[THE INVESTOR] Japan’s largest crowdfunding operator Campfire on March 21 said it will make its Korean debut, allowing local startups to raise funds in Japan via its website.
Dubbed Japan’s “Kickstarter,” Campfire will join hands with Cocoa, a Japan-based distribution firm, to provide Korean-language service for local startups to launch their products on its website very soon. The exact debut date will be announced later, according to the firm.
Cocoa CEO Song Ki-dong (left) and Campfire CEO Kazuma Ieiri |
Campfire is also seeking to form partnership with local crowdfunding providers Wadiz and Kakao. It will allow Korean startups that have launched crowdfunding campaigns on these platforms to raise funds from Japanese users.
“I have always paid attention to Korea’s startup ecosystem for its explosive growth rate. We will support Korean startups to enter Japan easily and quickly, as well as help their overseas expansion,” Campfire CEO Kazuma Ieiri said. “We are making all-out efforts to provide optimized services, by forming partnerships with various Korean firms such as Ready Entertainment, Seoul Business Agency and Omnitel for our entry.”
Established in 2011, Campfire boasts 380,000 members and 1 million unique users monthly. It has successfully carried out 11,000 crowdfunding projects, across areas in music, game, animation, publication, film and cultural contents.
Campfire uses various social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Line, as well as traditional outlets, including TV and newspapers, to promote its crowdfunding projects.
By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)