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Asian white-label ticketer Zaiko raises funding

Zaiko, a new Tokyo-based self-service, white-label ticketing company, has raised its first round of seed funding.

Zaiko, which currently works with promoters and event organisers in Singapore and Tokyo, is developing multilingual, multi-currency ticketing capabilities that will be rolled out across Japan and other east/south-east Asian countries. Companies participating in the funding round include venture-capital firm North Base Media and Japanese entertainment business Space Shower Networks.

The Zaiko platform enables direct-to-fan (D2F) ticketing, providing event organisers, venues and artists with a simple, self-service ticketing solution, as well as data for marketing future events and releases. Users, meanwhile, can purchase tickets in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, with Thai and Vietnamese set to launch later this year.

In addition to selling tickets through their own platforms, promoters can also offer tickets to Zaiko’s network of digital media partners and influencers and track which are most effective at selling and promotion – a “two-sided marketplace”, says the company, that “gives media partners a new revenue stream through both ticket commissions and the possibility of upselling promotions”.

“Japan and broader Asia are becoming ever more important in both the live event and tourism market”

“This seed round gives us direct access to established organisational partners such as Space Shower, who have a variety of venues, events, and artists in the market,” says Zaiko CEO Malek Nasser. “Japan and broader Asia are becoming ever more important in both the live event and tourism market, so a flexible, digital, multilingual event ticketing platform for organisers and sellers is desperately needed.”

“Zaiko fits nicely with North Base Media’s core belief that media companies can create powerful new revenue streams out of businesses like ticketing,” comments Saša Vučinić, managing partner of North Base Media. “Our relationship with innovative digital-media companies in Asia should benefit both those companies and Zaiko.”

“Space Shower has always supported independent artists to achieve greater success while still maintaining their independence; the music industry needs more direct models, which Zaiko provides in the ticketing space, empowering artists and event organisers to connect with fans,” adds Space Shower CEO and founder Masashi Kondo.

According to the International Ticketing Yearbook 2018, ticketing in Japan is a “triopoly controlled by Ticket Pia, e+ and Lawson HMV Entertainment”, although self-service platforms such as Peatix are challenging the companies’ dominance.

 


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