Naoki Osada, former CEO of Avex USA, has launched Nebula17, a new company that will house a label, publishing, management, international strategy, and venture capital arms.

According to Tuesday’s (July 15) announcement, headquartered in Los Angeles, Nebula17 aims “to both develop the next wave of US talent and, by leveraging its creative and business resources, to serve as a launchpad for culturally progressive Japanese artists expanding into the US and global markets”.

Osada’s new company notes that its launch arrives amid “rising international demand for contemporary Japanese music”.

Nebula17 says it is backed by a group of strategic investors, contributing “multi-million-dollar funding” across entertainment, culture, and technology.

Leading the round is Japanese entertainment company Akatsuki Inc., with the investment led by Director, Executive Vice President, CFO & CSO Kazuhiko Ishikura.

Other key backers include what Nebula17 calls “some of Japan’s most influential next-generation management companies,” such as BMSG, a breakout force founded by Japanese artist SKY-HI (Mitsuhiro Hidaka); ASOBISYSTEM, the production company behind girl group ATARASHII GAKKO!, founded by Yusuke Nakagawa; plus And Music, the management home of Awich, founded by entrepreneur Toyoki Tanizaki.

Angel investors include Paul Bragiel, an early investor in and advisor to Uber and Unity, as well as an entrepreneur and global startup mentor; the co-founders of Decima Fund, a crypto-focused VC bridging Japan and the global market; and C-suite executives from Gumi, a global leader in gaming and Web3 innovation.

Osada spent over two decades at Japan-headquartered entertainment giant Avex, most recently serving as CEO of its US division, where he led the company’s expansion into the American market.

During his tenure, Avex made a strategic investment in Brandon Silverstein’s S10, forming a global alliance with Roc Nation.

Osada also launched a publishing joint venture with Silverstein, signing talent including Harv (Justin Bieber Peaches), Jasper Harris (Tate McRae greedy), and GENT! (Doja Cat Agora Hills).

In a separate JV with Ryan Tedder’s Runner Music, he signed rising producer Grant Boutin (Tate McRae Sports car). He also played a role in introducing Japanese acts such as ONE OR EIGHT to the US market, facilitating collaborations with Tedder, David Stewart, and Big Sean.

(Silverstein was recently named CEO of the Avex Music Group division in the US, after the Japan-headquartered firm acquired S10 Music Publishing and upped its stake in S10 Management.)

“Our goal is to build a new bridge between Japanese culture and the global mainstream — one artist at a time, powered by top U.S. creatives and business leaders.”

Naoki Osada

Commenting on the launch of his new company, Osada, said: “There couldn’t be a more perfect time to bring this vision to life. The world is finally ready to hear these voices, and Nebula17 is here to amplify them — with right A&R strategies, global management expertise, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

“Our goal is to build a new bridge between Japanese culture and the global mainstream — one artist at a time, powered by top U.S. creatives and business leaders.”

Nebula17 will operate from a new studio house in West Hollywood, which it says will act as a hub for songwriting, artist development, and “cross-border collaboration”.

The company has started working with Japanese hip-hop star Awich, known for collaborations with the likes of RZA (Wu-Tang Clan) and A$AP FERG.

On the publishing side, Nebula17 represents rising writer-producer Marcus Munroe, whose credits include GENERATIONS and BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE, and who is currently collaborating with hitmakers like David Arkwright (Bella Poarch Build a Bitch) and Jahnei Clarke (6ix9ine feat. Nicki Minaj TROLLZ).

In the venture space, Nebula17 participated in the early-stage financing round for Indify, a platform that it says “connect[s] forward-thinking independent artists with labels, which recently gained momentum following a spotlight post by James Blake”.

The Nebula17 studio is led by head engineer Oscar Cornejo, who works closely with Tyla, Quavo, Rich The Kid, and other artists.

The company says it is “actively developing multi-platform IP and preparing its first slate of international releases, set to launch later this year”.Music Business Worldwide