Akatsuki Ventures backs SKY-HI's BMSG to take J-pop global

What's the deal? Akatsuki Ventures, the investment arm of Japanese entertainment group Akatsuki, has taken a stake in BMSGDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Tokyo music label founded by rapper-producer SKY-HI.

BMSG manages and produces acts including BE:FIRST, MAZZEL, HANA, and STARGLOW. The deal is a capital partnership, not a step towards an initial public offering.

Why now? Founded in September 2020 under the mission "to not let talent die," BMSG marks its fifth year having built a notable presence in Japan's music scene.

From 2026, it says it is entering a new phase aimed at "updating the future of Japanese music," with global expansion as the goal. Akatsuki Ventures plans to bring its investment, business development, digital, and overseas experience to support that push.

What could go wrong? Breaking Japanese acts into Western markets remains hard, despite the global rise of K-pop and growing appetite for Asian content.

BMSG's model leans heavily on SKY-HI as founder, chief executive, and creative force — a concentration that can strain a scaling business.

The signal: Akatsuki Ventures, founded only in 2022 as the wholly owned investment arm of games-and-IP group Akatsuki, is backing an early-stage label in BMSG — a sign that Japan's entertainment incumbents see music management as the next frontier for the fan-engagement playbooks they honed in gaming and comics.

Read more: PR Times

Image credit: Generated with Gemini