Based in Tokyo, John is a Cofounder and the CEO of DFR.
Prior to DFR, John had a long career in the entertainment industry in Asia, including serving as a Vice President of EMI Music Inc., Senior General Manager of the Virgin label in Japan, Vice President of International Marketing and A&R at EMI Music Asia, and Director of International Marketing at Sony Music Entertainment.
John graduated from UCLA, having also attended the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo.
Based in Shanghai, Rick is a Cofounder and the COO of DFR.
Prior to DFR, Rick had a long career in technology in Asia, including serving as General Manager of Asia for InfoGear Technology Corporation (acquired by Cisco in 2000), managing the System Software and Developer Relations groups for Apple Computer Asia, and as one of the first employees of the localization company Pacifitech Corporation in Japan.
Rick graduated from UCLA with honors, having also attended Nagoya University in Japan and Yonsei University in Korea.
Based in Tokyo, John is a Cofounder and the CEO of DFR.
Prior to DFR, John had a long career in the entertainment industry in Asia, including serving as a Vice President of EMI Music Inc., Senior General Manager of the Virgin label in Japan, Vice President of International Marketing and A&R at EMI Music Asia, and Director of International Marketing at Sony Music Entertainment.
John graduated from UCLA, having also attended the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo.
Based in Shanghai, Rick is a Cofounder and the COO of DFR.
Prior to DFR, Rick had a long career in technology in Asia, including serving as General Manager of Asia for InfoGear Technology Corporation (acquired by Cisco in 2000), managing the System Software and Developer Relations groups for Apple Computer Asia, and as one of the first employees of the localization company Pacifitech Corporation in Japan.
Rick graduated from UCLA with honors, having also attended Nagoya University in Japan and Yonsei University in Korea.
Yooya’s Combination of Chinese and International Content Is Driving Record Online Video Viewership in China
Jun, 2016 (Shanghai) – Yooya today announced that 16 new content partnerships, all originating in China, were signed in June, bringing the total to 100. Yooya’s highly engaging mix of Chinese and global online content is helping drive Yooya’s viewership to record levels.
The new partners include some of the most popular creators in China, producing unique and original automotive, travel, food, entertainment and comedy content. On average, their videos earn 1.6 million views per episode and, in aggregate, have been viewed over 369 million times.
Examples of the new domestic content creators include Guihu, whose travel program is called
‘I wanna travel’ and creator LanDu’s entertainment program, MiWenLianBo.
“Yooya delivers the widest online video distribution in China —available to 95% of the Chinese Internet population,” says Yooya CEO Rick Myers. “When you have over 700 million viewers, that creates an upwards spiral, with content creators, users, and advertisers all wanting to participate.”
Yooya’s content partners achieve distribution across more than 29 online video platforms, including Youku, iQiyi, Tencent, WeChat and Sina. Yooya offers creators a full suite of analytics, focusing on audience intelligence and rights management, to give them the tools they need to be successful.
“Our portfolio of both Chinese and internationally-sourced quality, relevant content makes us the ideal partner for global and local brands as well as advertising agencies looking to use video to reach a massive, targeted and highly engaged audience,” says John Steere, Yooya’s CMO. “Whether you’re a global automotive brand, CPG or digital/advertising/media agency, our content portfolio offers the perfect opportunity to combine your message with the right content and distribute at the scale you need.”
Yooya provides creators with the most advanced distribution, analytics and rights management features, and that means advertisers have a strong choice of targeted content channels to connect with this vast audience.
About Yooya
Yooya is a fast growing online video network in China, providing comprehensive content distribution, rights management, and video-based advertising solutions.
Yooya’s one-stop, technology-driven approach to online video in China delivers broader distribution, better data & analytics, superior monetization, and more effective video advertising solutions.
Media
Contact: John Steere, Chief Marketing Officer
Tel: +86 (21) 6385-8880
Email: pr@yooya.co
Website: www.yooya.co
May 2016 (Shanghai) Yooya has appointed John Steere as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Steere returns to Greater China where he has a fifteen-year track record in marketing and advertising agency management.
Working closely with Yooya CEO Rick Myers, Steere will join the company’s leadership team and be responsible for leading Yooya’s sales and marketing efforts across Greater China and Asia Pacific.
“John brings tremendous China marketing experience to his leadership of the Yooya team,” said Myers. “He will play a vital role in expanding Yooya’s partnerships with leading brands and agencies in Greater China and across the region.”
John has had a long career in consumer and shopper marketing, digital, and strategic planning. He first arrived in Chongqing in 1984, and was most recently Regional MD for Asia Pacific at Vivid Brand, a leading shopper marketing agency that was purchased by Publicis Groupe in 2015. Prior to that, Steere was CMO at McCann Worldwide Greater China, as well as MD for Momentum China. John has held various management roles throughout China and Asia on both the client and agency sides, with Saatchi & Saatchi, Visa International, Gartner, and others.
Steere’s career successes include working with local and multinational brands to increase engagement with consumers in China and Asia Pacific. Steere was born in Vietnam and is of Chinese and American ancestry.
John Possman, Chairman of Yooya, commented, “With the technology, distribution and content partnerships we already have in place, the vital next step for us was to bring on Steere, a seasoned China professional, to further drive our brand and sales efforts.”
John Steere said, “I’m delighted to return to China, home to the largest and most dynamic online video market in the world and nearly 500 million avid video consumers. I’m excited to be part of the Yooya mission to deliver to brands and advertisers the most effective solutions available for connecting with this amazing audience.”
About Yooya
Yooya is one of China’s fastest growing online video networks and provides comprehensive content distribution, rights management, and video-based advertising solutions.
Yooya’s one-stop, technology-driven approach to online video in China delivers broader distribution, better data & analytics, superior monetization, and more effective video advertising solutions.
Media
Contact: John Steere, Chief Marketing Officer
Tel: +86 (21) 6385-8880
Email: pr@yooya.co
Website: http://www.yooya.co/
Apr 2016 (Shanghai) China’s online video network Yooya has now signed twenty platform partners, reaching this milestone a year ahead of schedule. Yooya also continues to add new content partners, and is driving over 250 millionvideo views each month.
In hitting this significant milestone, the company has now put in place comprehensive commercial and distribution deals with every major video platform in China, including Youku, Tudou, iQiyi, Tencent QQ, Sohu, Bilibili, 163, PPTV, Acfun, Wasu, Meipai, HunanTV, LeTV, V1, Toutiao, Wechat, Miaopai, Meila, Meili, and Sina.
“With these new platform partners, Yooya has more than 95% reach into China’s online video market that boasted 450 million video users in 2015. The figure is projected to rise to 700 million video users by year-end,” according to Yooya CEO Rick Myers.
“As a central distribution hub, Yooya now removes the complexity for rights owners and content creators to get broad access to the entire China market.
“For advertisers, reaching our latest major milestone provides unrivalled opportunities to engage with their targeted audiences,” Mr Myers adds.
Yooya’s online video platform brings together content creators, online video platforms, and advertisers for the benefit of all three. Yooya provides distribution, rights management, and powerful new advertising solutions that both monetize content and create marketing opportunities, while also providing quality, rights-protected content to China’s voracious consumers of online video.
About Yooya
Yooya is one of China’s fastest growing online video networks and provides comprehensive content distribution, rights management, and video-based advertising solutions.
Yooya’s one-stop, technology-driven approach to online video in China delivers broader distribution, better data & analytics, superior monetization, and more effective video advertising solutions to the company’s clients.
