NTT DOCOMO Ventures Invests in Parallel Inc., a Provider of a Hangout App for Having Fun with Friends

NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jun Yasumoto; hereinafter, “NDV”) is pleased to announce that, through a fund that it manages, it has invested in Parallel Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Directors: Jo Aoki and Taiki Toshihara), the provider of “Parallel ,” a hangout app that allows users to have fun with their friends.

Parallel is an “online hangout” where users can enjoy games, videos, music, and other content with their friends, providing an online space similar to playing at a friend’s house or in a classroom after school. As of December 2023, it has a cumulative total of over 4 million registered users, of which more than 70% are Gen Z (aged 13–27), showing that it is gaining significant support from the younger generation. Furthermore, the average time spent talking with friends within the app exceeds 180 minutes per day, creating a new form of online communication.

In its investment policy announced in October 2023, NDV identified entertainment as one of the priority investment areas for the DOCOMO Innovation Fund. This investment in Parallel Inc. is the fund’s largest ever investment in a startup, and exemplifies the strengthening of the fund’s investments in the field of entertainment.
Moreover, the NTT DOCOMO Group is also building a stronger presence in the content and entertainment industries with its Smart Life Business. With this investment, Parallel Inc., which provides a community where people can enjoy various entertainment content with their friends, and the NTT DOCOMO Group will collaborate more closely to create new value and a new culture of communication.

■Parallel Inc. Profile
Name: Parallel Inc.
Head Office: 101 Keyaki House, 3-19-10 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representatives: Jo Aoki and Taiki Toshihara
Areas of Business: Planning, development and operation of “Parallel,” a hangout app for having fun with friends
Website: https://www.parallelcorp.com/