Gmo Brand Security Inc.

What Gmo Brand Security Inc. does

GMO Brand Security Inc. is a Tokyo-headquartered brand security consulting firm founded in 2004 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GMO Internet Group, Inc. (TSE: 9449). The company sells domain name management, trademark registration and watching, anti-spoofing, and brand top-level domain (Brand TLD) services to large Japanese corporations, financial institutions, and IP-heavy manufacturers, serving 1,189 client companies with 3,450 BRANTECT users as of December 2025.

The firm's core products include BRANTECT byGMO, a cloud-based trademark and domain portfolio management platform with Japan Patent Office online filing integration; GMO Brand Surveillance, an AI-assisted monitoring system covering domains, websites, social media, and marketplaces; BIMI/VMC email authentication certificates issued via GlobalSign (priced at 180,000 JPY/year) for brand logo display in Gmail, Fastmail, and KDDI Mail; the GMO Narisumashi Taisaku Seal for website authentication; and Brand TLD application and operations support, exemplified by Toray (.toray, since 2012) and Bridgestone deployments across 150+ countries. The company also operates domain registration services across 200+ countries, IPv4 address transfer brokerage, NFT domain protection via Unstoppable Domains partnership, and professional services for trademark search, filing, and dispute resolution.

Revenue is generated through annual recurring subscriptions (VMC certificates, BRANTECT seats, brand surveillance), trademark and domain professional services fees, transaction-based brokerage on IPv4 transfers, and one-time Brand TLD application project fees. The company employs 72 staff (108 including related companies) at December 2025 (67% Tokyo, 19% Kyoto, 10% Vietnam, with smaller Osaka, Okinawa, Luxembourg, and Seoul presences) and runs a wholly-owned operating subsidiary in Vietnam alongside branch offices in Seoul and Naha. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for large accounts, inside sales for inbound inquiries, a partner channel program for BIMI/VMC mid-market reach, and free self-service spoofing risk diagnostics.

Name

Gmo Brand Security Inc.

Legal name

GMOブランドセキュリティ株式会社（GMO BRAND SECURITY Inc.）

Website

https://brandsecurity.gmo

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GMO Brand Security Inc. is a Tokyo-based Japanese brand security consulting firm founded in 2004, providing domain management, trademark services, BIMI/VMC email authentication, anti-spoofing tools, and Brand TLD solutions to large Japanese enterprises and financial institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Protection Software

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Brand Guidelines, Governance & Brand Management (BPAFAEAF)

Keywords

• Brand protection services
• Domain name management
• Trademark management
• Email authentication certificates
• Anti-spoofing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibuya, Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based Brand Protection Services: Recurring subscription services for brand monitoring, surveillance, trademark management, and domain management. Services include GMO Brand Surveillance, BRANTECT byGMO platform subscriptions, and trademark watching services billed annually.
2. Certificate Services (VMC/BIMI): Annual certificate issuance for Verified Mark Certificates (VMC) enabling BIMI logo display in emails. Certificates are priced at 180,000 JPY per year (tax excluded) and require annual renewal.
3. IPv4 Address Transfer Services: Brokerage service connecting sellers and buyers of IPv4 addresses. The company acts as an escrow agent, facilitating transfer of unused IPv4 addresses to entities that need them, with transaction fees embedded in the service.
4. Domain Registration and Management: Domain name registration, renewal, and management services across 200+ countries and regions. Includes brand TLD application support, domain storage services, and backorder services.
5. Professional Services: Professional services including trademark search (Quick Search, Regular Search, Screening), application support, consultation, enforcement support, and domain dispute resolution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GMO Brand Security provides brand protection consulting, AI-powered brand surveillance, cloud-based trademark and domain portfolio management (BRANTECT byGMO), email authentication via BIMI/VMC certificates, Brand TLD acquisition and operations support, and anti-spoofing tools for Japanese enterprises. The company sells recurring subscriptions to its software platforms, annual certificate issuance, and professional services spanning trademark search, application, and enforcement across 218 countries and regions.