Media
Tel: +86 (21) 6385-8880
Email: pr@yooya.co
Website: www.yooya.co
Apr 2016 (Shanghai) – Yooya, one of China’s fastest growing online video networks, revealed today that the company has recently signed five new video rights owners as content partners, helping to further fill China’s voracious appetite for online entertainment.
The new content partners include Automobile Onion Rings, Baozou Automobile, gourmet channel Kitchen Pose, Shuang Music, and comedy channel Amikun. The new content partners between them have accrued over 200 million lifetime views.
Driven by the rapidly expanding demand for such compelling content online, and an innovative B2B offering that blends key distribution, rights management, and advertising solutions, Yooya is confident of attracting even more content partners to its online video network
“China already has more than three times the number of online video consumers than the United States, with tremendous growth still ahead, so leading-edge advertisers are increasingly turning to online video as the go-to media for reaching their target demographics as effectively as possible,” says CEO Rick Myers.
“What’s been missing from the market so far though is the ability to easily and cost effectively bring the right video content and distribution partners into the advertising equation at scale.”
Yooya’s platform is great news for brands and advertising agencies in particular, who now have a single point of content for reaching millions of video consumers across all major video platforms in China, now that the Yooya network unites all the relevant business partners: content creators, online video platforms, and advertisers.
Yooya is one of China’s fastest growing online video networks and provides comprehensive content distribution, rights management, and video-based advertising solutions.
Yooya’s one-stop, technology-driven approach delivers broader distribution, better data & analytics, superior monetization, and more effective video advertising solutions to the company’s clients.
Media
Tel: (+86) 21-6385-8880
Email: pr@yooya.co
Website: www.yooya.com
Yooya Building Out Enhanced Distribution, Rights Management, and Advertising Solutions
Apr 2016 (Shanghai) – Yooya, a fast growing multi-platform online video network in China revealed it recently closed its Series Seed financing round at a US$13 million post-money valuation. The company will push ahead with plans to further build out its video distribution services, enhance its rights management capabilities, and deploy an enlarged suite of video-based marketing and advertising solutions.
FastForward Innovations Limited led the latest investment round, with previous investor Dream Incubator Inc. of Tokyo also joining the round.
Currently, with over 200 million network views on average per month, Yooya predicts it will hit more than 800 million video views per month before the end of 2016, representing month-on-month growth of 40%.
“The three-way intersection of China, entertainment, and online video makes for one of the most exciting media and marketing arenas worldwide today. Advertisers in particular are hungry for new solutions to tap into this fast-growing, media—solutions which also require access to both comprehensive distribution and the best creators in China,” says CEO Rick Myers, who highlights that Yooya has a deep portfolio of targeted advertising solutions for both Chinese and international advertisers.
Yooya offers video advertising technology (adtech) solutions that allow marketers to reach targeted online video audiences based on their target demographics in China. Yooya also provides video licensing and rights management services to a rapidly rising number of both China and international rights owners and leading content providers.
“China is the world’s second largest economy behind the United States. The Chinese entertainment industry experienced tremendous growth and monetization in 2015 and is expected to surpass the US market in the first half of 2016. Yooya is very well positioned to be at the forefront of this growth. Yooya’s target market, the Chinese millennial, is large, lucrative, and pre-disposed to consume their video content online—and not via TV,” said CEO Lorne Abony of FastForward Innovations.
Yooya has deals in place with 20 of the country’s leading online video platforms, including Youku Tudou, Baidu-owned iQiyi, Sina, and Sohu.
Today China has three times more online video users than the US, and half a billion smartphone users, who consume more video online than all of YouTube globally. Yooya forecasts that by 2020 China will become the largest market for many global content companies and consumer brands.
About Yooya
Yooya is one of China’s fastest growing online video networks and provides comprehensive content distribution, rights management, and video-based advertising solutions.
Yooya’s one-stop, technology-driven approach to online video in China delivers broader distribution, better data & analytics, superior monetization, and more effective video advertising solutions to the company’s clients.
Media
Tel: +86 (21) 6385-8880
Email: pr@yooya.co
Website: www.yooya.co
Japan’s next generation media and entertainment company, Breaker Inc., has partnered with top YouTube talent to create Stalking Vampire 2, the second iteration of the popular Japanese web series.
Sep 2015 (TOKYO) – The latest partnership between Japan’s next generation media and entertainment company, Breaker Inc., and top YouTube talent has lead to the creation of Stalking Vampire 2, the follow up to the popular Japanese YouTube web series. The sophomore season of the series has already had tremendous success in the first two weeks of its release, amassing over 18 million views.
The concept began in 2013 with the release of Stalking Vampire, a “choose your own adventure” style narrative that cleverly utilized several features on the YouTube platform to allow viewers to directly engage with the content. Each viewer was able to react differently to the story and guide the characters as they fought to control the spread of vampires. The initial series was incredibly popular in Japan and currently has more than 10 million lifetime views.
Stalking Vampire 2 follows this same style of viewer engagement but this time the series has included several of Japan’s top YouTube creators, including Hajime Shacho, MAHOTO, Seto Koji, PDS Kabushiki Gaisha, MEGWIN, and Takarabe Ryoji. These creators have more than 2.5 billion lifetime views between them. In addition, two of America’s top YouTube creators, Freddie Wong and Wong Fu Productions, are featured in the series as well.
“This project was a big deal for me. There was already a massive fan base and I was excited at the opportunity to work with some of the best Japanese YouTube talent,” said Freddie Wong, CEO and co-founder of RocketJump. “I had a lot of fun collaborating and it was amazing to see how Squash Films approached the filming process.”
The team at Wong Fu Productions added, “The opportunity to reach an audience outside of the United States was huge for us. The Japanese YouTube community is also incredibly talented, which made our decision to work on Stalking Vampire 2 an easy one. Squash Films’ enthusiasm and professionalism reminded us of ourselves when we were first starting off and we just knew we had to support them. We think that fans are really going to love what we’ve done for this second season.”
The nucleus of this all-star cast is Squash Films, one of Japan’s best production teams. The group is renowned for their high quality video content and is considered an early pioneer in the Japanese YouTube scene. All of this talent has generated a massive buzz among Stalking Vampire fans and ultimately lead to the second season of the series amassing more than 15 million views in the first week alone.
With such meteoric success, Stalking Vampire 2 has reached a major milestone within the Japanese YouTube community and has proven itself to be the gold standard among domestic video creators. Breaker Inc. hopes that this success will pave the way for other Japanese talent and help propel Japan’s domestic online video community onto the world stage. To this point, Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker Inc., said, “Stalking Vampire 2 has been something that we’ve been planning and working on with SQUASH Films for quite some time. We knew that by including several of Japan’s top YouTube creators and working with SQUASH that we’d be able to make something truly special. Hitting 15 millions views in just the first week not only affirms our hard work but is also a major milestone for Japanese YouTube creators and the community at large.”
Stalking Vampire 2 can be seen on YouTube here.
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company. Building on its unique technology and network of creators, Breaker develops complete entertainment strategies with video and social media to break down traditional barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. The company has partnered with Shanghai based Entertainment Direct Asia in order to introduce Japan’s premiere talent to the China market. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp.
Contact: Alan Swarts
Telephone: + 81 (0)3-6447-4864
Email: press@brkr.jp
Aug 2015 (Shanghai) – ChinaNetCloud, one of the burgeoning number of cloud services in China, has announced a $9 million dollar A series, led by Juren Capital and followed by Jolly Capital.
