Crunchyroll takes 7% stake in manga tech firm Link-U for $5.9M
What's the deal? Crunchyroll has acquired a 7.03% stake in Japanese media company Link-U for US$7.05M, announced Monday. The purchase, made through a third-party share allotment at US$6.58 per share, makes Crunchyroll the fifth-largest shareholder in Link-U.
Who's who? Link-U builds and operates manga distribution platforms, including digital site ComikeyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, store Compass, webtoon studio Studio Moon6Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and VTuber production company RomanzDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. It also powers manga services for major publishers, among them ShueishaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s MANGA Plus and Square EnixDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →'s Manga UP!.
Why now? The investment underpins Link-U's newly announced "medium-term management plan 2030," which targets expanding manga distribution outside Japan. Priorities include developing distribution platforms and localisation management.
What's the endgame? The two companies already work closely. Crunchyroll's ad-free Manga app, described as "powered by Link-U Group," launched on iOS and Android in the US and Canada in October 2025, separate from the main streaming service. Partner publishers include Square Enix, Viz MediaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Yen Press, Shueisha, and J-Novel Club.
The signal: The stake deepens Crunchyroll's push beyond anime streaming into manga, tying its content pipeline to a supplier that already serves Japan's biggest publishers. For Link-U, foreign capital backs its bet that international manga demand — not just its home market — is where growth lies.
Read more: animenewsnetwork.com
Image credit: Apreche
