Tokyo Art Beat
Bilingual guide to Japan's art and design scene.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | N/A | Acquisition | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Tokyo Art Beat (TAB) is a bilingual digital media platform providing comprehensive information on art and design events primarily in Japan. The service was initially launched in 2004 by co-founders Paul Baron, Olivier Thereaux, and Kosuke Fujitaka to make the local art scene more accessible to both Japanese and international audiences. In September 2020, Art Beat, Inc. was established as the operating company, now led by Representative Director Michio Mori. In 2021, TAB joined Startbahn, a firm focused on art and blockchain technology, to enhance its technological infrastructure and user experience.
The platform lists thousands of events annually, from major museums to smaller independent galleries, and publishes news, reviews, and interviews in both Japanese and English. Its core audience includes art enthusiasts, tourists, and locals seeking information on exhibitions. The business generates revenue through a freemium model. While basic event listings and articles are free, users can subscribe to a paid membership for additional features on the mobile app. These premium features include "MuPon" discount coupons for museum admissions, the ability to bookmark and track visited exhibitions, and notifications for followed venues. Revenue is also supplemented by advertising.
The platform offers a mobile application for both iOS and Android, which includes features like a map to find nearby events and personalized recommendations. The founders, a mix of design and technology professionals, started TAB as a volunteer-run project to address the difficulty in finding consolidated art information in Tokyo. Over the years, it has become a staple resource in Japan's art community, expanding from a simple listings website to an integrated media entity with event planning and video content.
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