WAKEI Inc. Completes Seed Round with Taiwan's Hotai Group Co-Founding Family Fund and Japan's Adtech Leader MicroAd

A Japan-Taiwan adtech alliance — Hotai Group's family fund, TSE-listed MicroAd, and a CEO from InMobi and Outbrain — launches WAKEI's ITD business.

TOKYO, JAPAN, June 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WAKEI Inc., a Japan-Taiwan cross-border digital marketing company, today announced the completion of its seed funding round. Investors include Ho-Chwan Investment Co., Ltd., the investment vehicle of the co-founding family of Hotai Group — Taiwan's largest mobility conglomerate — and MicroAd, Inc. (TSE Growth: 9553), one of Japan's foremost data-driven digital marketing companies. The funding brings WAKEI's total capitalization, including capital surplus, to approximately JPY 130 million.

The transaction signals more than a capital event. It is the convergence of three rarely combined assets: the regional trust and digital portfolio of Hotai Group's co-founding family; the data infrastructure and Asian market reach of a Tokyo-listed adtech innovator; and a CEO whose career spans the Japan country leadership of some of the world's most globally consequential adtech companies.

JAPAN AND TAIWAN: THE NEXT FRONTIER FOR PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING

The global programmatic advertising market is forecast to reach USD 2.75 trillion by 2030 (Grand View Research), driven by rapid budget migration into CTV, retail media, and app-based inventory. Japan and Taiwan — two of Asia's most economically developed and digitally sophisticated markets — are at a significant inflection point in this transition.

Both markets have traditionally been web-centric in their programmatic infrastructure. Yet consumer behavior is shifting decisively toward app environments, connected TV, and digital out-of-home (DOOH). The next wave of growth will be driven by exactly the inventory channels where global DSP technology has advanced the furthest — and where platform-agnostic expertise creates the clearest competitive advantage.

WAKEI operates across Japan-Taiwan inbound marketing and the broader cross-border digital advertising market, working with global DSPs and local advertisers to bridge global adtech capability with local market execution.

FROM CROSS-BORDER MARKETING TO FULL-SCALE ITD LAUNCH

Since its founding in October 2025, WAKEI has built early commercial traction in Japan-Taiwan cross-border marketing — connecting Taiwanese inbound tourists in Japan with relevant retail and brand experiences through coupon-based reward advertising and consumer purchase data from Ho-Chwan's portfolio companies.

With this funding round complete, WAKEI now moves into its primary strategic objective: the full launch of its Independent Trading Desk (ITD) business. An ITD is a platform-agnostic programmatic buying operation that works directly with the world's leading DSPs on behalf of advertisers, with no media-owner conflict of interest and full data transparency. This model — well established globally but rare in Japan — covers app, CTV, DOOH, and web inventory through a single, independent buying operation.

THREE ASSETS. ONE STRUCTURE.

Ho-Chwan Investment Co., Ltd.: Established by the co-founding family of Hotai Group — Taiwan's exclusive distributor of Toyota, Lexus, and Hino, with over 70 years of market presence — Ho-Chwan Investment supports Taiwan's digital ecosystem. Its portfolio includes Invos Data (9 million downloads, 4 billion purchase data records) and Funliday, a major travel platform used by Taiwanese visitors to Japan.

MicroAd, Inc.: Founded in 2007 as a CyberAgent spin-out and listed on the TSE Growth Market in 2022 (TSE: 9553), MicroAd operates UNIVERSE, a consumer behavior data platform aggregating signals from over 220 enterprise partners, delivering industry-specific marketing solutions across Japan and Asia.

Takeshi Iryo, CEO: His full profile appears below.

STATEMENTS

"We warmly welcome MicroAd's participation in this project. MicroAd has built a 100-person operation in Taipei and earned genuine trust in the Taiwan market. With this investment in WAKEI, we are confident that MicroAd's adtech capabilities and our local digital network will combine to drive meaningful growth across the Japan-Taiwan marketing corridor."
— Ko Wang-Teh, Chairman, Ho-Chwan Investment Co., Ltd.

"Taiwan has long been our highest-priority inbound market. Our investment in WAKEI, alongside our deepening partnership with Ho-Chwan Investment, is fully aligned with our Taiwan and overseas Chinese network strategy. We believe this will accelerate both our existing inbound business and the expansion of our digital marketing capabilities into the Taiwan market."
— Yoshiki Enohara, Executive Vice President, MicroAd, Inc.

"I am proud to have formed this alliance with two of the most important players in the Japan-Taiwan digital ecosystem. We have steadily built our cross-border marketing business, and with this funding, we are ready to launch our ITD business at full scale — in Japan and in Taiwan. With this team behind us, we will cross the Japan-Taiwan boundary and build the kind of truly global digital marketing company that can compete on the world stage again."
— Takeshi Iryo, CEO, WAKEI Inc.

ABOUT WAKEI INC.
WAKEI Inc. is a Japan-Taiwan cross-border digital marketing company founded in October 2025, headquartered in Tokyo. The company operates an ITD providing transparent, platform-agnostic programmatic campaign management covering app, CTV, DOOH, and web inventory, alongside a Japan-Taiwan inbound marketing business. Website: https://wakei-inc.com/home-en

ABOUT HO-CHWAN INVESTMENT CO., LTD.
Investment vehicle of the co-founding family of Hotai Group, Taiwan's largest mobility conglomerate and exclusive distributor of Toyota, Lexus, and Hino. Drawing on 70+ years of market leadership, Ho-Chwan Investment supports next-generation digital infrastructure in Taiwan.

ABOUT MICROAD, INC.
Founded in 2007 as a CyberAgent spin-out, listed on TSE Growth Market (9553) in 2022. Operates UNIVERSE, a consumer behavior data platform from 220+ enterprise partners, providing industry-specific marketing solutions across Japan and Asia.

ABOUT THE CEO
Takeshi Iryo, CEO, WAKEI Inc. — Began his career at Sankei Shimbun before joining All About as an early-stage team member and contributing to its IPO. At Rakuten, he led agency sales and international advertising. He subsequently took leadership of the Japan business for Appier (Taiwan), Mobvista (China), InMobi (India), and Outbrain (US), consistently delivering market success for each organization in Japan. Founded WAKEI Inc. in October 2025.

Media Contact: WAKEI Inc. | info@wakeiinc.com | https://wakei-inc.com/home-en

Takeshi Iryo
WAKEI Inc.
info@wakeiinc.com

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