Product overview

GMO Brand Security Inc. offers a comprehensive brand protection platform consisting of multiple integrated products and services. The core offerings include: (1) GMOなりすましZERO as the main anti-spoofing platform; (2) BIMI/VMC and GMOなりすまし対策シール for email and website brand authentication; (3) BRANTECT byGMO as the cloud-based trademark management platform; (4) GMOブランドサーベランス and GMOエンフォース１ for AI-powered monitoring and enforcement; (5) GMOブランドサーベランス For ドメインネーム for domain surveillance; (6) GMO「.貴社名」(Brand TLD) service for brand top-level domain registration and operations; and (7) supporting tools including GMOドメインドクター, GMOドメインストレージ, GMOドメインブロック, GMO商标クイックサーチ, and nomyne byGMO. Additional services include プレミアムIPv4アドレス移転サービス, NFTドメイン/オーバーライドサービス, SSL/TLS certificates, and trademark watching services for global and China-specific markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BRANTECT byGMO: Cloud-based intellectual property data management service for brand portfolio management
• GMOなりすましZERO
• BRANDTODAY
• nomyne byGMO
• GMOブランドサーベランス
• GMOエンフォース１
• GMOドメインドクター
• GMOドメインブロック

Products and services

• GMO Anti-Spoofing ZERO (GMOなりすましZERO) Comprehensive anti-spoofing and brand protection platform offering risk diagnosis, monitoring, and removal support for brand impersonation threats across domains, websites, social media, and marketplaces.
• BIMI/VMC Email Brand Authentication (企業ロゴ付きメール/企業ロゴ所有証明書) Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) and Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) services that display brand logos in emails, enabling recipients to visually confirm emails are from legitimate companies and reducing phishing and spoofing risks when combined with DMARC. Certificates available in VMC (Corporate), GMC (Government), CMC (Common), and MRMC (Modified Registered) variants at 180,000 JPY/year each, supported in Gmail, Fastmail, and au mail.
• GMO Anti-Spoofing Countermeasure Seal (GMOなりすまし対策シール) Anti-spoofing seal service that authenticates websites by verifying site operator legitimacy, domain ownership, and trademark registration, proving sites are operated with proper authorization.
• BRANTECT byGMO Cloud Trademark Management Platform Cloud-based brand portfolio management service specializing in trademark management, offering trademark status tracking, examination process visualization, renewal management, trademark matrix creation, geographic mapping of registered trademarks, custom field settings, naming management, and direct integration with the Japan Patent Office online filing system.
• GMO Brand Surveillance (AI-powered, GMOブランドサーベイランス) AI-powered brand surveillance service that monitors brand infringement across domain names, websites, social media, and marketplaces using AI to homogenize evaluation quality and eliminate risks associated with human evaluators such as evaluation variability, staff turnover, knowledge loss, and handover errors.
• GMO EnforceOne (GMOエンフォース1) Brand Enforcement Service Brand enforcement service that provides comprehensive support for brand infringement actions including investigation, arbitration, transfer negotiations, site takedowns, and social media account deletion.
• GMO Brand Surveillance for Domain Names (GMOブランドサーベイランス For ドメイン名) Domain name surveillance service that detects and monitors domain names containing brand names or specified strings, identifying domain name risks and providing ongoing online monitoring of historical registrations and ownership searches.
• GMO ".YourCompanyName" Brand TLD Application and Operations Support Service Brand Top-Level Domain (Brand TLD) application and operations support service enabling companies to use their brand name as the top-level domain, with migration support and operational consulting. The company claims the highest domestic share of Brand TLD implementations in Japan.
• GMO Domain Doctor (GMOドメインドクター) Diagnostic Tool Quick diagnosis tool for domain name management that scores and visualizes internal domain management status based on industry and company size.
• GMO Domain Storage (GMOドメインストレージ) Domain storage service that consolidates all unused domain names in a single storage unit for simplified management with cost-effective renewal decisions.
• GMO Domain Block (GMOドメインブロック) Defensive Registration Service Domain blocking service that prevents unauthorized registration of brand-related domain names across hundreds of top-level domains, offering efficient brand protection at lower cost through partnerships with GlobalBlock and AdultBlock providers.
• Premium IPv4 Address Transfer Service (プレミアムIPv4アドレス移転サービス) Premium IPv4 address transfer service that supports the sale and transfer of unused IPv4 addresses from sellers to buyers, including international transfers, with escrow agent services. Pricing is transaction-based depending on IP block size ranging from /20 to /16 blocks.
• nomyne byGMO Naming Search Engine Naming-specific search engine that discovers similar names not found through keyword searches, with multilingual negative meaning and similarity checking capabilities for brand naming decisions.
• GMO Trademark Quick Search (GMO商標クイックサーチ) Fast trademark similarity search service with delivery in principle within 5 business days, featuring local lawyer evaluation of similarity and negative meanings across jurisdictions.
• GMO Express SSL (GMO即時SSL) Express SSL certificate issuance service that completes issuance procedures online in as little as 1 business day, offered in combination with GMO Sign electronic contract service.
• NFT Domain / Override Service (NFTドメイン/オーバーライドサービス) NFT domain service that enables brand owners and trademark holders to protect NFT domains matching their brands under specific conditions, in partnership with Unstoppable Domains, the world's largest NFT domain registry.
• Brand Naming Support Service (ブランドネーミング等支援サービス) Brand naming support service that coordinates with naming and logo development professionals to propose optimal names with high registration possibility from the initial development stage.
• Global Trademark Watching Service (グローバル・トレードマーク・ウォッチング) Global trademark watching service monitoring trademark publication and registration status across 218 countries and regions, all 45 classes, detecting identical and similar trademarks through transliteration and translation.
• China Trademark Watching Service (中国・トレードマーク・ウォッチング) China-specific trademark watching service addressing the high risk of piracy applications in China, with expertise in handling pinyin (Chinese phonetic transcription) comparisons.

