Ykone sets sights on 40 cities by 2030 as it expands across Asia

French influencer marketing agency Ykone is planning further expansion across Asia as it seeks to grow its global network from 28 cities to 40 by 2030.

The agency, which specialises in luxury brands, announced last month that it had taken a minority stake in Tokyo-based creative and social media agency Lateam, marking its entry into Japan. The Daily Influence has also learned that Ykone recently opened in Vietnam.

Olivier Billon, Ykone's founder and chief executive, said the expansion forms part of a five-year roadmap that also includes strengthening the agency's European network and US presence.

“Across Asia, we are seeing very interesting dynamics,” Billon told The Daily Influence. “We are preparing a significant number of openings across the region.”

Lateam will be renamed Ykone Tokyo, with founder Pablo Yano remaining as chief executive.

Billon contrasted Ykone’s entry into Japan with its 2022 expansion into Las Vegas, which was driven by specific commercial opportunities.

“Tokyo, however, is a different proposition. It has long been a magnetic city, a cultural hub and an immense market for luxury brands,” he said, adding that Japan is a “long-term investment”.

“Japan is not a place where you sign a deal within a few weeks. Relationships take years to nurture, and the culture takes time to understand.”

Ykone already has a presence in Hong Kong and Shanghai, while its expansion into India included acquiring a majority stake in influencer marketing agency Barcode in 2024.

Meanwhile, Ykone has not lost sight of its European roots. Last month, it also acquired Milan-based digital agency Digital Dust, further strengthening its presence in Italy.

Billon said the acquisition brought together two agencies that had competed for several years.

“We came to feel that merging our companies would be better than remaining rivals, and we believe we made the right decision.”

Despite its acquisitions, Billon said Ykone's founders have no plans to sell the business.

“We are a company built to last. We are not looking to be acquired, and our founders have no exit plan.”