# PR TIMES

PR TIMES is a Corporate Investor based in Tokyo, Japan.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Corporate Investor
- **Headquarters:** Tokyo, Japan
- **Region:** Asia
- **Address:** 1-11-44 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan
- **Founded:** 2005
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** prtimes.co.jp
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/prtimes-inc
- **Wikidata:** Q59186556

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Yamaguchi launched PR TIMES as a digital press-release distribution service for Japanese companies. Two decades later, the Tokyo-based firm is publicly traded, majority-owned by Vector Inc., and fields 119 professionals across offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Dallas. Its core platform processes more than 10,000 releases monthly, holding the top domestic market share. The company also runs a suite of PR-tech tools, including the task-management SaaS Jooto, and operates the news outlet BRIDGE. PR TIMES allocates capital through direct equity stakes in software and media-adjacent startups. Confirmed portfolio companies include glucose inc., a knowledge-management and software consultancy, and NAVICUS, an SNS-marketing agency serving local governments. The firm also maintains a wholly owned US subsidiary, PR TIMES Inc., capitalized at $100,000 in 2022. Total capital deployed is not disclosed. The company reported paid-in capital of ¥422.7 million as of February 2024. Its parent, Vector Inc., controls roughly 53% to 58% of shares, providing a structural capital base for venture activity. In October 2025, the firm participated in the Japan Cryptoasset Business Association, signaling an expanding interest in digital-infrastructure investments adjacent to its core media business. Unlike a standalone family office or traditional venture fund, PR TIMES invests from the balance sheet of a publicly traded media-operating company. That hybrid structure ties its investment pace to the recurring revenue of its press-release SaaS business. It means the firm can hold positions indefinitely, unlike a closed-fund GP, but its investment cadence is constrained by public-market earnings cycles and the strategic priorities of corporate parent Vector Inc.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment
- Enterprise Software

## Offices

- Osaka, Japan
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Dallas, TX, United States

## People

- Takumi Yamaguchi — Founder and President

## Questions

### What is the relationship between PR TIMES and Vector Inc.?

Vector Inc. is the majority shareholder of PR TIMES, holding between roughly 53% and 58% of shares (Altss estimate). Vector provides a capital and strategic framework for PR TIMES's investment activities. Keiji Nishie, Vector's chairman and CEO, is the key figure linking the parent company to PR TIMES's corporate strategy.

### Does PR TIMES invest outside of Japan?

Yes, through a wholly owned US subsidiary, PR TIMES Inc., established in Dallas, Texas in October 2022 with an initial capitalization of $100,000. The subsidiary's investment activity remains small-scale, but it provides a legal entity for North American deals. Its primary investment focus has historically been domestic Japanese startups.

### What sectors does PR TIMES invest in?

The firm invests in enterprise software, digital media, and marketing-technology companies that extend its PR SaaS ecosystem. Its confirmed portfolio includes glucose inc., a knowledge-management software firm, and NAVICUS, a social-media marketing agency. In 2025, the firm signaled new interest in digital-asset infrastructure by joining the Japan Cryptoasset Business Association.

### Does PR TIMES disclose its assets under management or total deployment?

No. PR TIMES has never published an AUM or total-deployment figure. As a corporate investor that makes equity investments from its balance sheet, its investment capacity is tied to operating cash flow and publicly reported paid-in capital — ¥422.7 million as of February 2024.

### How does PR TIMES's investment structure differ from a typical venture capital fund?

Unlike a venture capital fund that raises committed capital from LPs and must deploy within a 10-year lifecycle, PR TIMES invests permanent corporate capital. It faces no forced liquidation timelines and can hold assets indefinitely. However, its investment pace is constrained by quarterly earnings accountability and the strategic mandates of Vector Inc.'s board.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/pr-times

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