forCreators Completed Angel Round Funding and Launches Virtual Talent Academia NEXAS

Date: 14th December 2023

forCreators Pte. Ltd. (CEO: Harry So, hereinafter referred to as forCreators), a company operating the virtual talent academia ‘NEXAS’ in North America, has successfully raised funds from 9 investors in its angel round. forCreators is a creator economy x virtual entertainment company dedicated to amplifying the world of anime and VTubers by supporting a diverse range of creators. The company’s initial goal is to focus on the operations of the virtual talent academia ‘NEXAS’ in the North American market.Grounded in the rich tapestry of anime culture, forCreators is set to craft ventures that deliver excitement to Otakus around the world, creating experiences that resonate with fans across diverse regions and backgrounds.

This funding round saw participation from prominent angel investors, including early investors of ANYCOLOR Inc., the operator of ‘NIJISANJI’, and COVER Corp., the operator of ‘Hololive’, as well as contributors from the early days of the VTuber industry, whose insights and experiences are vital to the burgeoning field.

The robust group of investors (in no particular order) includes:

— Yuzuru Honda (Founder, FreakOut Holdings, inc.)
— Takahiro Hayashi (CEO, HEROZ, Inc.)
— Yuichi Soejima (Founder, Wellplayed Rizest Inc.)
— Kazuhide Hashida (Founder, Peraichi Inc.)
— Shinichiro Sada (CMO, Aww, Inc.)
— Angel Round, Inc. (CEO, Takumi Okoshi)

and more.

Comments from shareholders:

"I’ve always been keen on investing in entrepreneurs with a global mindset, especially in business domains like Vtuber, where the potential to build significant businesses worldwide using Japanese strengths has been proven. When I was introduced to Harry, I quickly made the decision to invest, seeing the promise of a venture that could achieve great success, starting in North America and then expanding across the globe."

- Yuzuru Honda, Founder of FreakOut Holdings, inc

“When Harry approached me with the vision to create the next generation of heroes (stars) like in ‘My Hero Academia’, I felt a deep connection to my own early days of founding a company, and it inspired me to invest. Leveraging Harry’s career experience and innovative technologies, I am excited to see the challenges that NEXAS, a virtual talent and VTuber academia in the North American market, will take on!”

- Takahiro Hayashi, CEO at HEROZ, Inc.

“I believe that an entrepreneur’s sensibilities are refined through numerous setbacks and decisive moments. Harry once made the tough decision to withdraw from his passionate business venture. When he shared his decision to me, I was struck by his reflection and belief that ‘a business is worthless if it does not win’, along with a strong passion. Harry’s new venture, taking on the ‘Anime & VTuber domain’ from day one on a global scale, may indeed be a formidable challenge. However, I have faith in his ability to stay ahead based on his experiences and deep understanding of this field.

Life brings a mix of good and bad each day, but let’s keep the dialogue open and continue to courageously face the future. I’m wholeheartedly rooting for you!”

- Takumi Ookoshi, CEO at Angel Round, Inc.

Comments from CEO:

Anime is rapidly becoming a universal language across the globe. This year, by attending various AnimeCons worldwide and interacting with anime fans from different countries, I realized that anime transcends language, culture, race, and even religion, connecting people universally. With the intention of bridging Japan’s proud ‘anime-based entertainment culture’ to the world, I founded our company.

Watching anime has become commonplace worldwide, and as the anime fanbase expands rapidly, there’s an increasing number of fans who aspire to become virtual talents, embodying the essence of their favorite anime characters. NEXAS, drawing inspiration from ‘My Hero Academia’, aims to be the launchpad for unearthing raw talent and propelling them into the next generation of stars. Our vision at NEXAS is to widely support wonderful creators from various backgrounds, building new career paths in the realm of virtual talent.

We have otaku team members and talents gathering from across the world, especially from the United States and Canada. It’s an honor and a challenge to undertake this global venture in our beloved anime and virtual entertainment community. We are committed to captivating anime fans worldwide and will continue to work hard towards this endeavor.

Founder’s Profile:

Born to a Japanese and Taiwanese family in 1995 and raised in Japan. Graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in Economics. Began a career at 17LIVE, one of Asia’s largest live-streaming platforms, playing a pivotal role in leading the Global CEO Office. Post-independence, developed a community app and a web game, and provided marketing support to multiple companies, culminating in the founding of FORCREATORS PTE. LTD.
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/harry__so