Founded in 2008, the startup currently claims to be working with over 300 companies across the e-commerce, mobile, P2P lending and IoT sector.
According to the Founder and Managing Director of Juren Capital, Dr. Baotong Wang “China really needs this type of operations service, with a national focus on cloud computing, IoT, big data, innovation and more.”
The company was previously funded by an extended angel round, which included 500 Startups, ChinaCache and DFR Asia. It was 500 Startup’s CEO Dave McClure’s first investment in China back in 2010.
Founded in Shanghai in 2008, ChinaNetCloud manages large-scale internet operations. They have cut their niche in the market by partnering with a series of other cloud services in China, including Alibaba’s Aliyun, AWS, ChinaCache, UCloud and ChinaNetCenter. Currently, the company runs back-end servers and infrastructure for Chinese and international internet companies including Nokia, Dianping, ASOS, Xiaoshuoyi, ThePaper.com and Wandoujia.
“ChinaNetCloud ensures customers’ system are reliable, fast, and secure all the time,” said Steve Mushero, CEO and co-founder. He is one of the expat entrepreneurs in China, who previously served as a full-time CTO at Tudou. Back in 2008, Silicon Valley veteran Mushero and James Eron founded the company.
“Juren and Jolly share our vision for an on-line world, the importance of world-class internet system operations, and how OpsStack will dominate the market,” he added.
Founded 2013 with a focus on early-stage high-tech industries, Juren Capital’s portfolio companies include Zylox, LoopMaster Energy, Zhonghai Ocean, and 9188.com. Its name comes from “Nine Considerations & Perfect Virtues” from Confucious’ famous Analects. Jolly Capital is part of the Jolly Group, a large public diversified company with interests in biotech, infotech, green chemicals, financial.
China’s public cloud service will be a one-billion RMB market by 2016 with an overall annual growth rate of 38.6%, according to IDC. The Chinese cloud market has been heating up with the entrance of domestic internet giants BAT and foreign players including AWS and Azure.
by Technode
Jun 2015 (Shanghai) – China’s top independent online video management company’s partnership with Japan’s next generation media entertainment company gets results for Yamashita Tomohiro.
The new partnership between China’s leading independent online video management company, Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA), and Japan’s next-generation media company, Breaker Inc., is already paying dividends.
The first joint project between the two companies has begun to establish a strong digital presence in two of the world’s largest online video markets for Japanese artist and online video creator Yamashita Tomohiro, who is currently based in China.
Using both the EDA network in China and the Breaker network in Japan, Yamashita’s online programs have generated more than 100 million views on mainstream Chinese video sites as well as YouTube in Japan and globally outside of China, targeting Chinese speakers both at home and abroad.
The strategic partnership between EDA and Breaker is designed to spearhead management and monetization efforts in the budding online video markets of both China and Japan.
This partnership allows them to gain a firmer grasp on their neighboring markets and continue expanding their managerial and creative roles within each. As both the Chinese and Japanese online video spaces mature, the need for such strategic partnerships becomes increasingly vital.
Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker, said, “Our partnership with EDA has been a huge success. Their valuable insight into the fragmented online video market in China has provided a significant value-adding role for Breaker and our content partners. As in the case of Yamashita, this partnership offers a legitimate and tested alternative for Japan’s next generation content creators to connect with Chinese millennials. We’re excited about the results that have stemmed from this collaboration and are looking forward to continuing our work together.”
Alex Wang, General Manager of EDA, said, “I’m delighted at the opportunity to work with Breaker Inc. This joint project involving Yamashita is evidence of the potential of this partnership. The project has been met with a tremendous amount of success and we’re confident that both the channel’s popularity and our relationship with Breaker Inc. will continue to grow as we move forward.”
EDA and Breaker Inc. are both portfolio companies of Asia’s first digital venture studio, Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia).
About Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. (EDA)
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China. With EDA’s proprietary technology, content partners are able to instantly access the dozens of online video services and platforms that compete in the China market, all with minimal upfront effort. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and their advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, obtain detailed reporting on an asset-by-asset level, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China. For more information please visit: www.edirect.asia.
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company. Building on its unique technology and network of creators, Breaker develops complete entertainment strategies with video and social media to break down traditional barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp.
May 2015 (Tokyo) – Japan’s next generation media and entertainment company announces the launch of Breaker Lab, Japan’s first cultural epicenter for content creators.
Breaker Inc., Japan’s next generation media and entertainment company, has officially unveiled their latest creation, Breaker Lab, an exciting complex which is both a cutting edge digital studio and the cultural epicenter for Japanese content creators.
Located in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, this groundbreaking complex is the first studio of its kind in Japan. In line with the robust ethos of Japan’s online video marketplace, Breaker Lab will be open around the clock and serve as a hub for international as well as domestic content creators.
Breaker Lab boasts state-of-the-art studio equipment for videographers, photographers, and recording artists alike. The space has a sprawling main floor, vaulted ceilings, and an industrial aesthetic, all designed to provide an ideal shooting space for creators. In addition to being a place of work, Breaker Lab’s creative watering hole will serve as a cultural epicenter for Japanese artists fostering the dissemination of ideas and a community of industry peers and supporters.
Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker Inc., said, “We’re pleased to announce the opening of Breaker Lab and are excited about our company’s invested role in the next wave of Japanese content creation. Breaker Lab is much more than a digital studio. It is a complex which functions as a center for creative exchange and as a multifaceted event space. It is the industry touch point for Japanese creatives.”
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company. Building on its unique technology and network of creators, Breaker develops complete entertainment strategies with video and social media to break down traditional barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp.
May 2015 (Shanghai) – Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA), China’s leading video marketing services provider, has initiated a collaboration with automobile mega-channel GT Channel. GT Channel is the center of automotive entertainment with a growing number of automotive content creators and partners building a community for those passionate about automobile. The GT Channel community features star hosts Ian King and Rob Choo presenting exciting car-drift action and professional automobile information. Besides leading personalities, GT Channel also produces curated content such as Track Life and Behind the Smoke, with the latter entering into its fourth season already.
GT Channel has established a presence on Youku, Tudou, and Sohu, with new contents being selected and updated regularly every Tuesday and Thursday. With a strong community of car lovers, GT Channel’s enthusiast partners now have a home and foundation to share their energy and passion with their audience.
About Entertainment Direct Asia
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China, home to more than a dozen major video services and the largest online video market in the world. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and EDA’s advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China.
For more information please visit:www.edirect.asia 。
Apr 2015 (Shanghai) – As China’s leading video marketing services provider, Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) recently introduced a series of exclusive content from INDMUSIC, the largest independent music video publisher on YouTube. INDMUSIC has forged strategic partnerships with over 2000 musicians, building an impressive library of high-quality video assets. Their most recent partnership with EDA promises to provide a steady stream of trend-setting music videos for China’s online video marketplace. Amongst this latest batch of content is the work of Pulsar Recordings, a Serbian music production house. These video clips feature a rich mixture of trance and deep house, two genres that have been met with acclaim worldwide. Pulsar Recordings is known for creating dynamic music video content with stunning visuals that are accompanied by powerful rhythms and pleasant melodies. This combination has marked Pulsar Recordings as a leader in the industry.
INDMUSIC has a presence on Youku, Tudou and Sohu. Each of these channels will be updated regularly with new videos every Friday. With this latest roll out of content, INDMUSIC has positioned itself as an authority on electronic music and aims to expand their reach with the introduction of additional music genres in the near future.
