Japanese company that describes itself as an "emotional commerce" firm. Owner of Hello Kitty, the world-famous cat character, as well as a roster of companions including My Melody, Kuromi and Gudetama.
In 2020 Sanrio's then 92-year-old founder handed control to his 31-year-old grandson. Operating profit rose from ¥2.1bn ($20m) that year to ¥51.8bn in the year ending in March 2025, and the stock has risen 13-fold.
Once reliant on toy sales, Sanrio has shifted to licensing intellectual property, which now makes up half of revenues. The company's long-term strategy envisions blanketing fans with Sanrio content across a wide cast of characters. In an annual poll of fans' favourite characters, Hello Kitty has won only once in the past decade; Kuromi and My Melody have become increasingly prominent. Hello Kitty's share of revenue outside Japan has fallen from 90% in the 2010s to about half, as her companions take more of the spotlight.
Sanrio's next task is conquering North America and Europe. It is expanding through in-person experiences, including a café in California dedicated to Gudetama, a slothful egg yolk. My Melody and Kuromi co-star in a Netflix series. The company competes against more entrenched franchises such as Star Wars and Pokémon.
God is dead and I don't feel all too well either....