What GROOVE does

GROOVE is a Tokyo-based e-commerce consulting firm founded in 2015 by Kengo Tanaka, a former Amazon Japan employee, specializing in helping Japanese manufacturers sell on Amazon and other D2C channels. The firm offers an end-to-end service catalog spanning Amazon consulting, EC/D2C total marketing, market research and data analysis, creative production, advertising operations, product planning, training and internalization support, and cross-border expansion, with newer add-on offerings in TikTok Shop consulting, Amazon DSP advertising, and AMC (Amazon Marketing Cloud) analysis. Underlying technology consists of proprietary market analysis tools, text-mining-based review analysis, and a positioning framework, layered on top of Amazon-native platforms (AMC, DSP) — there is no disclosed proprietary AI model. The business model is primarily B2B professional services revenue from 100+ manufacturer clients, augmented by owned-brand product sales via subsidiary AINEXT (株式会社AINEXT), a D2C manufacturer.

The firm holds Amazon Ads Advanced Partner status and Amazon SPN (Service Provider Network) designation, and was named a finalist/semi-finalist across multiple categories at the 2026 Amazon Ads Partner Awards. Named enterprise clients include Kokuyo, Morinaga Milk, Kai Corporation, Combi, Asia Symbol Japan Trading, and Ilmild, alongside a broader mid-market and SMB client base. Founder-led thought leadership is amplified through the 'Tanaken no EC Daigaku' YouTube channel (~38,000 subscribers), which functions as an inbound demand-generation asset.

The group (GROOVE plus AINEXT) has reported combined annual revenue of approximately ¥5 billion achieved within six years of founding. Revenue mix is bifurcated: GROOVE generates consulting and advertising-management fees from a broad client base, while AINEXT contributes product sales from owned D2C brands. Distribution is anchored by direct platform partnerships with Amazon and by content-driven lead generation, with limited geographic reach beyond Japan at present despite cross-border service offerings.

Name

GROOVE

Legal name

株式会社GROOVE

Website

https://grooveinc.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GROOVE is a Tokyo-based Amazon EC and D2C consulting firm founded in 2015 by a former Amazon Japan employee, serving 100-plus Japanese manufacturers with advertising operations, creative, market analysis, and cross-border expansion services, complemented by owned-brand product sales via subsidiary AINEXT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kami-meguro

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Amazonコンサルティングサービス: Comprehensive Amazon consulting services including strategy development, various analyses, store operations, advertising management, creative improvement, and product planning. Delivered as an all-in-one consulting engagement.
2. EC/D2C_totalkマーケティングサービス: EC total marketing services covering entire EC strategy, mall operations, external advertising, SNS strategy, branding, and distribution control across Amazon, Rakuten, Yahoo!, and proprietary EC sites.
3. 市場調査・データ分析サービス: Market research and data analysis services including category market trend analysis, share rate analysis, consumer needs analysis, competitive analysis, seasonality analysis, and review analysis.
4. クリエイティブ制作サービス: Creative production services including product page creation, CTR/CVR improvement, copywriting, brand store creation, and video production.
5. 研修・内製化サポート: Training and internalization support services including Amazon master courses, advertising operator courses, OFF-JT training, ON-JT support, knowledge transfer, and EC organization building assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GROOVE provides e-commerce consulting and marketing services for manufacturers and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, specializing in Amazon operations. The company delivers end-to-end support including strategy development, store operations, advertising management (DSP, sponsored products), creative production, market research and data analysis, product planning, and training/internalization programs for client teams.

