The Growing Importance of IP
At Coral, we’ve long recognized that intellectual property is one of Japan’s greatest assets and one of the most at risk globally. From anime and fashion to advanced manufacturing, IP is the backbone of the country’s cultural and economic influence. Japan ranked #1 globally in the Nation Brand Index in both 2023 and 2024. Yet globally, counterfeits alone cause an estimated $400B in brand losses annually, a number projected to reach $700B by 2030, with roughly 75% of those losses said to be concentrated in fashion, cosmetics, and entertainment industries such as anime and film.
AI Is Changing the Threat Landscape
Generative AI has transformed both the scale and sophistication of infringement. Counterfeits, piracy, deepfakes, unauthorized sales, and impersonations can now be spun up and distributed in seconds. Entire storefronts appear overnight, powered by agentic coding tools and AI-assisted developers. Deepfakes are increasingly used to create misleading promotional content featuring celebrities. Communities like “RepTok” on TikTok openly sell counterfeits and dupes, reaching massive consumer audiences.The consequences for brands are significant: reputational damage, lost revenue, and eroded consumer trust. Legacy enforcement tools, built for a slower, pre-AI world, still rely on service-heavy, labor-intensive models with bloated teams. The outcome has been low gross margins, frequent ownership changes, and declining service quality as cost-cutting pressures mount. This structural weakness, combined with the acceleration of AI-driven threats, has left brands underserved.
For us, it was clear that companies operating at the intersection of IP, technology, and brand control would be critical for the next decade. We’re excited to invest in MarqVision’s Series B and support them in tackling this challenge and shaping the future of IP and brand protection.
A New Model for Brand Protection
MarqVision is building the world’s first AI-native IP operating system to not only combat this new generation of threats, but allow companies to own every digital and physical touchpoint where a brand lives. What MarqVision delivers today:
- Marq AI: AI-driven enforcement against counterfeits, piracy, deepfakes, unauthorized sales, and impersonations, achieving takedowns 180x faster than manual methods and 16x more takedowns than legacy players.
- MarqFolio: A centralized platform for IP filings, renewals, and monitoring that also reduces administrative burden by integrating with enforcement tools.
- MarqLaw: AI-enabled legal services like automated takedown notices, demand letters, and raids that translate online detection into real-world consequences.
What Sets MarqVision Apart
- AI-native foundation – MarqVision was designed from day one as an automation engine in combination with legal expertise. Its proprietary models continuously learn and improve with every enforcement action.
- Global and Asia-first presence – While many brand owners are in the U.S. and Europe, most infringements originate in Asia, primarily China. MarqVision bridges this gap by operating at the intersection of these regions, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seoul, Paris, Shanghai, and now Tokyo. This allows them to enforce where the problems start while staying close to the brands they serve.
- Real business impact – MarqVision isn’t just a defensive tool; it drives growth. Customers across industries from luxury and fashion to gaming, pharma, and consumer electronics, see direct top-line gains of 5–10%. This clear ROI has expanded adoption beyond legal teams, with about 60% of users today coming from go-to-market functions like marketing, e-commerce, and sales. MarqVision surpassed $20M ARR earlier this year and is working with 300+ global brands to provide end-to-end brand control across 1,500+ platforms in 118+ countries.
Fueling this growth is co-founder and CEO Mark Lee. When we first met him in San Francisco, we were struck by the depth of his thinking and his clear vision for the next decade of IP and brand protection — and MarqVision’s role in shaping it. Mark co-founded the company during his senior year at Harvard Law School, where he focused on trademark, copyright, and patent law. That foundation, combined with his experience at McKinsey and an AI startup, has given him the rare ability to move fluidly between product, business, and legal. Building and running a truly global organization is never easy, yet Mark has already brought together a team of international talent from top companies in IP, technology, and marketing to execute on this vision.
Backing MarqVision’s $48M Series B
We’re thrilled to invest in MarqVision’s $48M Series B, bringing total funding to about $90M. The round was led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA) with participation from HSG (formerly Sequoia Capital China), Salesforce Ventures, Michael Seibel, and returning investors Y Combinator, Altos Ventures, and Atinum.
Launching in Japan
With this round, the company has officially launched in Japan, and we’re excited to play an active role in supporting their growth in this market. To lead the effort, MarqVision appointed Takeshi Suzuki as its first Country Manager. Takeshi brings more than 15 years of experience in IP and online brand protection in APAC. In August, MarqVision hosted its Japan launch event at our Toranomon office, where we saw firsthand the enthusiasm from IP industry leaders spanning luxury brands, manufacturers, and government. The discussions highlighted two clear priorities: how to harness AI to strengthen IP protection, and how to leverage brand protection as a driver of revenue growth.
We believe brand protection is about more than defense. It is a driver of economic growth. In markets like Japan, where IP remains underutilized despite significant global potential, the opportunity is especially compelling. As generative AI accelerates counterfeits, impersonations, unauthorized sales, and piracy, the focus must shift from reacting to infringements toward full brand control. MarqVision is leading this evolution, equipping companies to safeguard their assets while shaping how their brand is experienced and unlocking more of its value.
For more on MarqVision’s Series B and future plans, see coverage in TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Nikkei, and other media outlets, as well as MarqVision’s own blog.
