CyberAgent

CyberAgent Inc. is a Japanese internet services and entertainment conglomerate founded on March 18, 1998, by Susumu Fujita in Shibuya, Tokyo. Initially an online advertising agency, it went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2000 and was added to the Nikkei 225 index that same year. Fujita remains the largest shareholder with approximately 20.5% ownership and serves as representative director, while Yusuke Hidaka is executive vice president. The company operates three main segments: advertising (Japan's largest digital ad agency), gaming through its subsidiary Cygames, and live streaming via AbemaTV.

Cygames, wholly owned by CyberAgent, has produced major mobile hits including Granblue Fantasy, Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, and Shadowverse. Uma Musume became a cultural phenomenon in Japan, generating substantial revenue and expanding into anime and merchandise. AbemaTV, a free live streaming service launched in 2016, offers news, sports, and entertainment, including exclusive NBA broadcasts in Japan. The company also operated Fresh Live, a streaming platform that was shut down on November 30, 2020, with some content migrating to Openrec.tv, a gaming-focused platform run by subsidiary CyberZ.

For the fiscal year ending September 2022, CyberAgent reported revenue of approximately ¥606.7 billion (about $4.5 billion USD). Its market capitalization has fluctuated between ¥800 billion and ¥1.2 trillion. The company has faced criticism over labor practices in its advertising division and gacha monetization in its games, though it has voluntarily implemented spending caps. In 2023-2024, CyberAgent invested heavily in generative AI, establishing an internal AI Lab to automate creative production. The company maintains subsidiaries in the United States, South Korea, Vietnam, and Singapore, reflecting a growing international footprint.[edit]