Japan’s Open8, female-targeted mobile video ad network, secures $6.6 million

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This is the abridged version from our original article in Japanese.

Tokyo-based Open8, the Japanese startup behind a women-targeted video ad network for smartphone users called Videotap, announced on Tuesday that it has fundraised about 800 million yen (about $6.6 million) from Jafco, TBS Innovation Partners, iStyle and Excite Japan. [1] The exact details of the funding were not disclosed but the company wants to use the latest funds to strengthen human resources.

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Open8 is an ad network platform specifically focused on the F1 layer in Japan, women aged from 25 to 34, now reaching 40 million unique users on a monthly basis, leveraging existing user bases from iStyle and Excite Japan.

Coinciding with the latest funding, the company announced that it is developing new businesses based on video ads, mail-order and video media in association with Tokyo Broadcasting System, the parent company of TBS Innovation Partners. As the first attempt at these efforts, Open8 is trying to integrate their mobile video ad platform with TV spot commercials.

In addition, Open8 will launch a native video ad scheme on @Cosme and Women Excite in late November. @Cosme is a Japan’s leading cosmetic portal site by iStyle while Woman Excite is a women-focused portal site by Excite Japan. Based on the scheme of these partnerships, Open8 will explore partnerships with other online media sites.

Translated by Masaru Ikeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy


  1. Jafco is a leading Japanese VC firm. TBS Innovation Partners is the investment arm of Tokyo Broadcasting System.