Quantifiable outcome

• AI homogenizes evaluation and eliminates human-related risks including evaluation variation, staff turnover, and handover mistakes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GlobalSign (GMOグローバルサイン)coreTechnology or IntegrationGlobalSign serves as the root certificate authority for VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) issuance. As GMO Internet Group's SSL/TLS certificate provider, GlobalSign enables stable BIMI/VMC email operations by providing the foundational certificate infrastructure.
• ICANNcoreTechnology or IntegrationICANN-accredited registrar enabling domain registration and management services. The company is recognized as an ICANN-accredited registrar since 2008, facilitating brand TLD applications and gTLD management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization): UN agency that administers the Madrid and PCT international IP filing systems. GMO Brand Security partners with WIPO for domain dispute resolution (UDRP), but WIPO is itself a regulator and infrastructure provider rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Clarivate: Broader IP intelligence and scientific research company that owns MarkMonitor and CompuMark. Overlaps with GMO Brand Security across trademark, domain, and brand protection but operates at much larger scale with a wider portfolio of IP and analytics products.
• Deloitte (Brand & IP Advisory): Global professional services firm with brand strategy and IP advisory practices serving multinational enterprises. While not a direct product competitor, Deloitte competes for brand governance and trademark strategy engagements that overlap with GMO's consulting work.

Emerging players

• IPlytics: Patent and trademark analytics platform focused on IP intelligence and portfolio management. Adjacent competitor to BRANTECT byGMO in the trademark/patent portfolio management layer, primarily serving technology and life sciences clients.
• PhishLabs: Specializes in email phishing threat detection, brand impersonation takedowns, and dark web monitoring. Overlaps with GMO's brand surveillance and enforcement (GMO Enforcement 1) services, particularly in the anti-spoofing layer.
• Valimail: Specializes in email authentication (DMARC, BIMI) and anti-spoofing, the same standards-based segment where GMO Brand Security's BIMI/VMC products compete. More focused on a single product layer but a credible emerging competitor in the BIMI space.

Direct peers

• CompuMark: Clarivate's trademark research and clearance platform offering trademark searching, watching, and brand protection analytics. Directly competes with GMO's trademark quick search and global watching services.
• Corsearch: Provider of trademark searching, watching, brand protection, and anti-counterfeiting solutions primarily for brand owners and law firms. Closely comparable to GMO's BRANTECT and trademark watching business, with broader global reach.
• CSC (Digital Brand Services): CSC's Digital Brand Services division provides domain name management, brand protection, online fraud detection, and enforcement services for global enterprises. Directly comparable in the domain and anti-counterfeiting layers of GMO's offering.
• MarkMonitor: A Clarivate-owned brand protection platform offering domain management, trademark monitoring, anti-counterfeiting, and anti-piracy services to global enterprises. Most direct competitor to GMO Brand Security's combined domain + trademark + surveillance stack, but operates at significantly larger global scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/brandtoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/brandsecurity.gmo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gmobrandsecurity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Gmo Brand Security Inc.