Unleash the Power of Stories with AI - NovelShaft Investor Information
We all have sparks of creativity that can become epic stories. Why not embark on a journey beyond the limits of imagination together with AI?
Our Story: Business Overview
Using AI as a magical pen, we strive to create a world where anyone can weave stories. NovelShaft is the compass that makes this dream a reality.
Vision & Mission
"Make difficult things simple"
By leveraging AI technology for processes that can be streamlined through logical thinking, we aim to expand human creativity.
Application of AI technology to creative fields: We support the efficient yet logical development of Japan’s strong cultural content—such as novels, anime, and manga—using AI.
Maximizing individual creativity: By letting AI handle setting management and contradiction checks, authors can focus on the essential act of idea generation.
Addressing social challenges: We resolve issues such as the burden of complex setting management and the high costs of creation.
Company Information
- Company Name: AmanoSystemLab
- Location: Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture
- Established: Sole proprietorship (planned incorporation)
- Representative: Yutaro Amano
Business Content
Development and operation of the AI-powered novel writing support service “NovelShaft.” It unifies character settings, worldbuilding, and plot creation, offering AI-based logical inconsistency checks and text generation assistance.
Growth Strategy
After establishing a solid footing in the domestic market, we plan to expand overseas with multilingual support. Beyond novels, we will evolve into a comprehensive platform supporting scripts, manga story outlines, and more.
The Value NovelShaft Provides
For Creators
We reduce the burden of complex setting management and plot construction via AI, allowing creators to focus on the act of creation itself. From beginners to professionals, all levels of creators can boost productivity and creativity, thereby improving the quality of their works.
For Japan
We contribute to the growth of Japan’s content industries—novels, manga, anime—by supporting domestic creators, discovering and developing new talent. Through high-quality storytelling, we enhance Japan’s cultural influence.
For the World
We bring Japan’s exceptional story-creation expertise to overseas creators through AI. By overcoming language barriers, we aim to support diverse cultural storytelling worldwide, becoming a global story-creation platform.
Founder Profile
A leader who combines technology and creativity to forge new value
Yutaro Amano
<span class="font-semibold">CEO & Lead Developer</span><br> With over 13 years of full-stack engineering experience, he has worked in a wide range of environments from major corporations to startups. He can handle everything from infrastructure (AWS + Terraform, etc.) to frontend (React, Vue, JavaScript, TypeScript). With extensive experience in agile development based on the Scrum Guide, he excels at delivering value to clients in the shortest possible time.
The Creativity Driven by Neurodiversity
Amano, who has dyslexia (reading disorder) and ADHD, possesses a unique perspective and problem-solving skills that go beyond conventional thinking. His challenges with reading and writing led him to develop a capacity for visual and structural organization of information, which directly influences NovelShaft’s design philosophy.
“While my neurological traits sometimes caused difficulties, they have also become my greatest strength. By harnessing the hyperfocus aspect of ADHD, I can deeply examine details that others might overlook. Thanks to dyslexia, I approach things not just through text but also spatially and visually, enabling me to design complex story structures in a multidimensional way.”
Technical Skills
AWS, Terraform, Docker, C#, TypeScript, React, Vue
Development Methods
Agile, Scrum, TDD, CI/CD
He refers to engineering as his “true calling,” which drives him to continually tackle challenges. Through ongoing self-improvement, he maintains a competitive edge. The unique perspective and creativity afforded by his neurodiversity serve as the source of NovelShaft’s innovative feature designs.
Our Tools: Product Introduction
NovelShaft is a magical study equipped with AI, designed to shape your stories into reality.
Overview of NovelShaft
Our web-based platform unifies character settings, worldbuilding, and plot creation. AI checks for logical inconsistencies and assists with text generation, enabling efficient and high-quality story development.
Points of Differentiation
- Thorough logical setting management (supporting large-scale story structures)
- Serves both beginners and advanced users (simple mode and detailed management mode)
- AI-based contradiction checking for settings
Development Progress: Currently running on AWS in production. Closed beta is ongoing, with UI/UX improvements based on feedback.
Worldbuilding
Manage geography, history, and cultural settings in a hierarchical structure. Includes AI-driven setting suggestions to spark ideas.
Character Management
Centrally track details like character ages, personalities, and backstories. The “plot assistance” feature uses AI to automatically outline the broad strokes of the story, providing a foundation for writing.
Manuscript Writing Support
Utilize APIs like ChatGPT for text proofreading and idea generation. Users can save their own prompt templates to improve writing efficiency.
