Funko, Inc. (“Funko,” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:FNKO), a leading pop culture consumer products company, today announced that Bandai, the Japanese manufacturer and toy licensee, will become the exclusive distributor for Funko products across Japan.
Bandai will take full control of the distribution channel in Q4 of this year, with the goal of bringing gaming, anime, movie and television Pop! vinyl figurines to mass market within Japan.
“Japanese pop culture fans will be overjoyed to know that we have exclusively partnered with Bandai to distribute Funko Pop! vinyl figures, soft lines, plush and board games within Japan,” said Brian Mariotti, CEO of Funko. “Partnering with Bandai is yet another example of the investment we are making in our global distribution and commitment to service our retail partners and consumers across the world.”
“We are delighted that we now have a business partnership with Funko. We recognize that Funko Pop! is one of the most popular vinyl figures in the world and they’ve established a strong brand in the market. We look forward to expanding Pop! in our market and in global business together,” said Shinjiro Kaji, General Manager of Asia Toy Strategy Department of BANDAI CO., LTD.
Funko has an extensive portfolio of content providers and licenses within the anime genre. Some of the bestselling properties include Dragonball Z, My Hero Academia and Naruto.