Vtubing-focused talent agency VShojo has raised $11M in seed funding led by Athos Capital with participation from GFR Funds and Green Bay Ventures.
The funding will be directed toward supporting new technology, merchandise, content creation and presence at events such as major conventions in the gaming and anime scenes.
VShojo was launched in November of 2020 and represents Vtubers, who are content creators who use animated avatars as their public personas on live-streaming and video platforms. The trend originated in Japan with digital personalities, and has become a rising category of influencers worldwide.
The company is co-founded by CEO Justin “The Gunrun” Ignacio, a streamer whose background includes working at Twitch; and CTO Phillip “MowtenDoo” Fortunat.
“VTubers are the future of the content creator industry,” said Ignacio in a statement. “Since the medium is built upon animated personas, it is more accessible and scalable than being a traditional creator, especially as the technology becomes more widespread. With the funding from Anthos Capital, we are now in a better position to support and grow talent in this market with more innovative technology, extensive promotion, and the ability to assist with content creation and distribution.”
VShojo’s partnered creators include Vtubers Froot, Silvervale, Zentreya and more, who are all active on Twitch.