Product overview

GROOVE is a D2C consulting company specializing in Amazon EC operations, offering a comprehensive suite of services structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include Amazon Consulting (strategy, store operations, advertising, creative), EC/D2C Total Marketing (multi-platform strategy, branding, distribution control), Market Research & Data Analysis (proprietary analysis tools for market intelligence), Creative Production, Advertising Operations, Product Planning & Development, Training & Internalization Support, and Cross-border Expansion. Additional specialized modules include TikTok Shop Consulting, Amazon DSP Advertising, and AMC (Amazon Marketing Cloud) Analysis services. The company operates primarily as a consulting service provider rather than a SaaS platform, with services delivered through direct client engagement and proprietary methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Amazon Consulting (Amazonコンサルティング) Comprehensive Amazon EC consulting service covering strategy planning, store operations, advertising, creative improvement, and product planning for D2C brands and manufacturers.
• EC/D2C Total Marketing (ECトータルマーケティング) Full-service EC/D2C marketing including overall EC strategy, multi-mall operations across Amazon/Rakuten/Yahoo!, external advertising, SNS strategy, branding, and distribution control.
• Market Research & Data Analysis (市場調査・データ分析) Amazon-specific market research including category trend analysis, share rate analysis, consumer needs analysis, competitive analysis, seasonality analysis, and review analysis using proprietary tools.
• Creative Production (クリエイティブ制作) Product page creation, CTR/CVR improvement, copywriting, brand store creation, and video production for Amazon and other EC platforms.
• Advertising Operations (広告運用) Comprehensive advertising services including ad planning and operations, keyword analysis, ad performance maximization, weekly/monthly reporting, and non-Amazon ad operations.
• Product Planning & Development (商品企画・商品開発) Market entry research, concept design, package design, marketing/sales planning, and manufacturing/logistics support for new product development for manufacturers and D2C brands.
• Training & Internalization Support (研修・内製化サポート) EC talent development programs including Amazon Master Course, advertising operator courses, OFF-JT training, ON-JT support, knowledge transfer, and EC organization building support for client teams.
• Cross-border Expansion (海外進出・国内進出) Support services for international Amazon expansion, Japan market entry for foreign brands, product page localization, overseas product planning, Amazon relations, and advisory services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client achieved 2.66x sales increase within 1 year plus 171% improvement in new customer acquisition rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon AdscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2026GROOVE maintains a strategic partnership with Amazon Ads as an Advanced Partner. The company has been recognized multiple times in Amazon Ads Partner Awards, demonstrating deep expertise in Amazon advertising solutions including DSP, sponsored products, and programmatic advertising.
• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGROOVE operates as an Amazon SPN (Solution Provider Network) partner with multiple Amazon certifications. Many former Amazon Japan employees work at GROOVE, enabling deep platform expertise and collaborative seminar programs with Amazon.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DELION: Japanese Amazon-focused digital marketing agency offering Amazon store operations, advertising, and creative services to manufacturers. Closest direct competitor to GROOVE in Japan, targeting the same D2C manufacturer segment.
• Itsumo (株式会社いつも): Japanese EC/D2C consulting firm supporting manufacturers and brands across Amazon, Rakuten, and other marketplaces with operations, advertising, and cross-border services. Comparable business model and target customer base to GROOVE.
• Mamasan & Company: Japanese D2C marketing and EC agency that supports manufacturers and brands with Amazon operations, advertising, and creative. Operates in the same Japan manufacturer-D2C transition niche as GROOVE.
• Buy Box Experts: US Amazon agency offering account management, advertising, content optimization, and DSP services to brands selling on Amazon. Comparable Amazon-specific consulting stack to GROOVE.
• Ricerka (株式会社リチェルカ): Japanese Amazon marketing agency providing advertising operations, store management, and creative services to manufacturers. Direct Japan competitor to GROOVE in the same D2C Amazon niche.
• EC-GAIN: Japanese EC consulting firm specializing in Amazon and Rakuten operations, advertising, and analytics for manufacturers. Comparable Amazon-focused consulting services and target market to GROOVE.

Broad incumbents

• Pattern (Pattern Brands): Global Amazon accelerator offering marketplace strategy, advertising, and brand-building services worldwide. Comparable service line to GROOVE but with much larger global scale and a more brand-portfolio focus.
• Flywheel Digital: Large US-based Amazon-focused agency within Omnicom Group providing retail media, DSP, AMC, and creative services to brands on Amazon. Comparable Amazon advertising and analytics capabilities to GROOVE's offerings.

Emerging players

• Carbon6: Amazon-ecosystem SaaS and services provider offering advertising automation, analytics, and brand-protection tools, plus agency services. Comparable Amazon advertising focus but more productized/SaaS-leaning than GROOVE.
• Ampla: US-based Amazon and D2C growth agency offering advertising, content, and analytics services to brands. Comparable Amazon/D2C consulting model to GROOVE, smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ec8531

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 GROOVE