The trajectory of a company unraveled from the encounter between an entrepreneur and JAFCO. We will talk about episodes and thoughts that can be told now, and prospects for the future.
This time, Kazuki Kamada, CEO of UUUM co., ltd, who has one of the largest video creator networks in Japan and leads influencer management and marketing, and Shozo Isaka, the capitalist in charge of JAFCO, will talk with each other.

【profile】
UUUM co., ltd President and CEO Kazuki Kamada
Joined a major telecommunications company in 2003 at the age of 19. He has a proven track record in a wide range of fields such as store development and operation, and alliances, and has been responsible for the primary agency of EMOBILE since 2011. After that, he decided to start a business after receiving the scent of Taizo Son. Soon after, I got a big encounter with YouTuber HIKAKIN and became independent at the age of 29 in 2013.

[What's UUUM co., ltd]
Founded in June 2013, taking advantage of the encounter with HIKAKIN. Its predecessor was ON SALE Co., Ltd., which was established for the purpose of online sales business using videos. Later, it shifted to a business that provides management, video production support, offers, etc. for video creators and influencers who are active on YouTube, and became UUUM co., ltd in October of the same year. Based on the corporate philosophy of "Kodomogokoro for Sekai," we manage video creators with strong centripetal force, such as HIKAKIN, Hajime Syacho, and Fischer's, and provide promotion plans that utilize their sensibilities and creativity. Listed on TSE Mothers in August 2017.

Portfolio

Value as a media-I felt the future of the YouTube market

Kamada I first met Mr. Isaka around February 2014. It's been about 10 months since the company was founded, and it was time to finally make a profit of 2 million yen a month.

Isaka: Around the fall of 2013, I heard that the youngest executive officer of Hikari Tsushin started a business and was "doing something like the Internet version of TV shopping." When I visited the Harajuku office in February of the following year, the management business of video creators had begun to take off.

Kamada That's right. When it was founded, it was named ON SALE Co., Ltd. and started from a studio apartment on Takeshita Street in Harajuku. When I met HIKAKIN, I was shocked by YouTuber's influence and thought, "If they introduce things, they should sell." However, no one understands even if I get sweaty every day and go around the company and emphasize that "It's the age of YouTuber!". I managed to use the company name and product to introduce it, but just because the number of times the video was played was high did not necessarily lead to sales of the product.

Isaka: From there, the management decision to shift to the management business in a short period of time is amazing.

Kamada: Video creators, who already have a large number of registrants, received various requests via advertising agencies. Rather than going around the company by myself, I came to think that it would be better to support peripheral operations as management so that they could utilize their ability to communicate and concentrate on video production.

I had no management experience, but I was able to take advantage of my experience in general affairs in my previous job, optical communication. Moving procedures for all employees, renewal of company housing contracts, etc. I liked doing the chores that creators are not good at and working behind the scenes for people. Because I didn't know the world of celebrity management at all, I think it was good that we were able to work together to find a management style that suits each video creator.
Isaka: I just thought that "videos that users actively go to see" would be more valuable as media in the future than passive videos like TV commercials. Before I knew about UUUM, I was investing in a certain female media. When people called curators create article content, optimize it, and integrate it, it becomes valuable as a medium, attaches advertisers, and generates advertising revenue. Looking at the flow, I thought, "If it becomes a video version, it will be more attractive to those who advertise."

Kamada Is that true? As expected, there is a foresight (laughs). It was from me that I wanted to meet Mr. JAFCO. When I asked an angel investor which investment manager I should meet, he advised me that "Mr. Isaka of JAFCO has a better reputation" and I nominated him to contact him.

Isaka It was an introduction from Mr. ANRI. I'm sorry for your nomination.

Kamada When I thought he came, he said, "President, do you want hundreds of millions?" I was surprised that it was Naniwa Kin'yodo (laughs).

Isaka: The story is over-folded. I won't say such a shameful thing (laughs). What impressed me was that I wrote more and more about the business plan on the whiteboard and said, "This is UUUM's business plan that I think of. I want you to write it down." Originally, I felt the future of the size of the video content market, and even though it was the first business in Japan to manage video creators, there was no blurring in the plan.

