AKS (株式会社AKS) is the main agency group and management of AKB48.
All AKB48 members are part of DH, unless they are picked up by a 3rd party management group. DH also releases various AKB48 Group CDs and DVDs, such as stage studio recordings.
- SKE48 members were originally managed by Pythagoras Promotion, but were picked up by AKS in 2011. Since 2019, SKE48 is managed by Zest Inc.
- NMB48 members are managed under an entirely different company, unaffiliated with DH, called Showtitle.
- HKT48 members were originally managed by AKS. Since 2019, HKT48 is managed by Mercury.
- NGT48 members were originally managed by AKS. Since 2019, NGT48 is managed by Flora.
- STU48 members are managed under an entirely different company, unaffiliated with DH, called Setouchi Co. Ltd.
- JKT48, BNK48, MNL48, AKB48 Team SH, SGO48, AKB48 Team TP, CGM48 and IZ*ONE all have/had their own respective agencies, but were overseen by AKS. In 2019, the company overseeing international sister groups changed its name to Vernalossom.
- Former IZ*ONE member Yabuki Nako is still primarily managed by Vernalossom, even after returning to HKT48.
The original name comes from the initials of the founders, Akimoto Yasushi, Kubota Yasushi, and Shiba Kotaro. Its name was changed in 2019.