Emer

Emer is a sports technology company that provides "UPSTAR," a fan community platform designed to support the careers of professional athletes. The company was founded in April 2022 by Daiki Itamoto, who started the venture while studying at Musashino University's Faculty of Entrepreneurship. Originally from Shimane Prefecture, Itamoto's experience moving to Tokyo inspired his mission to use sports to address regional disparities. Initially, the company focused on developing technology for remote live streaming, launching the service in June 2023 with teams in the F.League, Japan's professional futsal league.

The company's core product, UPSTAR, is a fan messaging app launched in October 2024. It serves as a platform where athletes can share their personal stories, daily challenges, and experiences beyond the game, allowing fans to connect with and support them on a deeper level. The service is used by professional athletes in leagues such as the J.League and F.League. The business model aims to create an economic ecosystem around sports teams and increase the number of people who can make a living from sports. In May 2025, Emer announced it had raised seed funding from Beta Venture Capital and iFund to expand the number of participating athletes and enhance the app's features, with a focus on fostering positive and safe interactions between fans and players.

Keywords: sports technology, fan engagement, athlete support, community platform, fan messaging app, UPSTAR, professional sports, J.League, F.League, athlete communication, sports startup, Daiki Itamoto, remote live streaming, fan base building, sports content