About Entertainment Direct Asia
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China, home to more than a dozen major video services and the largest online video market in the world. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and EDA’s advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China.
For more information please visit:www.edirect.asia
Apr 2015 (Shanghai) – One of China’s most popular online video channels, Yamashita’s One Minute Gentleman, has continued to attract a growing number of viewers. Last week alone, the China based video host attracted over 10 million new views across half a dozen online video sites. One Minute Gentleman is a web-based series that focuses primarily on Japanese pop culture. Hosted by Yamashita – the Japanese expatriate currently living in China – the channel expertly strikes a balance between Japanense and Chinese culture. The topics of debate include online trends, reviews on shopping, dining and nightlife, as well as, insight into the latest pop culture happenings. The channel was launched in China with the help of Entertainment Direct Asia, the online video management firm, and the partnership has played an integral role in Yamashita’s recent success. With such overwhelming viewer support, both parties expect One Minute Gentleman to begin collaborating closely with brands and advertisers. This next step will hopefully allow for Yamashita to expand production capabilities and continue to push the channel forward. As of now, One Minute Gentleman is primarily promoted on China’s top video sites, including Youku, Tudou, Tencent, iQiYi, Sohu and others. About Entertainment Direct Asia
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China, home to more than a dozen major video services and the largest online video market in the world. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and EDA’s advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China.
For more information please visit:www.edirect.asia 。
Mar 2015 (Shanghai) – The comedy TV series, Juhua Taoist, produced by the domestic online video studio Shanjian Film and exclusively launched online by EDA, has made its debut on over a dozen of China’s leading online video platforms. Combining high quality production and novel video content, Juhua Taoist was unanimously featured on the front-page on each of the leading online video platforms. Its premiere in the 1st week has over one million views and in total over two millions views so far. Juhua Taoist follows the story of a retired monk-turned-hero that defends society from an onslaught of demons and monsters. Blending the qualities of martial arts, dance and special effects, the series pays homage to the cinematic style made famous by the legendary Hong Kong director, Lin Zhengying.
After only two episodes, Juhua Taoist has sparked an impressive response from viewers and has triggered a meteoric rise in popularity. Through the help of brand sponsors and additional business partners, new episodes have are currently under production and will be aired shortly.
About Entertainment Direct Asia
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China, home to more than a dozen major video services and the largest online video market in the world. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and EDA’s advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China.
For more information please visit:www.edirect.asia
Mar 2015 (Shanghai) – Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA), China’s leading independent online video management company, has announced several new licensing and content management deals with partners from China, the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
EDA licenses and manages online video content for one-stop distribution through the company’s partnerships with the more than a dozen leading online video portals and services in China. With their suite of proprietary technology, EDA provides rights holders with a streamlined solution for distribution, content management, monetization, and royalty reporting and payments in the People’s Republic.
Headlining this recent round of new EDA content partnerships are two of the industry’s largest multi-channel networks (MCNs): GT Channel and INDMusic. GT Channel is the world’s largest automotive MCN and produces dynamic content that features drifting, touge battles, rallycross, performance car reviews, automotive event coverage, and more. Operated out of Los Angeles, GT Channel offers unprecedented access to all things automotive—with content that will be in high-demand in China, already the world’s largest automotive market.
Scott Schlichter, CEO of GT Channel, said, “We’ve been looking to expand the scope of the GT fan base and the Chinese market was the natural next step. We’re confident that partnering with EDA is the best possible solution for us to tap into the tremendous market of automotive enthusiasts in China.”
In addition, EDA has also signed a marquis licensing deal with the INDMusic, the largest music distribution MCN on emerging platforms. With 1,900 channel partners and over 300 million monthly views, INDMusic provides a massive library of music content that features premiere global recording artists and concerts.
Brandon Martinez, co-founder and CEO of INDMusic, remarked, “Building partnerships has been a key part of our success and we’re confident that EDA is the partner most capable of helping us maximize the value of our premium video content in the China market.”
Rick Myers, CEO of EDA, recapped by saying, “I’m delighted to announce even more world-class new content partnerships for EDA. GT Channel, INDMusic, and our other new content partners represent exactly the kind premium online video content most in demand in China. We’re pleased and honored that content creators of this caliber have chosen to work with EDA to maximize the value and distribution of their online video content in China.”
A complete list of new signings include: GT Channel ; INDMusic ; Breaker, Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company responsible for cultivating some of Japan’s best emerging online video creative talent; Jump in the Pack, a YouTube channel hosted by Kris Carroll which features a series of videos dedicated to the online video game League of Legends with over 8 million views to date; Clean My Space, a YouTube channel hosted by Melissa Maker that teaches viewers various life hacks and lifestyle tips to help make day to day living easier; Elevated Visuals, a YouTube channel that features live action motorcross and action sports; and The Fat Kid Inside, a cooking and lifestyle channel providing healthy tips and recipes hosted by Erwan Heussaff.
EDA previously announced in August of 2014 that it had secured initial financing of US$1,200,000 from Tokyo-based strategic consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator as well as from angel investors from China, Japan, the United States, and Europe.
EDA was originally conceived and launched by digital media venture studio DFR Asia Ltd. www.dfra.com
About Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA)
Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. licenses, manages, and distributes online video content in China, home to more than a dozen major video services and the largest online video market in the world. Leading video creators and rights holders worldwide turn to EDA and EDA’s advanced technology solutions to manage their video assets, gain rapid access to all major video platforms, and maximize the value of their online video assets in China. For more information please visit: www.edirect.asia.
Sep 2014 (Sydney) – Moshcam, the creator of the world’s largest online catalogue of originally-produced live music videos, and Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA), the Shanghai based digital entertainment distribution and marketing company, today announced the formation of an exciting partnership that will see Moshcam increase its global reach and launch into the China market.
Under the terms of the partnership, EDA will market, distribute and manage Moshcam’s extensive and growing catalogue, which is more than 1,500 full-length live concert videos, interviews and features, in that major territory. EDA’s reputation in assisting content owners to develop and grow their brands, as well as to monetize their content was core to Moshcam’s decision to enter the partnership.
Amongst other activities, EDA will be responsible for developing and promoting Moshcam branded channels through a number of Chinese partners including leading online video sites, mobile carriers, TV channels and brands.
“We are extremely excited about the possibilities that the Chinese market holds for us,”said Deanne Weir, Executive Chair, Moshcam. “EDA is perfectly positioned to be our partner as we take this important step into China, where YouTube is blocked, yet 6 billion hours of video are consumed every single month. It makes sense that we should have a significant presence there.”
Alex Wang, General Manager of EDA, said, “Live music videos from Moshcam have a great number of potential audiences among young Chinese. We’re very happy to partner with Moshcam, bringing in such great entertainment resources by leveraging EDA technology and services.”
The partnership will kick off with more than fifty of Moshcam’s most popular shows being highlighted across the various video platforms.
About Moshcam:
Moshcam is the world’s leading creator and distributor of originally-produced live music concert videos. Moshcam distributes its content on-demand via the internet and through mobile networks. Moshcam’s YouTube channel is one of the fastest growing live music destinations on the YouTube platform.
Moshcam’s broadcast-quality concert recordings of world-class artists are available at its website at www.moshcam.com, the YouTube channel at youtube.com/moshcam, via the iOS app available from iTunes, and now via the Android app available from Google Play. In addition, Moshcam provides its content to users via a number of distribution partners including FetchTV, Amazon and VidZone.
About Entertainment Direct Asia:
Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) is at the forefront of enabling rights owners across the globe to better distribute, manage and monetize their content in China market.
