Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital Leads Visual Bank's JPY 1.1bn Series B
Visual Bank has raised 1.1 billion yen in equity financing through its Series B round. The round was led by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital, with participation from CDIB Cross Border Innovation Fund, Incubate Fund, Aozora Corporate Investment, SMBC Venture Capital, W fund, and others.
The Purpose of the Series B Round
Guided by its founding philosophy of being the “Behind-the-Scenes Supporters of Creativity”, Visual Bank has set its sights on becoming an “IP x AI Enabler”, bridging the worlds of intellectual property (IP), such as manga and anime, with the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI).
With this new round of funding, Visual Bank is preparing to take the next step in its journey: strengthening its role as a hub where new value is created and real challenges are solved at the intersection of IP and AI. In doing so, Visual Bank aims to contribute to the growth and global competitiveness of Japan’s Creative industry.
The funds will be directed toward specific initiatives such as:
- Accelerating the Growth of THE PEN (IP x AI) Business: THE PEN, a subsidiary of Visual Bank, develops AI-powered tools designed to support manga creators’ desire to “draw more”
- Strengthening and Expanding IP x AI Services on the Foundation of the Next-Generation Data Library: As part of Japan’s “GENIAC” project, supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Visual Bank is developing a specialized data library to advance AI in Japan’s IP industry; Visual Bank will expand the Group’s IP × AI services on the foundation of the Next-Generation Data Library, with investments in strategic M&A and recruiting talents
Visual Bank’s Path and Future Vision
Visual Bank was established in April 2022 through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), by acquiring 100% shares of amana images, one of Japan’s largest and most trusted visual content company with more than 40 years of history. By adopting M&A as its entry point, the company stepped into the IP industry from day one as a trusted leader with a proven track record.
Building on the foundation of amana images, one of Japan’s largest visual content management and distribution businesses, Visual Bank launched the Qlean Dataset initiative to develop and provide datasets for AI training. Through these initiatives, the company has steadily advanced its expertise in rights management, data structuring technologies for AI, and large-scale, high-quality data management.
Leveraging these strengths, Visual Bank went on to establish a joint venture with Yohei Sadoshima, Representative Director of Cork, and Takayuki Fukatsu, Representative Director of THE GUILD, launching THE PEN, an IP x AI business.
In the Japanese IP industry that continues to grow yet faces persistent structural challenges, Visual Bank aims to serve as an “IP x AI Enabler.” Visual Bank is committed to supporting the healthy development of Japan’s intellectual property and advanced technologies through initiatives such as the Next-Generation Data library and the THE PEN business.
Visual Bank Business Domains
- Visual Library Business | Japan’s Largest Stock Photo Services: Building on the 40-year legacy of amana images, a trusted and secure visual content provider, this business delivers rights-cleared, high-quality visual content to leading companies in advertising, publishing, education, journalism, and other industries
- Qlean Dataset Business | Development and Provision of Rights-Cleared AI Training Datasets: Qlean Dataset designs and builds AI training datasets tailored to corporate development needs, using images, video, and audio; managing the entire process from annotation to structuring, the business provides fully rights-cleared datasets that ensure both efficiency and quality in AI development
- THE PEN (IP x AI) Business | Development and Provision of AI-Assisted Drawing Tools: THE PEN develops AI-assisted tools to support manga creators in their desire to “draw more;” built with a deep understanding of creative workflows, these tools help artists maintain their unique style and expression while enhancing productivity throughout the creative process
Norbert Gehrke
