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.
If God had not given us sticky tape, it would have been necessary to invent it.