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HAYATE Acquires All Shares of Lay-duce, Making the Anime Production Studio a Wholly Owned Subsidiary
HAYATE Inc. (“HAYATE”) today announced that it has decided to acquire all shares of Lay-duce Inc. (“Lay-duce”), thereby making the anime production studio a wholly owned subsidiary. This transaction marks HAYATE’s first capital participation in an anime production studio.
HAYATE is an anime production company jointly established by Aniplex Inc. (“Aniplex”) and Crunchyroll, LLC (“Crunchyroll”). With the goal of developing compelling content that resonate with the rapidly growing global anime fanbase, HAYATE produces anime titles for worldwide distribution mainly via Crunchyroll’s streaming service.
Founded in 2013 by Noritomo Yonai, Lay-duce is an animation studio that has been involved in the production of numerous Aniplex-led projects, including Fanfare of Adolescence and MAGI Adventure of Sinbad. In recent years, Lay-duce has also created a number of highly acclaimed works that have received strong international recognition, such as Clevatess (nominated for Best New Series at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards), Tomo-chan Is a Girl! (nominated for Best Romance at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards), and Rising Impact.
Through the acquisition and closer collaboration with Lay-duce, which has an outstanding track record in anime production, HAYATE will be able to pursue anime projects in a more stable and sustainable manner. HAYATE remains firmly committed to its mission of delivering engaging content to anime fans around the world.
Furthermore, HAYATE and Lay-duce will work together to create an environment in which Lay-duce’s employees and affiliated creators can fully realize their creativity and capabilities, enabling them to continue producing exceptional works over the long term.
About Lay-duce Inc.
•Representative: Noritomo Yonai, Representative Director
Noritomo Yonai - After producing numerous hit anime titles as an anime producer at bones inc., he became independent and founded Lay-duce in 2013. With extensive experience in production and deep expertise in content creation, he has since led the company as its Representative Director and Producer.
•Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan
•Established: August 2013
•Major Works:
・Clevatess Ⅱ (scheduled to air starting in July 2026)
・Please Excuse My Younger Brothers (scheduled to air starting in July 2026)
・Clevatess
・COMPASS2.0
・Rising Impact
・Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
・Heroines Run the Show
・Fanfare of Adolescence
About HAYATE Inc.
•Representative: Leo Watanabe, President and CEO
•Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
•Established: Feb 2026
•Main Business Activities: Planning, developing, and producing anime content
•Official Website:https://hayate-inc.co.jp
Press Contact
General Affairs Group, HAYATE Inc.
Email: HYT.info@hayate-inc.co.jp
HAYATE is an anime production company jointly established by Aniplex Inc. (“Aniplex”) and Crunchyroll, LLC (“Crunchyroll”). With the goal of developing compelling content that resonate with the rapidly growing global anime fanbase, HAYATE produces anime titles for worldwide distribution mainly via Crunchyroll’s streaming service.
Founded in 2013 by Noritomo Yonai, Lay-duce is an animation studio that has been involved in the production of numerous Aniplex-led projects, including Fanfare of Adolescence and MAGI Adventure of Sinbad. In recent years, Lay-duce has also created a number of highly acclaimed works that have received strong international recognition, such as Clevatess (nominated for Best New Series at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards), Tomo-chan Is a Girl! (nominated for Best Romance at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards), and Rising Impact.
Through the acquisition and closer collaboration with Lay-duce, which has an outstanding track record in anime production, HAYATE will be able to pursue anime projects in a more stable and sustainable manner. HAYATE remains firmly committed to its mission of delivering engaging content to anime fans around the world.
Furthermore, HAYATE and Lay-duce will work together to create an environment in which Lay-duce’s employees and affiliated creators can fully realize their creativity and capabilities, enabling them to continue producing exceptional works over the long term.
About Lay-duce Inc.
•Representative: Noritomo Yonai, Representative Director
Noritomo Yonai - After producing numerous hit anime titles as an anime producer at bones inc., he became independent and founded Lay-duce in 2013. With extensive experience in production and deep expertise in content creation, he has since led the company as its Representative Director and Producer.
•Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan
•Established: August 2013
•Major Works:
・Clevatess Ⅱ (scheduled to air starting in July 2026)
・Please Excuse My Younger Brothers (scheduled to air starting in July 2026)
・Clevatess
・COMPASS2.0
・Rising Impact
・Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
・Heroines Run the Show
・Fanfare of Adolescence
About HAYATE Inc.
•Representative: Leo Watanabe, President and CEO
•Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
•Established: Feb 2026
•Main Business Activities: Planning, developing, and producing anime content
•Official Website:https://hayate-inc.co.jp
Press Contact
General Affairs Group, HAYATE Inc.
Email: HYT.info@hayate-inc.co.jp