EDA was conceived and launched by digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR). In August 2014, EDA announced finalizing over US$1,200,000 round of financing to expand its digital video distribution capabilities. For more information please visit: www.edirect.asia.
Aug 2014 (Shanghai) – Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. (EDA) is poised to dramatically accelerate and expand its digital content distribution in the China market after securing over US$1,200,000 of financing. Tokyo-based strategic consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator Inc. was the lead investor in the round, joined by angel investors from Shanghai and the U.K. EDA forecasts massive potential in China as the country goes through a major shake-up in which dramatically improved legal protection is given to content rights owners. EDA’s strategic plan is to tap into this radical transformation and act as a major facilitator for rights owners across the globe who are entering the China market. Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched EDA, and will play an ongoing management role. EDA cofounder Rick Myers, who is also a director of DFR Asia, said, “We are in the midst of an online video revolution in China. The video market is growing rapidly and represents a phenomenal opportunity. We are delighted to be in a position to help the world’s leading content owners better distribute, manage, and monetize their content in this market. This new round of funding will help us accelerate our progress in strengthening our service offerings to rights owners.” EDA’s core team consists of seasoned professionals from media and entertainment companies such as Sony, WPP, Apple, PPS, and Sina. Alex Wang, who recently joined EDA as General Manager, heads the strategy and operational side of the business. Mr. Wang said, “EDA’s commitment is second-to-none and the company continues to expand so that it can fully capitalize on the incredible opportunity that now exists. The timing is absolutely perfect.” EDA is perfectly positioned to service the exploding online video market in China, where YouTube is blocked and as many as eight alternative video service providers split the almost 450 million viewers who devour 5.7 billion hours of content every month. 76% of people surveyed in China already say they would rather watch online videos than TV. Under one roof, EDA offers three key elements for online success in China’s fragmented digital content landscape: consumer engagement, content management, and monetization—all powered by essential optimization tools, analytics, and a robust purpose-built platform. About Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. (EDA) Entertainment Direct Asia Ltd. is a technology company that helps content rights owners get more value out of China. The company is at the forefront of enabling rights owners to better distribute, manage and monetize their content in China. EDA was conceived and launched by digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR). For more information please visit: www.edirect.asia. About Dream Incubator, Inc. (DI) Dream Incubator is a strategic consulting and business development firm primarily for Japanese corporate clients and governmental institutions. DI provides both capital and professional services to next-generation companies to support their growth and expansion, while also operating their own businesses. Established in 2000, DI was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange 1st section in 2005 and is currently expanding from Tokyo to Vietnam, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information please visit: www.dreamincubator.co.jp/entop. About DFR Asia Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia with a sharp focus on fulfilling the rapidly growing demand for online video. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com
Aug 2014 (Tokyo) – Next generation media entertainment company, Breaker Inc., has announced a significant investment from gumi Ventures, L.P. At the same time Breaker revealed its intention to forge a strategic alliance with the investment company’s parent, the major mobile online game developer, gumi, Inc.
The investment and impending partnership paves the way for Breaker to continue its drive to become a significant force in the rapidly growing online video entertainment market.
The plan is to maximize the respective companies’ extensive experience and knowledge in the mobile entertainment industry. Details of the investment and strategic alliance will be released at a later date.
Earlier this year Breaker received seed round financing of $2 million from Tokyo-based strategic consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator Inc., Siemer Ventures, and others.
Industry experts predict an explosion in the demand for streaming video, and Breaker sees a huge opportunity in Japan, which, on a per capita basis, has the largest mobile content market in the world but has been lagging in streaming video. Breaker’s focus is innovative content to the ‘always-connected’ generation, with an emphasis on entertainment, music, and fashion.
Breaker CEO Alan Swarts said, “We’re a Japanese entertainment company with global aspirations. That’s why we’re honored to be in partnership with such a pioneering and international company like gumi. We look forward to developing an entirely new kind of entertainment together. “
gumi CEO Hironao Kunimitsu said, “We believe that the current shift in the online video market is the same kind of paradigm shift that happened in the mobile online game industry, and that in the online video market Breaker can be the leading company. By using our experience in online mobile games and Breaker’s experience in video content production we intend to build and offer entertainment that hasn’t been seen before.”
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched Breaker, and plays an ongoing management role.
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company. Using its unique network and technology, Breaker produces the complete entertainment strategy with video and social media that breaks barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. This concept has attracted various investors from around the world including: Designed for Revolution, Dream Incubator Inc., Siemer Ventures, 500 Startups and On The Line. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp.
About gumi Inc.
Tokyo-based gumi Inc., founded in 2007 by its CEO Hironao Kunimitsu, has the goal of becoming the #1 provider of social games in the world. The company is already one of the top game developers on Japan’s leading mobile social gaming network, Gree, having published role-playing games including Brave Frontier and Genjuhime Monster Princess, as well as other original titles including the award-winning Yakuza Wars, Knight Wars, Pirate Wars, Duel Summoner, Duel in Wonderland, and Mythical Maidens. gumi employs about 800 staff and has subsidiaries in South Korea, Singapore, China, France and the U.S. Its investors include Jafco Co. (8595), the nation’s biggest venture-capital firm, as well as Gree, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co. and Development Bank of Japan Inc.’s investment unit. For more information please visit: http://gu3.co.jp/en/.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) was founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers. DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Aug 2014 (Tokyo) – Next generation media entertainment company, Breaker Inc., has inked a deal with leading MTV video jockey, Boo.
Announcing its management contract with Boo, Tokyo-based Breaker also revealed that the heavyweight VJ is lined up to co-host a new type of YouTube show.
Breaker, which produces and distributes its own content, said that Boo will partner with Ari Keita the main host of a new-style video curation show on YouTube called “VEST MEDIA.”
Ari Keita is also a video blogger and video creator managed by Breaker. https://www.youtube.com/user/ARIKEITA113
With over 10 years of experience hosting MTV JAPAN shows as well as producing his own music events, Boo has built around him a growing community of fans and artists.
Breaker CEO Alan Swarts said, “Boo is truly one of a kind. With his larger-than-life looks and persona, his charm is infectious. We see him becoming, literally, ‘the biggest YouTuber in Japan’.”
Boo’s unique character and experience gives him and Breaker the power to do just that. Boo, who hails from Atami, Japan, started as a MTV VJ in 2003 running the show “MTV Rocks” and acting as MC for live events. With his unforgettable appearance and lovable character, he has developed a huge loyal following. Since 2007 he has held his own events like “Boo Xmas” and “Boo Night” with appearances by many artists and musicians who are personal friends. Boo is also active at club events and music festivals as DJ/MC and on television shows. Official Twitter: (http://twitter.com/MTV_VJ_Boo)
Contact: Makiko Katsuyama
Telephone: +81 3-6447-4864
Email: press@brkr.jp
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan’s first next generation media entertainment company. Using its unique network and technology, Breaker produces the complete entertainment strategy with video and social media that breaks barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. This concept has attracted various investors from around the world including: Designed for Revolution, Dream Incubator Inc., Siemer Ventures, 500 Startups and On The Line. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp
May 2014 (Tokyo) — Ynos Inc. continues its track record of assembling talented lineups at its Asia-wide Hostess Club Weekender Live events. The upcoming June Weekender takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 21st and 22nd at Studio Coast in Tokyo. The event will feature appearances by Cat Power, Blonde Redhead, Cloud Nothings, Perfume Genius, and others, and looks set to sell out long before the start of the event.