Kamada: It was just a hassle to make a "business plan", but he really made a clean copy. And I will never forget it, April 21, 2014. It has been decided to raise 500 million yen from Mr. JAFCO. At that time, I wasn't thinking deeply about what it means to "get an investment", but the contract clearly states, "I will do my best to get listed by 2020." I was worried about what to do if I couldn't protect it, but since it was actually listed in August 2017, I was able to move forward a lot.

Isaka: It was a lot of work during the screening process before listing, but it was a feat to clear the hurdles one by one.

JAFCO is "a companion who shared his blood and flesh." I have the pride of using that know-how

Isaka: At the first interview, Mr. Kamada asked, "Do you usually watch YouTube?" "What kind of relationship do you have after receiving an investment?" "What is the difference between other venture capital firms and Mr. JAFCO?" I met the question. I remember feeling nervous when I was a person who cherished the essentials.

Kamada For me, "stock" is "my blood." Financing is the concept of diluting what is important to you and converting it into money. It was a premise that I could get money, and "what would you do after that" was very important. In that respect, JAFCO was a very reliable partner in terms of both human resources and input of expertise. When I said, "I can't finish entering the accounting books!", I was able to support him for several months. I consulted with Mr. JAFCO about everything that the world didn't understand, such as the contents of the contract and negotiations with the securities company.

Isaka That's right. I also worked hard to sell to advertisers. "This is the operating budget," he said to the quota (laughs). Of course, I wasn't alone, but All JAFCO, who was involved in sales activities and introduced human resources and companies.

Kamada: There aren't many companies that can handle the entire organization. Even if I can get another investment, I will choose JAFCO without hesitation. And I'm proud that there is no other company other than UUUM that has used JAFCO so much. It is the oldest venture capital in Japan, and it is continuously making profits, and know-how such as carefully selected investment and cost cutting is accumulated in-house. I was always asking Mr. Isaka to use this up.

Isaka: When you decided to invest, you were told, "I'll come to you from tomorrow."

Kamada After all, that's because I think that the company that invested is "a companion who shared my blood and flesh." I sometimes think that startups and venture capital are like "high school students and teachers". Eventually, they will leave the nest with the "graduation" of listing, but they are still friends of the rich life that leads to that.

It is our duty to grow the business and return the investment amount after the investment. For that purpose, you can work together as a companion, and receive outside information and advice that we cannot obtain alone. I think I have the right to ask for it. I had a discussion with Mr. Isaka on a monthly basis to use up Mr. JAFCO 120%.

Isaka: In addition to the usual exchanges, we had a serious discussion once a month, and in addition, we had a discussion while eating rice, and we met twice a month on a regular basis. Mr. Kamada was always fully open, and he was asked to share in real time what he was worried about and the issues he was having. So, even if I was approached for consultation, I could understand the background and background to that point. I was able to quickly bring in the necessary information and answer it because of the accumulation of daily communication and the establishment of a relationship of trust with a sense of tension.

Kamada It's a waste not to use JAFCO's know-how! For example, if you talk about "I want to strengthen this kind of hiring," they will immediately bring you hiring cases from other invested companies. It's a lot more reassuring than when I leave without knowing anything. There are few entrepreneurs who can consult with us on a daily basis. I think that the existence of venture capital that comes in contact with entrepreneurs with a stance of being close to them is very large.

Further business growth as "Asobi Nakama" gives back to JAFCO

Isaka When I was talking with Mr. Kamada at a meeting, I remember saying, "We will do business up to 100 billion yen in sales and 1 trillion yen in market capitalization as a matter of course." I am very happy to have been involved in the founding period of UUUM, and I hope that it will become an even greater company.

Kamada: I'll put pressure on you again (laughs). Mr. JAFCO is a really good company with a lot of know-how, but he has not been able to convey it to the outside world at all. I want JAFCO to continue to be a venture capital company that will lead society, and I want him to be properly evaluated as a "cool long-established store" rather than simply "the oldest in Japan."

The only way I can give back is to grow the company so that it is said that "JAFCO has created a great company called UUUM" and "JAFCO has invested in UUUM is amazing". Although I am in a different position, I think that JAFCO is an "Asobi Nakama" who is always involved in new business creation. It would be great if we could work on something interesting in the world together.