Logical Consistency Checks
AI flags discrepancies even in large-scale settings, helping maintain consistency in long-form works.
Our Stage of Adventure: Market & Growth
NovelShaft is charting a path through a vast sea of potential for stories. Here, we explore its trajectory and future.
Domestic Target Market
- TAM (Total Addressable Market): In Japan, an estimated 2.5 to 5 million people “would like to write a novel someday” or “are interested in it.”
- SAM (Serviceable Available Market): Of this TAM, about 3 million are considered likely to actively use online or AI tools.
- SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): Initially aiming to capture 5–10% of that SAM, or roughly 150,000–300,000 active users.
Revenue Estimate at Domestic SOM
Assuming an ARPU (average revenue per user) of 94 JPY (approx. 0.65 USD) per month, annual revenue could reach 169,000,000 JPY (approx. 1,165,517.24 USD)–338,000,000 JPY (approx. 2,331,034.48 USD).
Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM)
Revenue Forecast
Overseas Market Potential
There is strong international interest in Japan’s story-creation expertise, particularly in English-speaking regions. By supporting multiple languages, we aim to capture several times the domestic market size.
Global Market Potential (SOM Comparison)
Our Navigation Map: Business Model
A sustainable structure for continuous growth—our revenue streams and strategy.
Revenue Model
Freemium Model
- Free Plan: Provides basic setting management features with ads displayed.
- Paid Plan (Subscription): Offers advanced AI capabilities and ad-free usage. Priced at 1,480 JPY (approx. 10.21 USD) per month.
Advertising Revenue: Ads are shown to free-plan users, focusing on relevant content.
Future Revenue Sources: Publishing, cross-media licensing, and corporate customization plans are under consideration.
Estimated ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
Assuming a 10% conversion rate to the paid plan and factoring in ad click-through rates, we estimate a monthly ARPU.
Ad Revenue
20 JPY (approx. 0.14 USD) / month
Subscription Revenue
74 JPY (approx. 0.51 USD) / month
Total ARPU
94 JPY (approx. 0.65 USD) / month
Our Crew: Team Introduction
The passionate and talented members who sail this ship forward.
Yutaro Amano
CEO & Lead Developer
With 13+ years of development experience, he has worked in both major companies and startups. Skilled in everything from infrastructure to frontend.
Shingo Shibata
Marketing Lead
A high-school friend of Amano’s, co-operator of various sites including an affiliate ad site and an AI image service.
Megumi Amano
Administration & Development Support
Partner of CEO Yutaro Amano. Handles administrative tasks, task management, and UI reviews to support overall development.
“Team Strength: Even on a small scale, we can independently develop and operate all functionalities for rapid service improvements.”
Agile Development Based on the Scrum Guide
The Fuel for Our Voyage: Financial Plan & Funding
A plan to sustain this adventure and drive us into the future.
Current Round & Funding Goal
Seed Round
<span class="font-semibold">Target Funding:</span> 20,000,000 JPY (approx. 137,931.03 USD) <span class="font-semibold">Equity Share:</span> 95% Amano, 5% Shibata (subject to renegotiation with investors)
Operating Costs
- Server Costs: Initially around 50,000 JPY (approx. 344.83 USD)/month on AWS, scaling with user growth
- Personnel: CEO: 400,000 JPY (approx. 2,758.62 USD)/month, Marketing: 300,000 JPY (approx. 2,068.97 USD)/month, Admin: 200,000 JPY (approx. 1,379.31 USD)/month + possible additional engineer
- Advertising: Estimated 500,000 JPY (approx. 3,448.28 USD)/month
Revenue Simulation
<span class="font-semibold">Mid-Term (1–2 years):</span> With 10k–30k users, monthly revenue could range from 940,000 JPY (approx. 6,482.76 USD) to 2,820,000 JPY (approx. 19,448.28 USD), approaching breakeven.
<span class="font-semibold">Long-Term (3–5 years):</span> Achieving domestic SOM would yield annual revenue of 169,000,000 JPY (approx. 1,165,517.24 USD)–338,000,000 JPY (approx. 2,331,034.48 USD). Overseas success could surpass 2,260,000,000 JPY (approx. 15,586,206.90 USD) annually.
Use of Funds
Expand Development Resources
50%
Advertising & Promotion
30%
Overseas Expansion
20%
Charting the Future: Roadmap
The trajectory of our growth over the next year, and the ports we aim to reach.
