KADOKAWA and note Announce Strategic Capital Alliance to Build Next-Generation IP Ecosystem for Creators

KADOKAWA and note announced a strategic capital and business alliance aimed at building a next generation IP ecosystem, enabling creators to expand reach and monetize content in the AI era.

KADOKAWA Corporation and note Inc. revealed on March 24, 2026, that they have entered into a capital and business partnership to establish a next-generation IP management ecosystem. As digitalization and generative AI continue to transform content creation and distribution, both companies aim to create an environment where creators can reach wider audiences, generate revenue, and sustainably continue their creative activities. Their initiative focuses on building a new system that integrates creation, distribution, monetization, and rights protection into a unified cycle.

Background of the Partnership

The KADOKAWA Group operates under the mission of becoming a creative platformer that connects global talent with impactful storytelling. By discovering talent worldwide, the company develops a wide range of intellectual properties and expands them across multiple media, including publishing, anime, live action, games, and merchandise. Through its strategy of global media mix with technology, KADOKAWA continues to maximize IP value by delivering content to users worldwide.

Meanwhile, note operates with the mission of enabling anyone to start and continue creative activities. Its platform allows creators to publish user generated content such as text, images, audio, and video, while enabling users to enjoy and support those works. As of November 2025, note has grown into one of Japan’s largest creator economy platforms, with over 11.14 million registered users and approximately 69.56 million published pieces of content. The company is now focused on expanding systems that bring creators’ works to a broader audience.

Both companies share strong compatibility in their vision of maximizing creator driven content and developing IP born from that creativity. In response to rapid changes in the business environment, they also align in their goal of building a new AI based data distribution model and evolving toward a next-generation IP ecosystem that combines user generated content with professional editorial expertise.

The partnership was formed based on the expectation of strong synergies across areas such as IP development, publishing digital transformation, AI data distribution, and fan community building. By combining KADOKAWA’s editorial and media strengths with note’s traffic, SaaS infrastructure, and UGC ecosystem, both companies aim to create significant value.

Key Areas of Collaboration

IP Creation and Development

The two companies will collaborate to increase the number of works from note that are adapted into books, while also developing new content models that originate digitally and are not bound by traditional publishing processes. In addition to books, they will expand content into merchandise and events to improve monetization and build a new creative ecosystem. They will also jointly support creators’ revenue generation through features such as note’s membership system.

Publishing Digital Transformation

KADOKAWA will utilize note pro’s SaaS infrastructure for some of its websites to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. At the same time, both companies will aim to strengthen traffic acquisition through SEO and AI based search by leveraging the characteristics of the note platform. They will also build a new value chain by connecting user feedback and reviews on note to publishing and marketing activities.

AI Data Distribution

Through initiatives such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry led generative AI project GENIAC, both companies will collaborate to build a fair and sustainable data distribution infrastructure for the AI era. This includes developing revenue models based on fair valuation of content assets that return value to rights holders, as well as jointly researching and validating RAG models with clearly defined rights structures.

Fan Community Development

KADOKAWA will explore applying its video distribution technologies and expertise to the note platform. By enabling video and audio distribution on note, the companies aim to deepen engagement between creators and fans, expand user bases across both platforms, and create new revenue opportunities.

Executive Comments

Sadaaki Kato, CEO of note Inc.

note has built a platform where creators can publish their works, deliver them to audiences, and earn revenue under the mission of enabling anyone to start and continue creating. We are deeply honored to partner with KADOKAWA, which has long produced outstanding original works and expanded them across multiple platforms.

I previously worked at ASCII, which is now part of the KADOKAWA Group, so I feel a meaningful connection in this partnership. By combining our strengths, we aim to build a new creative ecosystem suited for the AI era.

Takeshi Natsuno, CEO of KADOKAWA

We are very pleased to form a partnership with note, one of Japan’s largest UGC platforms. Within KADOKAWA’s global media mix with technology strategy, the diverse talent and passion emerging from note represent a vital source for creating next-generation IP.

By combining the strengths of both companies, we will build a new ecosystem with note that can deliver creators’ talents to the world at unprecedented speed.

Source : ORICON NEWS