?? ZAIKO’s Journey with Joshua Barry & Sach J. ?? At IVS Kyoto, Japan’s leading conference for founders and investors, we explored the story of Zaiko. What started as a shift from their festival/club-focused platform, iFLYER, has grown into a major player in Japan’s $10B entertainment industry. How Zaiko Evolved: ?? Beyond Festivals/Concerts: Shifting from iFLYER to Zaiko unlocked new markets, giving organizers control over ticketing and fan data. ??Adapting to Crisis: When COVID-19 hit, Zaiko launched paywalled live-streaming, helping artists sell thousands of virtual tickets. ??Hybrid Growth: Post-pandemic, Zaiko blended live and virtual events with gamification and tailored tools for anime IPs. ??Going Global: Zaiko now helps creators monetize internationally with a white-labeled TVOD system. From pandemic pivots to global expansion, Zaiko shows how strategic shifts and cultural insight create lasting impact. ?? For more startup stories bridging Japan and the world, subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/geibVRvg --- Malek Nasser, Kazuhiro Shimada, Andrew Winter, Henry Seals, Diego Branco, Takayuki Nakano, Alisa Miles, Akio T., Akihiko Okamoto, Joseph Huang, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Brian Yen, Isamu Nishijima, Shimakawa Toshiaki, Jennifer Lin, CHEN-HSI (Claire) LIAU, Tatsuya Kawamura, Jackson Loo, Jeremy Kai Proctor, Kate L., Jonathan Masayasu Hayashi,