Ynos was founded by Asia music industry luminary Andrew “Plug” Lazonby and is a sister company of Hostess Entertainment, the largest independent international music company in Japan.
The Hostess Club Weekender takes place in Tokyo three times per year and typically features around ten international artists. Select artists then go on the road as part of the Hostess Club tour, visiting and performing in various countries around Asia.
An interactive app now supports the Weekender events, providing essential information to fans such as the bands’ schedules, artist profiles, discographies, videos, maps, online ticketing, and merchandising.
Ynos was conceived and launched by Mr. Lazonby and digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR) in 2011.
About Ynos Inc.
Ynos is a pan-Asian music community focused on live entertainment with the community connected via the Hostess Club mobile app. Ynos’s Hostess Club brand is gaining recognition for bringing great artists to Asia to appear at its Weekender events. All performers are part of the Hostess family. For more information please visit: http://ynos.tv
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
April 2014 (Shanghai) — Asia-based media and entertainment firm DFR Asia (“Designed for Revolution”) announced today that it has secured a significant new round of outside equity financing.
The additional funding will fuel DFR’s further push into the rapidly growing video and consumer engagement markets in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
The company said that new investors include Silicon Valley’s 500 Startups, seasoned Asian angel investors Kenneth Cheuk and Alex Vanderpol, and others. Terms of the financing were not disclosed.
The new investors join DFR’s existing roster of investors, which includes Dream Incubator (4310:Tokyo), Siemer Ventures, and others.
Digital media in Asia is entering an exciting new phase with emphasis on high-quality licensed content and deep, relevant consumer engagement. In particular, the online video market in China is exploding. More than 450 million viewers devour 5.7 billion hours of content every month and viewership is projected to rise to 700 million within the next two years. In one survey 76% of people said that they would rather watch online videos than TV. Japan, which has the largest mobile content market in the world on a per capita basis, continues to see significant growth in video consumption on mobile and the appearance of a number of new video streaming services.
500 Startups is a world-leading early-stage fund that has been operating across the globe since 2010. Its investment team and leadership network have senior operational experience at companies such as PayPal, Google, YouTube, Yahoo, AOL, Zynga, LinkedIn, Twitter, Apple, and Facebook.
Kenneth Cheuk is founder and CEO of Avalade Group, a leading Hong Kong agency providing digital marketing, CRM, and consumer analytics to some of Asia’s most iconic brands and companies. Alex Vanderpol currently serves as the Chief Operations and Legal Officer at Nuku Asset Inc.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Media Contact: Gonzalo Ferrero
Telephone: +86 (0)21-6385-8880
Email: press@dfra.com
Apr 2014 (Tokyo) — Breaker Inc. has launched the official YouTube Channel for Tokyo Girls Collection, the biggest fashion event in Japan.
The channel, called “girlsTV,” features videos from the catwalk, interviews with models, and chats with celebrities. The channel can be accessed at youtube.com/girlsTV.
Tokyo Girls Collection, also known as TGC, is a highly publicized, semiannual, one-day event. Each event attracts over 30,000 female visitors between the ages of 20 to 34.
Breaker Inc. has assigned Mimei, a prominent content creator in Japan, to be the primary reporter for girlsTV. The channel is designed to fully immerse viewers in the complete TGC experience, and features videos from the latest event held in Tokyo on March 1, 2014 as well as archived videos from previous events.
“Tokyo Girls Collection in Fukushima supported by XEBIO GROUP,” to be held on April 29, 2014, will be the next event to be showcased on girlsTV. The next event will also be covered by Mimei, and will feature a theme of “SMILE! SMILE! SMILE!” The event’s official website is at tgc.st/fukushima.
Breaker Inc. was conceived and founded by digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR), whose investors include Dream Incubator, Siemer Ventures, and others.
This press release was originally posted in Japanese on PR Times.
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is a mobile, video entertainment company created with the vision of delivering “borderless content for the connected generation.” Founded in 2013 by Designed for Revolution (DFR) and CEO Alan Swarts, former Vice President of MTV Japan, Breaker produces and distributes content to the world using multiple platforms and technologies. Breaker’s investors include Dream Incubator Inc. (Japan), Siemer Ventures (USA), and Designed for Revolution (Asia). Breaker’s official website is at brkr.jp.
About Mimei
Mimei started posting on YouTube in 2010, and quickly gained massive popularity. She is now a leading YouTuber in Japan with more than 130,000 subscribers. Originally from New Zealand, Mimei covers a wide variety of genres including makeup, fashion, video diary, comedy, and music, is fluent in both English and Japanese, and has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture. Mimei’s official YouTube channel is at youtube.com/mimei.
About TGC
Aiming to “bring Japan’s girls culture to the world,” TGC is Japan’s largest fashion event. Launched in August 2005 and held semi-annually, TGC covers the most current trends in fashion, beauty, music, and entertainment. TGC has also built a mobile-friendly ecommerce platform to allow event attendants and fashionistas around the world to buy the items worn on the TGC catwalk. A total of 80 models and celebrities performed at the latest event, which showcased Japan’s “real clothes.” TGC’s official website is at tgc.st.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
For further information, please contact:
Breaker Inc.
Yoko Sone
Email: press@brkr.jp
Phone: +81 (0)3-6280-4333
Mar 2014 (Tokyo) — “Viva Linda San Sei” is teen girl group’s first album and their new YouTube reality show
b-pop Inc. has announced the April 2nd Japanese release of the first album from Japanese-Brazilian sensation Linda San Sei. The teen group’s debut album “Viva Linda San Sei” follows hot on the heels of the global iTunes release and shares the same name as their innovative YouTube series.
The YouTube reality show of the same name tells the story of a group of five Japanese-Brazilian teenagers whose mission is to bring the two countries closer together through their music. It was developed and produced by leading Japanese video entertainment company Breaker, to appeal to fans of Linda San Sei in both Japan and Brazil. The show is in Japanese and Portuguese, employing sub-titles in both languages, with the goal of creating a truly bi-cultural hit.
Linda San Sei refers to their unique sound and the fusion of the two cultures as “b-pop.” This sound is a unique blend of pop-dance music with a splash of Samba, and was pioneered in Japan. B-pop was conceived by startup venture studio Designed For Revolution (DFR Asia) in collaboration with Two 4 Seven Inc. With the soccer World Cup taking place in Brazil this June and July and the South American country hosting the 2016 Olympics, the timing is perfect for a crossover cultural hit. With a total combined population of over 325 million people, the Japan-Brazil market is roughly the same size as the United States.
The teen group, comprised of Mutsumi (13), Naomi (13), Sakura (13) and the twins Sayuri and Shiori (15), decided to call themselves Linda San Sei because, in Portuguese, “linda” means “beautiful” and, in Japanese, “san sei” is “third generation.” Four of the members were born in Brazil, and one in Japan, although all five were raised in Japan.
Their first DVD single “EZ Zoo” released last April was viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube during the first week, which created the initial buzz in Japanese media. Since then they have electrified crowds at major festivals and shows including Fuji Idol Festival, Summer Sonic, and Tokyo Girls Collection—where they opened in front of 25,000 people at a leading fashion event in September 2013.
The group’s second DVD single “Aiken Anthony” came out in July and, like the first, was initially uploaded to You Tube before being distributed through iTunes and the DVD sold in partnership with Yamada Denki.
Their first CD single “Hiyake Machine” (“Tanning Machine” in English) was released in January 2014 and was a tie-up theme song on major national FM radio for two months.
Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker, commented, “In just 20 months this group of talented Japanese Brazilian teenage girls has become the face of b-pop. With the upcoming World Cup and 2016 Olympics, they’re poised to become true cultural ambassadors. They continue to develop their own sound and are one of the most groundbreaking groups to come out of the Japanese music scene in a long time.”
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR) originally conceived and launched both b-pop and Breaker, and plays an ongoing management role in both ventures.
About b-pop Inc.
Conceived as a platform to promote the crossover of pop culture between Japan and Brazil, b-pop’s first project is the creation, management and marketing of Japanese-Brazilian all-girl teen group Linda San Sei. Between the Brazil World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 there will be increasing cultural contact between Japan and Brazil, as Brazil has the largest population of Japanese descent outside of Japan. The mission of b-pop is to be at the intersection of pop culture between these two exciting, and culturally robust countries.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit dfra.com.
Feb 2014 (Shanghai) — Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) makes further inroads into the rapidly growing online video market with new analytics and tools for content producers and owners.
Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) has announced the next phase of its three-pronged strategy designed to make the Shanghai-based startup a major player in China, the world’s top online video market.
Under one roof, EDA now offers three key elements for online success in China’s fragmented digital content landscape: consumer engagement, content management, and monetization—all powered by essential optimization tools, analytics, and a robust purpose-built platform.
The first component of EDA’s strategy was the introduction of Lojiao, the company’s social engagement platform for leading brands, artists, and celebrities. The Lojiao platform enables users, consumers, and fans to interact and engage on web and mobile far beyond just “liking” or “tweeting.”
EDA is perfectly positioned to service the exploding online video market in China, where YouTube is blocked and as many as eight alternative video service providers split the almost 450 million viewers who devour 5.7 billion hours of content every month. 76% of people surveyed in China already say they would rather watch online videos than TV.
Gonz Ferrero, CEO of EDA, said, “The online video market in China is exploding at a mind-boggling pace and is evolving very differently than in any other market. There is an incredible pent-up demand for better video management and optimization tools that are not specific to any single one of the many major online video service providers. We’re pushing the envelope, and getting a great response.”
EDA was conceived and founded by digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR), whose investors include Dream Incubator, Siemer Ventures, and others.
About Entertainment Direct Asia
Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) is redefining the way digital content is delivered, consumed, and monetized in China. The company’s Lojiao platform powers tailor-made fan hubs that integrate with third-party services to create engaging web and mobile destination sites for brands, artists, and celebrities to unlock the passion of their customers and fans. EDA was conceived and launched by digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR). For more information please visit lojiao.com and dfra.com.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit dfra.com.
Media Contact: Gonzalo Ferrero
Telephone: +86 (0)21-6385-8880
Email: press@dfra.com
Jan 2014 (Tokyo) — Ynos Inc. continues its track record of amazing lineups at its Asia-wide Hostess Club Weekender Live events.
The February Weekender in Tokyo features appearances by Mogwai, The National, Warpaint, Chvrches, Youth Lagoon, and others.
The upcoming Hostess Club Weekender, presented by Ynos Inc, looks set to be a sell out event long before the gates open.
The Weekender, which features some of the world’s fastest rising and most cutting-edge international artists, takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 15th and 16th at Shin Kiba Studio Coast in Tokyo. Major acts are Mogwai, The National, Warpaint, Chvrches, Youth Lagoon, Daughter, King Krule, Ásgeir, Errors, Buke and Gase.
In conjunction with The Weekender, Ynos will present Chvrches with special guest The Errors at the Liquid Room in Ebisu on Wednesday, February 12th and at Bigcat in Osaka on Thursday, February 13th.
Ynos was started by Asia music industry luminary Andrew “Plug” Lazonby and is a sister company of Hostess Entertainment, the largest independent international music company in Japan. The last Weekender event, an in-the-city mini festival in Ebisu, attracted more than 4,000 fans.
Mr. Lazonby said, “The Weekender has become the perfect forum for artists of substance to present and connect their music to a new, re-energized and growing fan base in Japan and across Asia. Everyone at Ynos and Hostess is thrilled with the latest edition of the series—it’s going to be fabulous.”
The Hostess Club Weekender takes place in Tokyo three times per year and typically features around ten international artists. Select artists then go on the road as part of the Hostess Club tour, visiting Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Manila and, for this edition of the event, ending with an all-day Hostess Club Weekender in Singapore at Fort Canning Park on Saturday, February 22nd. A new interactive app now supports the Weekender events providing essential information to fans such as the bands’ schedules, artist profiles, discographies, videos, maps, online ticketing, and merchandising.
Ynos was conceived and launched by Mr. Lazonby and digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR) in 2011.
About Ynos Inc.
Ynos is a pan-Asian music community focused on live entertainment with the community connected via the Hostess Club mobile app. Ynos’s Hostess Club brand is gaining recognition for bringing great artists to Asia to appear at its Weekender events. All performers are part of the Hostess family. For more information please visit: http://ynos.tv
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Dec 2013 (Tokyo) — Innovative content network Breaker Inc. finalizes seed round financing of $2M from Dream Incubator, Siemer Ventures, and others to revolutionize mobile video entertainment in Japan.
Breaker Inc., a cutting-edge producer and distributor of mobile video entertainment, has finalized seed round financing of $2 million to jump start its goal to become a significant force in video content for mobile in Japan. Tokyo-based strategic consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator Inc. was the lead investor in the round, joined by Siemer Ventures and others.
Breaker Inc. will be a driving force behind a new generation of networks that produce and distribute content—but which focus on the mobile user. Breaker sees a huge opportunity, particularly in Japan, which on a per capita basis has the largest mobile content market in the world but has been lagging in streaming video. YouTube, for instance has not been as prevalent as elsewhere in the world and Hulu and Amazon Instant Video have only recently launched.
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched Breaker, and will play an ongoing management role.
Industry experts predict an explosion in the demand for streaming video, and Breaker Inc. will provide fresh, up-to-the-minute, innovative content to the ‘always-connected’ consumer generation. The firm will emphasize content for entertainment, music, and fashion.
Breaker’s initial stable of talent includes company Cofounder & Chief Innovator Ken Sekine who, through his alias Megwin, is an iconic Japanese YouTuber and comedian. He is one of Japan’s most prolific digital content producers, with over 235 millions views for his MegwinTV YouTube channel.
Alan Swarts, CEO of Breaker, said, “There is a huge shift to video consumption under way in Japan that has radically altered the landscape for content distribution. Our team, with its vast experience and expertise in both established and emerging media, is uniquely qualified to fulfill the surging demand with groundbreaking content. Our goal is to deliver a major new category of content specifically for this new generation of mobile media consumers.” Ken Sekine, Cofounder & Chief Innovator of Breaker, added, “I have seen the future and it is Breaker. We intend to do a lot of breaking—breaking down barriers, breaking new ground, and breaking new talent. And Megwin will keep ‘breaking’ and evolving as well.”
Takayoshi Yamakawa, President of Dream Incubator, Inc., said, “We are excited about our investment in Breaker Inc. The talented team there has displayed great vision and is poised to emerge as a pre-eminent network for mobile video entertainment in Japan. We look forward to working closely with Breaker to assist them in executing their bold ambitions.”