Short-Term Goals (~3 Months) Now
- Platform features: Implement posting with private/limited-publication settings.
- Multilingual support: Release the English MVP.
- Setting & Plot Q&A: Interactive character/story-building features.
- Revision support: Accommodate rewrites for stories and settings.
- Guide videos: Publish tutorials on how to use the service.
- Visualize user activity: Implement a KPI dashboard.
- Subscription payments: Integrate monthly billing via Stripe.
- Export function: Output to Word/PDF/TXT.
- Investor materials: Complete LP/pitch deck, pursue angel round (5% equity for 20,000,000 JPY (approx. 137,931.03 USD)).
Mid-Term Goals (3–12 Months)
- Extension modules: Romance, fantasy, historical modes—genre-specific features.
- Writing guide/help: Enhance documentation on terminology and production flow.
- UI/UX overhaul: Collaborate with external designers for a redesign & mobile optimization.
- Host events: Launch contests with prizes to energize the community.
- Increase ads & marketing: Invest in advertising to grow user base.
- VC round: Seek 50,000,000 JPY (approx. 344,827.58 USD) for 5% equity.
- Advanced R&D: Strengthen story-generation engine with MCP/knowledge graph technology.
Technical Foundation
Building a secure, scalable system
Tech Stack
- AWS (Fargate, RDS, etc.)
- Terraform
- Docker
- C#, TypeScript
- React, Vue
Development Process
- CI/CD pipeline
- Test-Driven Development (TDD)
- Scrum-based agile development
- Staging environment
Security Measures
- AWS WAF/IAM configuration
- SSL/TLS communication
- Audit log retrieval
Risk Management
Potential risks and our countermeasures
Main Risk Factors
Entry of competing companies
With rapid AI advances, major platforms may introduce similar services.
Legal issues related to AI-generated content
Ongoing discussions about copyright and privacy.
Technical disruptions
Downtime in infrastructure or API integrations could erode trust.
Lack of capital
If monetization lags behind expectations, development resources may run short.
Risk Mitigation Policies
Differentiated R&D
Further enhance our setting management/logical consistency features to build a uniquely defensible domain.
Legal & Compliance Reinforcement
Consult legal experts on AI-generated content and update our terms of use accordingly.
Improving Availability
Adopt multi-AZ configurations and failover setups to minimize downtime during outages.
Adequate Capital
Consider external funding in a timely manner to ensure business continuity.
Exit Strategy & Future Outlook
Achieving long-term growth and returns
Exit Strategies (IPO or M&A)
IPO
Aim for a public listing after securing stable user and revenue bases.
M&A
Consider mergers and acquisitions with major IT or media companies to leverage synergies for further growth.
Mid- to Long-Term Vision
<span class="font-semibold">"AI Creation Infrastructure"</span>: Evolve into a comprehensive platform supporting not only novels, but also scripts, manga storylines, and beyond.
<span class="font-semibold">Integration with global creator communities:</span> Focus on English-speaking and Asian regions to raise international visibility.
<span class="font-semibold">Cross-media expansion:</span> Support multiple media formats—music, stage, live-action drama, film, images—based on high-quality stories created through NovelShaft.
<span class="font-semibold">Collaboration with publishers and service expansion:</span> By partnering with publishers, we envision solutions that streamline editors’ and professional creators’ processes.
Proposal to Investors
Join us in pioneering the future of storytelling
Current Equity Distribution
Equity Offered to Investors: Shares from the 95% currently held by the founder will be allocated to investors.
Reallocation subject to discussion with investors
Return Plan
Dividend Policy
We will focus on internal reserves during the expansion phase and provide sufficient returns to investors once stable profitability is achieved.
Capital Gains
We aim to substantially increase share value through IPO or M&A, generating returns for investors.
Desired Collaboration
- Advisory on management and technology (synergy with investors versed in the media or IT industries)
- Support for international expansion (global networks and expertise)
- Shared industry connections (collaborations with publishers and media companies)
Inquiries Regarding Investment
Thank you for considering an investment in NovelShaft. For any questions regarding funding, CEO Yutaro Amano will personally assist you.
About Our Communication
- Contact Person: Yutaro Amano (CEO)
- Primary Language: Japanese
- How to reach us: Click the “Contact Us” button below
- Multilingual Support: We can use translation tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to communicate in English or Chinese if necessary.
Please use the button below to visit our contact page.
Direct inquiries (email): info@novelshaft.com