Teller
9 known investors
Teller Novel is a mobile novel-sharing platform where users write and publish original fiction to build a fan base, with some works adapted into comics (comicalization). The service also features content about active authors and the creative process behind its stories.
Also known as TELLER · Teller Novel · Teller Novel Inc. · テラー · テラーノベル · 株式会社テラーノベル
Investors · 9
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$6.8M disclosed across 1 round · 2022
- $6.8MraisedFeb 2022 · 2 sources
Blockchain Capital (lead), Bessemer Venture Partners, Franklin Templeton, Signum Capital, Toyota Ventures, Upstart
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Teller Novel (テラーノベル) is a Japanese user-generated fiction platform operated by Teller Novel Inc. (株式会社テラーノベル). Users read and write original novels on iOS and Android apps and on the web, with stories displayed in a chat-style, tap-to-advance format alongside conventional prose, and illustrations. The catalogue spans romance, adult romance, romance fantasy, BL, horror/mystery, drama, comedy, fantasy/isekai and SF, with tagging, rankings and shelves for readers.
The company describes two business lines: a novel-posting platform business and a distribution/global-circulation business that publishes stories originating on the platform as comics (comicalization) and other media. Publishing and media-mix partners named on the corporate site include Shueisha / Jump TOON, Bunkasha, Amazia, Libalent, en-dolphin, Sutcliffe and TOON CRACKER, and titles have also been distributed via LINE Manga, Comic Seamore and Take Comi. Teller Novel also runs original short-drama distribution under the "Teller Drama" label, regular writing contests ("Tenocon", now in its seventh edition) with comicalization guaranteed for top prizes, and editorial media properties — "Teller Novel more", covering its authors and the creative process, and "Borderless", covering the content industry.
The company's stated purpose is to turn creative culture into an industry, and it positions itself around supplying web-novel source material for the webtoon market and international IP development.
Business model
Teller Novel operates a free novel-reading and posting platform monetized around its apps, which carry advertising and in-app purchases, and pairs this with a distribution business that licenses and publishes platform-originated stories as comics, books and short dramas through publishing partners [2][4].
App-based advertising and in-app purchases, plus licensing and publishing of platform works into comics, books and short dramas with partner publishers [2][4].
Traction
The corporate site reports more than 670,000 registered writers and over 7 million works posted; the Google Play listing cites over 7.6 million downloads, more than 1 million published works, over 10,000 exclusive original works and sharing with 6 million people, with the store showing 1M+ installs. Media coverage has referenced 6 million-plus downloads. Over 80 comicalization projects were in progress as of 2024 [2][4].
Latest developments
In 2025-2026 the company announced a series of adaptations and events: the exclusive launch of the original short drama 『最強黒幕（フィクサー）伝説 善界晴馬』 on Teller Drama (August 2026), the seventh Tenocon novel contest opening July 2026 with comicalization guaranteed for the top prize, the print publication of VTuber author みけねこ。's first novel in July 2026, and comicalizations released via Comic Seamore (July 2026), LINE Manga (June 2026) and Take Comi (June 2025) [4].
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as one of Japan's largest novel-posting sites and described in its Google Play listing as a leading novel app; the corporate site frames it as a source of "original works" for the growing webtoon market, with over 80 comicalization projects in progress as of 2024 [2][4].
The service presents novels in a chat format designed to be readable by users who find long-form text difficult, and pairs a large volume of user submissions with an in-house pipeline that converts popular titles into comics, books and short dramas with established publishers rather than leaving works on the platform [3][4].
Technology
Consumer mobile apps for iOS and Android plus a web version, with a chat-style story reader in which readers tap through dialogue, alongside standard novel reading, tagging, rankings, notifications and bookshelf features [1][2][3].
Go-to-market
Distribution is through the iOS and Android app stores and the web, supported by contests that recruit writers with comicalization prizes, by works spreading on social platforms such as TikTok, and by consumer press coverage (Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri student newspaper, Kodansha's "with", Nikkei Trendy, Forbes Japan, Mainichi) [2][4].
Readers and amateur/aspiring writers of Japanese web fiction — including fans of romance, teen love, BL, fan fiction, horror and light novels — plus publishers and media companies seeking source IP for comics, books and video adaptations [2][4].
Geography
The company is based in Tokyo, Japan; corporate records list Minato-ku addresses (Shibadaimon/Hamamatsucho for Teller Novel Inc., and Roppongi for the earlier operator Pickup Inc.). The service is in Japanese, while the distribution business is aimed at delivering platform-originated works to readers internationally [2][3][4].
History
The operating entity was established on 8 July 2014. The TELLER chat-novel app launched in July 2017 and passed 300,000 downloads by September 2017 and 2 million downloads within seven months of release, per a January 2018 press release; at that time the service was operated by Pickup Inc., a subsidiary wholly owned by DMM.com, and the app was known as DMM TELLER. The business is now run as Teller Novel Inc., with the app rebranded テラーノベル and extended from chat fiction into comicalization, publishing and short-drama distribution [2][3][4].
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 9
launches, deals, and filingsContest running 24 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, with comicalization guaranteed for the grand prize winner.
『魂を繋ぐ少女は、死者の声を聞く』 went on sale in bookstores across Japan.
Joint contest accepting entries from 26 January 2026 to 31 March 2026.
A popular Teller Novel work started serialization in comic form on the 竹コミ！ platform.
Teller Novel received an excellence award in the second feature, "Startup Awards 2023", of the November 2023 issue of Nikkei Trendy.
The TELLER app for smart devices launched, presenting stories in a chat format that readers advance by tapping; iOS and Android versions plus a web version for PC and mobile browsers.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Tellerteller.jp · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Teller do?
- Japanese novel-posting platform Teller Novel, whose user-written stories are adapted into comics and short dramas.
- Who are Teller's investors?
- Teller's investors include Globis Capital Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blockchain Capital, Founders Fund, Franklin Templeton, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Signum Capital, Toyota Ventures and 1 more.
- How much funding has Teller raised?
- Teller has disclosed $6.8M raised across 1 round.