The anime production company HAYATE, a relatively young joint venture between the two Sony subsidiaries Aniplex and Crunchyroll, has acquired all shares in the animation studio Lay-duce. We summarize.
First equity investment
HAYATE was founded in March 2025 with the aim of producing captivating anime titles for the rapidly growing anime fan base, with worldwide distribution primarily via the Crunchyroll streaming service.
In order to set the course for a successful future, the Tokyo-based animation studio Lay-duce has now been taken over and fully integrated as a subsidiary.
At the same time, this step marks HAYATE’s first equity investment in an anime studio, as highlighted in the official announcement:
»By acquiring and working more closely with Lay-duce, which has an outstanding track record in anime production, HAYATE will be able to advance anime projects in a more stable and sustainable manner.
HAYATE remains firmly committed to its mission of providing captivating content to anime fans around the world.
In addition, HAYATE and Lay-duce will work together to create an environment in which Lay-duce employees and the creative people associated with the company can fully develop their creativity and skills so that they can continue to create outstanding works in the long term.«
Since its founding in 2013, Lay-duce has made a name for itself with titles such as “Clevatess”, “Our love has always been 10 centimeters apart”, “Tomo-chan Is a Girl!”, “Magi: Adventure of Sinbad” and “O Maidens in Your Savage Season”.
The studio is currently working on the second season of “Clevatess” and the new series “Sorry About My Younger Brothers,” both of which will start in summer 2026.
More on the topic:
Via Official Website
© Yuuji Iwahara, LDF / Clevatess Production Committee