Nahat raises $25.2M in debt from Mizuho, lifting total to ¥10B
What's the deal? Tokyo-based marketing company NahatDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised ¥4 billion (about $25.2 million) in debt financing led by MizuhoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Bank. The round brings its cumulative funding to ¥10 billion, following an earlier ¥6 billion debt raise.
What does Nahat do? Founded in 2018, the Shibuya company builds its business on social media and influencer marketing, running ad campaigns and creating its own ventures across D2C, retail, and consulting. It targets a 2040 goal of 3,000 staff and ¥200 billion in scale.
Where's the money going? Nahat plans to open a Kansai office to strengthen support in western Japan, expand its in-house influencer production (MCN) network, and ramp up mid-career hiring. It is also entering gaming and e-sports, and pushing a regional revitalisation business with local governments and firms.
Why now? Japan's advertising spend rose 5.1% to ¥8.06 trillion in 2025, with internet ad spend up 10.8% to ¥4.05 trillion — topping half the total for the first time. Social media ads grew 18.7%, a tailwind for Nahat's influencer focus.
Between the lines: Mizuho's Jun Yonemitsu praised the company's "outstanding planning and execution based on deep insight into Gen Z" (translated from Japanese). As debt rather than equity, the raise reflects lender confidence in Nahat's existing business rather than diluting ownership.
What's the endgame? Chief executive officer Yuki Adachi said the funding supports strengthening the core ad agency business while pursuing new bets. He called the backing "a sign of expectations for our growth."
The signal: Competition in Japan's influencer sector is heating up — overseas agency YKONEDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → took a stake in a local creative firm in October 2026 as it moved into Tokyo. Nahat's debt-funded push into new regions and sectors rides that momentum, though the plan outlines intent; the profitability of each new venture remains to be proven.
Read more: prtimes.jp
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
