Emole Gains Strategic Backing from Dentsu Ventures
Deal News | Apr 24, 2025 | Dentsu Group Inc
Dentsu Group Inc.'s corporate venture capital fund, Dentsu Ventures Fund II, has made a strategic investment in the Japanese company emole Inc., renowned for its short drama application BUMP. Since its launch, BUMP has achieved over 1.9 million downloads, attesting to the burgeoning popularity of short dramas tailored for smartphone viewing. Emole is set to expand its content library by 2025 with both in-house productions and collaborations, bolstered by the recent funds. Additionally, an April 2024 research report anticipates the global short drama market to surge to 8.7 trillion yen by 2029. Dentsu Ventures, with its investment, aims to aid emole in crafting compelling content that stands out in this growing market.
Sectors
- Media & Entertainment
- Venture Capital
Geography
- Japan – Both Dentsu Group Inc. and emole Inc. are based in Tokyo, Japan, which is central to their operations and strategic growth in the media tech industry.
Industry
- Media & Entertainment – This industry is relevant because emole operates within the short drama segment, and its application BUMP is a content distribution platform aimed at providing entertainment.
- Venture Capital – Dentsu Ventures Fund II is a corporate venture capital arm of Dentsu Group, making investments in companies like emole to nurture digital and innovative businesses.
Financials
- 8.7 trillion yen – Projected size of the global short drama market by 2029.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dentsu Group Inc. | Investor | Company | A global advertising and public relations company based in Tokyo, Japan, with diverse business segments including corporate venture capital. |
| Dentsu Ventures Fund II | Investor | Company | The corporate venture capital arm of Dentsu Group Inc., focused on investing in digital and innovative start-ups. |
| emole Inc. | Target Company | Company | A Tokyo-based company known for developing the BUMP application that provides short drama content. |
| Hiroshi Igarashi | President & Global CEO | Person | Hiroshi Igarashi is the President and Global CEO of Dentsu Group Inc. |
| Naomichi Sawamura | CEO | Person | Naomichi Sawamura is the CEO of emole Inc., overseeing its strategic direction in the short drama market. |
| Jumpei Kojima | Deputy Global Chief Communications Officer | Person | Jumpei Kojima handles media inquiries for Dentsu Group Inc. |