Tokyo – Japan, January 20, 2025 – Vector Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; Chairman and CEO: Keiji Nishie; TYO: 6058) has been actively supporting startup growth through investments and PR/IR assistance. To date, Vector Inc. has invested in approximately 250 domestic companies and has backed 32 companies achieve IPOs and sustatin post-listing growth.
As part of it’s pioneering expansion into overseas investments, Vector Inc. has decided to invest in bythen, an Indonesian-based AI startup, and enter into a capital and business alliance.
The Global IP market has been experiencing rapid growth, reaching approximately USD 315.5 billion in 2021-threee times its size a decade ago. Additionally, the rise of social media has fuled the expansion of the “creator economy,” where individuals can develop and montize their own original IP.
bythen empowers users to creative AI-powered digital twins, produce engaging content, and live stream, unlocking new opportunites to elevate their online presence and monetize influence. The platform democratizes access to virtual influencers, leveraging AI-driven content generation to enbale 24/7 automated engagement across social media platforms. bythen is poised to disrupt the $325 billion creator economy and empower over 200 million global content creators.
Kevin Mintaraga, the founder of bythen, is a globally recognized serial entrepreneur. He previously built Magnivate, which was acquired by WPP in 2012, and Bridestory, which was acquired by Tokopedia in 2019.
Looking ahead, the Vector Inc. will continue to expand its focus beyond domestic companies to include overseas companies, driving business and economic growth by investing in companies with cutting-edge technologies and world-leading services.
Profile of Kevin Mintaraga, CEO of bythen
・Co-founded Magnivate, a digital agency (now Mirum Agency), in 2008.
・Sold Magnivate to WPP, the world’s largest advertising and marketing company, in
2012 and served as the youngest subsidiary CEO in WPP’s history until 2013.
・Founded Bridestory in 2013, which grew into Indonesia’s largest wedding
marketplace and was acquired by Tokopedia in 2019.
・Served as CMO of Tokopedia (now part of the GoTo Group) from 2019.
・Featured on Campaign Asia’s Power List for four consecutive years.
Comment from Kevin Mintaraga
“Japan is a global leader in the virtual influencer industry and a powerhouse of IP content. Receiving investment from Vector, Asia’s largest PR company with a vast domestic and international network, is a great honor.
Vector’s strong reputation and customer network in Japan and the broader Asian region will play a pivotale role in helping bythen promote its avatar collections and solutions. Furthermore, this partnership opens the possibility for collaborations between bythen and Japan’s iconic IPs.
Until now, the rights to virtual influencer IPs were typically owned by companies, limiting individuals’ freedom to customize and adapt them. bythen aims to democratize virtual influencer IPs globally by providing users with tools and solutions to build and grow their digital presence.”
Profile of Ryo Umezawa, Vice President of New Business Development and Global M&A, Vector Inc.
・Spent ten years in the Philippines before graduating from Sophia
University with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Business and Economics, in 2007.
・Interned at J-Seed during university, contributing to business launches
and marketing activities from 2005.
・Worked at Traffic Gate (now LinkShare Japan) from 2008, building smartphone ad network businesses and developing voice recognition search app
・Co-founded two startups, a mobile marketing company and a coupon aggregation business
・Served as the CEO of HAILO Japan, a taxi-hailing app, and held executive roles
at HomeAway Japan, Tinder Japan, and investment funds East Ventures and Antler.
・Appointed as Vice President of New Business Development and Global M&A at Vector Inc. in 2024.
Comment from Ryo Umezawa
“It is a great honor to support an entrepreneur embarking on his third venture with a vision of democratizing AI virtual characters and pursuing global expansion. This initiative will showcase Japan’s content and culture globally, unlock creators’ full potential, and contribute to the growth of the sharing economy.”
This Press Release has also been published on VRITIMES