Cameo believes Japan is poised to be its next major international market. And it's getting some help from one of its largest investors to expand in the country.
The Chicago celebrity shoutout startup said Wednesday that it's launching a partnership with SoftBank to grow its presence in Japan. The deal will rely on the Japanese telecommunications company's network to grow Cameo's user base in Japan, as well as add more Japanese talent to its platform. Cameo will also hire a local manager in Japan, the company said.
It's a major international push for Cameo, which has grown quickly in the U.S. since it was founded in 2017. It has raised more than $165 million in funding to date. SoftBank's Vision Fund 2 invested in Cameo's latest round that pushed the startup to a $1 billion valuation.
That relationship has resulted in more than just a check, as SoftBank will now help unlock a potentially lucrative new user base for Cameo.
"Japan is home to some of the biggest fandoms and pop culture icons in the world," the company said in a blog post. "Additionally, Japan is Cameo’s largest Asian market in terms of fan orders, which points to the growing appetite Japanese fans have in connecting with talent."
Kevin Woo, a K-pop artist and actor, is the startup's top talent in Japan, having done more than 500 Cameos to date, the company said.
Since it launched, Cameo has added close to 50,000 celebrities to its platform who have delivered nearly 4 million total Cameos. Last year the startup added 10,000 celebs to its talent roster and delivered videos to users in 183 countries.
Cameo said it believes the SoftBank partnership will help it expand into the rest of East Asia. Cameo said it also plans to grow its efforts in more Spanish- and French-speaking markets.
Cameo has also made inroads in the digital world after announcing a new product this month called Cameo Pass, which allows users to buy limited-release NFTs from artists. It's the startup's first foray in the metaverse, which Cameo believes can be growing community for the company.
