmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 November 2025Japanese radio station airing The Kimi Kato Show every Sunday at 6:00 PM, Wednesday at 1:00 AM, and Thursday at 8:00 PM JST, marking domestic Japan broadcast expansion.
• CEIPA (Japan Culture and Entertainment Industry Promotion Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025CEIPA, established by five major Japanese music industry organizations, co-presents the MUSIC WAY PROJECT with Toyota Group. Project Asteri is involved in organizing ennichi '25 Japanese Music Experience LA featuring performances by Japanese artists, including an industry mixer and panel discussion to promote Japanese music globally.
• Toyota GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Co-presenting MUSIC WAY PROJECT with CEIPA, supporting Japanese music globalization initiatives including ennichi '25 event in Los Angeles with live performances and cultural experiences.
• My Indie RadiomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 October 2025Paris-based indie radio station beginning to air The Kimi Kato Show every Friday from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM CEST, expanding European broadcast reach.
• Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of JapancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProject Asteri leads a music export project for Japanese artists in collaboration with the Agency of Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, supporting international expansion of Japanese music.
• Pantheon PodcastscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPodcast distribution partner for The Kimi Kato Show, providing platform for hosting and distribution of the weekly Japanese culture podcast.
• Radio Candy MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRadio broadcast partner in Los Angeles for The Kimi Kato Show and related Evolve Entertainment Network shows, airing on Radio Candy Radio station.
• Evolve Entertainment Network / Radio EvolvemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Evolve Entertainment Network founded by Jeremiah D. Higgins; Project Asteri co-produces The Kimi Kato Show and Radio Evolve features the show in Santa Barbara broadcast.
• Multiple Radio Station Partners (Soul of Indie, Alt Philly Rocks, Alt Radio Rocks, KOR Radio Rocks, etc.)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Kimi Kato Show broadcasts on multiple radio stations across US (NY, Philadelphia, Boston, Santa Barbara) and UK (London, Somerset) providing wide geographic distribution.
• Music Connection MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry publication partnership featuring The Kimi Kato Show and associated artists, providing media coverage and credibility.
• AvexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast employer relationship; CEO Kimi Kato joined Avex in 2016 as Corporate Executive for Avex International Inc., overseeing artist signings, content acquisitions, licensing, and distribution.
• Universal Music JapanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast employer relationship; CEO Kimi Kato was Board member responsible for International division at Universal Music LLC in Japan for nearly a decade.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Believe Music: Global digital music company offering distribution, label, and artist services worldwide, including dedicated Japan operations. Comparable as a label services and distribution provider, but at vastly greater scale and across multiple genres.
• Being Inc. Major Japanese music company covering label, management, distribution, and publishing across J-Pop and anime-adjacent catalogs. Comparable as a J-music ecosystem player with both domestic and international licensing operations.

Regional players

• Toy's Factory: Established Japanese independent music label covering artist management, distribution, and live events. Comparable as a full-service indie music label/management company with both domestic and limited international reach.
• B:C Records: Japanese independent record label focused on artist development and international-facing J-Rock/J-Pop releases. Comparable in catalog positioning (J-Rock/J-Pop indie label) but operates primarily from Japan with domestic emphasis.
• Office Augusta: Japanese artist management and music production company representing notable J-Pop and J-Rock artists. Comparable in offering integrated management, A&R, and label services, though Japan-domestic in focus.

Direct peers

• 88rising: US-headquartered record label and media company that bridges Asian (predominantly East Asian) music and culture to global audiences. Operates the closest analog to Project Asteri's cross-border music bridge model, though at a much larger scale and broader Asian scope.
• JPU Records: UK-based independent record label specializing in international distribution and promotion of Japanese music outside Japan. Directly comparable as a boutique J-music international distribution specialist.

Emerging players

• Far East Recording / Far East Movement: Asian-American music collective and label with cross-border US-Asia distribution ambitions. Partially comparable as an Asian-Western cross-cultural music venture, though more genre-focused (hip-hop/electronic) than Project Asteri.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/projectasteri
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectasteri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-asteri
• Instagraminstagram.com/project_asteri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Project Asteri