SekaiE Secures Seed Funding from Crunchyroll Founder to Revolutionize Anime Character Interaction

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SekaiE Secures Seed Funding from Crunchyroll Founder to Revolutionize Anime Character Interaction

Japanese startup SekaiE, the visionary behind “SoulChat,” has successfully completed a seed funding round, drawing significant investment from Asu Capital Partners and Kun Gao, the esteemed founder and former CEO of Crunchyroll. This strategic infusion of capital propels SekaiE towards its ambitious goal: to create a future where fans can genuinely “live” within the worlds of their beloved anime characters through officially licensed, creator-supervised interactive experiences.

SoulChat: A New Dimension for Fan Engagement

At the heart of SekaiE’s innovation is SoulChat, a groundbreaking service that offers an unprecedented level of interaction with anime characters. Unlike conventional AI chat platforms, SoulChat distinguishes itself by allowing users to build authentic relationships with characters who possess their own sense of time and existence within their respective story worlds. This isn’t merely a chatbot; it’s a meticulously crafted gateway into a vibrant new dimension of fandom.

SoulChat’s commitment to quality and integrity is paramount. Each experience is developed with the explicit permission and collaboration of IP holders, undergoing a rigorous process of planning, production, and supervision. This ensures a high-quality fan experience while upholding the crucial safety and trustworthiness that IP holders demand. Currently, SoulChat offers interactive experiences for popular titles such as “Chi: On the Movements of the Earth,” “Call of the Night Season 2,” and “Dropkick on My Devil,” with more exciting projects actively in production.

For a glimpse into the SoulChat experience, you can explore this example: SoulChat service example

Endorsement from Industry Titans

The investment round saw enthusiastic endorsement from its key participants, highlighting SekaiE’s unique position in the evolving landscape of interactive media.

Kun Gao, co-founder and former CEO of Crunchyroll, a platform that profoundly shaped global anime consumption, shared his deep admiration for SekaiE’s approach. “Very few understand the responsibility and opportunity of working with Japan’s most beloved IP, and Jihee’s unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of each work is truly rare,” Gao commented. He lauded SekaiE for taking the “harder path” by collaborating directly with rights holders, a stark contrast to many AI services that rely on unlicensed content and risk distorting original works. Gao believes this “patience, respect, and craftsmanship” are why SekaiE has earned the trust of major stakeholders within the Japanese anime ecosystem.

Luke Li, Founding Partner of Asu Capital Partners, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing CEO Jihee Won’s profound connection to the source material. Li observed that Won’s “passion for anime is not merely the emotion of a fan; it is a formative experience that shapes his mission to recreate characters without distortion.” This deep, personal connection, often seen in Japanese fan culture through practices like “seichi junrei” (pilgrimages to real-world locations that inspired anime settings), underpins SekaiE’s dedication to authenticity. Li sees SekaiE as standing “at the center of a historic shift from passive to active story experiences,” creating a fundamentally different offering by preserving the consistency of each story world.

SekaiE’s Vision: Respect, Creativity, and Global Reach

Jihee Won, Founder and CEO of SekaiE, articulates a clear vision for the company. He acknowledges that the pure desire to step into the worlds of anime and manga is a universal human dream. While the meticulous, permission-driven development process might seem slow to some investors, Won explains its two core reasons:

  • Respect for Creators: Obtaining approval from IP holders is not just a legal formality but a fundamental gesture of respect for those who brought these worlds to life.

  • Enhanced Content Quality: Collaborating closely with IP holders, who possess unparalleled understanding of their creations, enables SekaiE to craft more authentic, desirable, and safe experiences for fans.

Won emphasizes that SekaiE views itself not merely as a technology company but as a “creator collective” that leverages technology to achieve its artistic goals. The investment from Kun Gao, a pioneer in bringing Japanese anime legally to global audiences, is seen as particularly significant, not only for SekaiE’s international expansion but also for influencing how overseas AI companies engage with Japanese anime IP. Asu Capital Partners’ focus on “Japan to Global” startups further strengthens SekaiE’s position to navigate the global market, especially given the international appeal of Japanese anime.

About SekaiE and Its Partners

SekaiE, founded in September 2023 as a University of Tokyo startup, is driven by the vision of enabling people to live within story worlds. It utilizes a proprietary, patent-pending chat system designed for natural conversations grounded in canonical story information.

Asu Capital Partners is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm dedicated to supporting “Japan to Global” startups, providing global insights, capital, networks, and talent to help them succeed in international markets.

Kun Gao is renowned as the co-founder and former CEO of Crunchyroll, the world’s largest anime streaming platform, which boasts over 17 million paid subscribers. His decade-long leadership played a pivotal role in pioneering the legal global distribution of Japanese anime and spreading its culture worldwide. After Crunchyroll’s acquisition by Sony for approximately $1.2 billion, Gao continued his entrepreneurial journey, founding ventures such as Forge and GGWP.

A Future Where Anime Worlds Come Alive Globally

This significant funding round marks a pivotal moment for SekaiE and the broader anime industry. By prioritizing authenticity, creator collaboration, and fan immersion, SoulChat has the potential to redefine how global audiences interact with Japanese characters and stories. It offers a glimpse into a future where the distinction between passive viewing and active participation blurs, allowing fans worldwide to forge deeper, more personal connections with the very essence of Kawaii culture. This could usher in an era where the vibrant worlds of Japanese animation are not just watched, but truly lived, fostering an even richer global appreciation for these cherished narratives.

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