Kun Gao, the founder and former CEO of Crunchyroll, has launched AniBiz.com, a B2B marketplace targeting the global anime industry. Gao's media company Nakama built the platform in collaboration with major anime IP holders including Aniplex, Toei Animation, and other top studios.
AniBiz operates as a dedicated licensing and distribution platform, connecting anime creators and rights holders with international partners seeking content. The marketplace addresses a fragmentation problem in the anime industry, where licensing deals historically scattered across multiple channels and negotiated between individual parties rather than through centralized infrastructure.
Gao leads the venture alongside co-founders Brady McCollum (CEO) and Sae Whan Song. The trio positions AniBiz as infrastructure for an industry that has exploded in global popularity over the past five years, driven largely by streaming platforms like Crunchyroll itself. Where Crunchyroll revolutionized anime distribution to consumers, AniBiz targets the business-to-business side, streamlining how studios, production companies, and distributors move titles across territories.
The platform's roster of participating studios signals serious industry backing. Aniplex, Sony's anime production subsidiary and owner of massive franchises including Demon Slayer, provides significant firepower. Toei Animation, producer of One Piece and Dragon Ball, brings equally substantial catalog value. Additional partners remain undisclosed but represent a consolidation of licensing power.
AniBiz arrives at a pivotal moment for anime's global expansion. Licensing remains one of the sector's most complicated operational challenges, with territorial rights, dubbing requirements, and broadcast windows creating Byzantine deal structures. A centralized marketplace could simplify these negotiations considerably.
Gao's departure from Crunchyroll in recent years made him available to pursue new ventures. His intimate knowledge of anime's business mechanics and existing relationships with major studios position Nakama and AniBiz for potential influence within the industry's infrastructure layer.