Cool Japan Fund Invests in North American Anime Group
Led by Sentai Holdings
August 1, 2019 (Tokyo, Japan) - As part of its effort to expand the overseas market for Japanese
anime, the Cool Japan Fund has invested USD $30 million for shares of Sentai Holdings, LLC,
parent company of Sentai Filmworks, HIDIVE and Anime Network (hereafter, "Sentai"). Sentai'sindependent status makes it a rarity in North America as a licensor of Japanese anime, which isbeloved not just in North America but throughout the world.
The Sentai group leverages multiple revenue streams including subscription-based Internetstreaming services (HIDIVE), home video and packaged media sales, cable TV SVOD distribution(Anime Network), character goods and branded merchandise, B2B content licensing, and a directto-consumer e-commerce platform. Sentai Studios is a leader in delivering Japanese source
material to global audiences with fully integrated translation, localization, subtitling, dubbing andquality control facilities.
Since its founding in 2008, Sentai has established itself as a major force in the industry, having
licensed over 700 titles of Japanese anime. The company also produces collector-friendly
premium box sets that include exclusive must-have items. Through industry expertise, Sentai isable to provide insightful fan-oriented interaction via social media sites, promotional events,
theatrical premieres and more.
“We are extremely proud of the work we’ve done at Sentai to bring great anime storytelling,experiences, characters and collectibles to fans around the world for more than a decade,” said
John Ledford, CEO of Sentai Filmworks. “The investment by Cool Japan Fund allows us to further
our potential by expanding and deepening our long-running support of the Japanese animeindustry.”
With more than 27 years of experience in the anime industry, John Ledford has been the driving
force behind multiple anime hits in the North American market including Made in Abyss, Haikyu
Danmachi, Food Wars and Gatchaman. Prior to Sentai, Ledford oversaw projects such as theoriginal English-language adaptation of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the omnibus East meetsWest anime project, Halo Legends.
Given the anime industry's limited opportunities for domestic expansion, the current growth in theoverseas content streaming market has become of increased importance. Through thisinvestment, the Cool Japan Fund aims to provide support at the copyright level. In turn, this effort
will increase the overall presence of Japanese anime in the North American market and help
expand the scope of associated/exported merchandising. This will be done by Cool Japan Fund’s
two-pronged approach to not only sell streaming platform rights via niche-market copyrightacquisition, but also to bolster the marketplace by fostering relationships with and making
important investments in overseas partners.

The Cool Japan Fund considers Sentai, which has carefully and considerately fostered a fan basefor Japanese anime while forging a path in the North American market, to be of major importance.
The investment will contribute to Japanese anime and related merchandise having an increased
presence in the North American market, supporting medium- to long-term growth in the Japanese
animation industry as a whole.
About Sentai Filmworks, LLC
Sentai Filmworks is a leading global supplier of anime and official anime merchandise, distributing,and curating one of the industry’s most diverse libraries of top trending and classic titles. Offering
thousands of hours of content across both traditional and digital platforms, Sentai is dedicated tobringing captivating stories and iconic characters directly from Japan. With hit series that include
MADE IN ABYSS, Land of the Lustrous, MONSTER MUSUME Everyday Life with Monster Girlsand Parasyte -the maxim-, Sentai’s catalog continues to grow with new favorites like Bloom Into
You, Revue Starlight and DEVILS’ LINE, as well as classic anime series such as Legend of theGalactic Heroes and The Big O. For more information, visit
www.sentaifilmworks.com.
Media Contacts:
Kayle Campbell
Sentai Filmworks
Press@sentaifilmworks.com
Chris RobinsRogers & Cowan for Sentai Filmworks
crobins@rogersandcowan.com