Vector Inc. is a Tokyo-based PR and advertising group listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and founded in 1993 by Keiji Nishie. PRovoke Media's 2025 Global 250 ranking lists it 19th in the world, with 1,707 staff and about $228 million in 2024 fee income. It also owns PR TIMES, Japan's largest press release distribution platform, and a group of 53 companies as of 2023.
Updated: November 13, 2026
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What does Vector Inc. do?
Vector Inc. provides PR, advertising and corporate communications services mainly in Japan, with operations in China and elsewhere in Asia. A November 2023 Bridge Report describes it as supporting corporate communication strategies in a multifaceted way, mainly through PR and advertising, with a stated aim of becoming the number one company in global PR.
- PR and advertising, with clients usually on retainer contracts and about 2,600 projects a year.
- Press release distribution through PR TIMES, used by more than 87,000 companies as of August 2023.
- Direct-to-consumer health and beauty products, human resources services and venture investment.
The report says the group of 53 companies lets clients buy PR, digital advertising and distribution in one place. It works with large advertising agencies rather than competing head on, differentiating through PR expertise.
Who owns and leads Vector Inc.?
Vector Inc. is a publicly listed company founded by Keiji Nishie, who established it in March 1993 as a sales promotion business and shifted its focus to PR in April 2000. Nishie is described in the 2023 Bridge Report as founder, chairperson and president.
The company listed on the Mothers market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2012, moved to the First Section in 2014 and joined the TSE Prime Market in April 2022. Simply Wall St reports that Nishie owns about 12.2 percent of the shares. Its management listing shows Nishie as founder and chief executive and Masaki Watanabe as president and representative director.
How big is Vector Inc.?
PRovoke Media's 2025 Global 250 lists Vector 19th with about $228 million in 2024 fee income and 1,707 staff, up 0.5 percent from 2023. PRovoke's 2024 edition had listed it 6th with $525,578,752 in 2023 fee income. The 2025 table shows growth of only 0.5 percent, which implies a 2023 base far below that earlier figure. The page does not explain the difference, so figures from the two editions should not be compared directly.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|
| Founded | 1993, by Keiji Nishie |
| Headquarters | Akasaka Garden City, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Staff | 1,707 (PRovoke Media 2025 ranking) |
| 2024 fee income | About $228,000,000 (PRovoke Media 2025 ranking) |
| PRovoke 2025 global rank | 19th (6th in the 2024 edition) |
| Group size | 53 companies (Bridge Report, November 2023) |
| Ownership | Publicly listed, TSE Prime; founder holds about 12.2% (Simply Wall St) |
The Bridge Report also says Vector ranked first in Asia and seventh globally in a 2023 worldwide PR ranking. The full list is on the PRovoke Media 2025 Global 250.
What are Vector Inc.'s recent moves?
Vector's documented recent moves are a series of digital marketing and HR acquisitions in 2022 and 2023. The table lists them newest first, as reported in the Bridge Report.
| Date | Move |
|---|
| July 2023 | Acquires Owned Co., Ltd., a programmatic advertising firm focused on search engine optimization |
| June 2023 | Acquires Busiconet Inc., which runs a web media business for job changers, to support its JOBTV recruitment platform |
| March 2023 | Acquires Tryhatch Inc., which helps clients attract customers through social media |
| December 2022 | Acquires Keyword Marketing Inc., a programmatic advertising specialist |
| September 2022 | Takes over the digital advertising business of Terminal Inc. |
Details are in the Bridge Report on Vector.
How does Vector Inc. compare with peers?
Vector reports slightly higher 2024 fee income than SEC Newgate and higher than Ruder Finn and Padilla on PRovoke Media's 2025 table. The comparison uses the same source and year for every firm.
| Firm | Base | Ownership | 2024 fee income (PRovoke) | Staff (PRovoke) |
|---|
| Vector Inc. | Tokyo, Japan | Publicly listed | About $228,000,000 | 1,707 |
| SEC Newgate | Milan, Italy | Majority-backed by Investcorp | $226,516,858 | 1,335 |
| Ruder Finn | New York, NY | Independent | $185,400,000 | 1,280 |
| Padilla agency profile | Minneapolis, MN | Owned by Avenir Global | $45,073,495 | 170 |
For every firm profiled on the site, see the PR firms directory.