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker Inc. is the first next-generation network for the production and delivery of innovative video entertainment for mobile to originate in Japan. The company produces and distributes cutting-edge content with a focus on entertainment, music, and fashion. Cofounder and CEO Alan Swarts is an award-winning executive producer and 17-year veteran of Viacom and MTV in Japan, while Cofounder and Chief Innovator Ken Sekine (Megwin) is an iconic digital media entertainer who has been producing comedy videos since 2005. For more information please visit: www.brkr.jp.
About Dream Incubator, Inc. (DI)
Dream Incubator is a strategic consulting and business development firm primarily for Japanese corporate clients and governmental institutions. DI provides both capital and professional services to next-generation companies to support their growth and expansion, while also operating their own businesses as well. Established in 2002, DI was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange 1st section in 2005 and is currently expanding from Tokyo to Vietnam, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information please visit: www.dreamincubator.co.jp/en.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Nov 2013 (Shanghai) — Digital consumer and fan engagement firm Entertainment Direct Asia (EDA) teams up with Skullcandy to further cement Skullcandy’s brand in China as a curator of cutting edge lifestyle.
This bold cross-medium campaign is powered by Lojiao, a suite of interactive tools developed by EDA, offering Skullcandy a manageable and measurable way of empowering connections with its digital fans.
The first of its kind, this campaign combines Skullcandy’s creative and experimental approach with the leverage of Lojiao’s powerful online fan community tools to turn consumers into brand advocates.
Centered around alternative music video content, the three-month “SkullcandyTV” campaign consists of 26 episodes, each featuring live performances and backstage interviews with artists such as the Kaiser Chiefs and Hot Chip. The cutting-edge video content, provided by Australian on-demand live music company Moshcam, will be released periodically online and displayed on-site by Skullcandy’s retail store partners.
Digital marketing for the campaign will use Skullcandy’s existing strengths in social media channels and partnerships—including efforts through Xiami, Weibo, Wechat and QQ channels—to reach the large Chinese audiences. The extensive digital marketing and promotional push will direct fans to Skullcandy-branded web and mobile fan community site, powered by Lojiao.
Designed and created by EDA, SkullcandyTV’s fan community sites feature a powerful loyalty system. Using Lojiao’s gamification tools, the SkullcandyTV fan community site encourages fans to earn loyalty points by engaging with the branded content beyond simple likes or plays. By sharing a video or answering video trivia questions, for example, fans acquire points that can be redeemed for exclusive online and offline offers.
Vivian Tu, Marketing Manager of Skullcandy China, said, “We are building Skullcandy around the world and in China as an exciting lifestyle brand—an image that our consumers want to identify with and which reflects their identity and outlook on life. Our collaboration with EDA lets Skullcandy offer our fans their own unique, highly engaging, and dedicated community, and it lets us tap this fan community in future marketing campaigns and product releases.”
Gonz Ferrero, CEO of EDA said, “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to work with Skullcandy to help further strengthen the relationship between Skullcandy and their very passionate Chinese customers. Skullcandy is in the vanguard in demonstrating that, for the world’s best brands, it’s not about counting followers or likes—but rather about delivering the real engagement that customers crave.”
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched EDA, and plays an ongoing management role.
About EDA
EDA helps artists, celebrities, brands and content owners unlock the passion of their digital customers and fans by providing online consumer engagement tools. Lojiao delivers customized fan hubs for managing social media communications and content, helping to transform passive online users into active fans. Lojiao was conceived and launched by Designed for Revolution (DFR), a digital media venture studio that creates, builds, and scales startup ventures in and for Japan and China. For more information please visit www.edirect.asia.
About Skullcandy
Skullcandy is a global designer, marketer and distributor of performance audio and gaming headphones and other accessory related products under the Skullcandy, Astro Gaming, and 2XL by Skullcandy brands. Skullcandy became one of the world’s most distinct audio brands by bringing color, character and performance to an otherwise monochromatic space. The company’s products are sold and distributed through a variety of channels in the U.S. and approximately 80 countries worldwide. Visit skullcandy.com.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Oct 2013 (Shanghai) — 2muse, China’s leading premier >music provider for business, has announced new music licensing deals with Concord Music, The Orchard, and others.
The new deals allow 2muse to deliver even more diverse, high-quality programming to customers of the company’s commercial background music service.
2muse, the leading provider of background music for business in China, has announced major new licensing deals that will further expand the diversity and quality of its content.
The most significant of the new deals are with The Orchard, the largest music aggregator in the world, which is owned by Sony Music Entertainment and represents over 7,000 independent music companies and labels, and Concord Music Group, one of the world’s largest independent record and music publishing companies.
2muse is used extensively across China at individual retail stores and large shopping centers, as well as restaurants, auto showrooms, hotels, and a wide variety of other commercial locations. The 2muse system, which is fully licensed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, also enables businesses to readily comply with their licensing and royalty payment obligations.
The announcement of these new relationships follows the recent announcement of a further round of financing for 2muse, which was cofounded with Designed for Revolution (DFR), the first venture studio in Asia and the first focused exclusively on media and entertainment.
Edmund Qi, CEO of 2muse said, “I’m delighted to be able to announce these new licensing deals. These vital new deals mean that 2muse is able to offer an incredibly enhanced range of music to our clients, and further strengthen our position as the leader in this market.”
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched 2muse, and plays an ongoing management role.
About 2muse
2muse provides customized music programming for stores and businesses throughout China. The 2muse solution integrates high-quality music programming, digital delivery, and backend royalty accounting into a cost-efficient and easy-to-use system. Working with both original music rights holders and government trade bodies, 2muse brings businesses that use copyrighted music into compliance with their licensing and royalty payment obligations. For more information please visit: www.2muse.fm.
About The Orchard
The Orchard is a pioneering music, video and film distribution company and top-ranked Multi Channel Network operating in more than 25 markets across the globe. The Orchard amplifies reach and revenue across hundreds of international digital, physical and mobile outlets. Founded in 1997, The Orchard streamlines content owners’ business complexity with an intuitive client dashboard, comprehensive rights management and tailored client support. For further information: www.theorchard.com.
About Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group is one of the largest independent record and music publishing companies in the world and is owner of a rich and historically significant catalog of recordings. Concord Music Group’s legendary family of labels include Concord Records, Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Stax, Milestone, Riverside, Specialty, Telarc, Peak, Heads Up, and Prestige. They include titles from some of the most admired and enduring names in music.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Sep 2013 (Shanghai) — DFR has completed a round of financing to enable 2muse to expand its integrated music delivery service throughout mainland China.
The new financing will help 2muse further deploy its state-of-the-art content delivery system while bringing businesses into compliance with their music licensing and royalty payment obligations. 2muse was cofounded in 2009 by DFR and China broadcast industry veteran Edmund Qi.
The investment was secured from existing and strategic investors and was unveiled today at the Siemer Silicon Beach Summit in Santa Monica, California attended by 500 of the most influential leaders in digital media and emerging technologies from around the world.
The new funding will help accelerate the growth of the company’s integrated music programming, delivery and content licensing solution into new markets throughout China. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.
2muse is currently used extensively across China at individual retail stores and large shopping centers, as well as restaurants, auto showrooms, hotels, and a wide variety of other commercial locations. The 2muse system is fully licensed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and is a lead partner in digital music legalization initiatives in China.
Edmund Qi, CEO of 2muse, said, “There are hundreds of thousands of businesses in China who know that great music is good business and adds to the bottom line, but don’t have the time or experience to put together the music programming that is just right for their businesses or deal with the complexities of music licensing. 2muse provides the solution.”
Rick Myers, COO at DFR, said, “The huge addressable market in China coupled with 2muse’s first mover status and deep management team positions 2muse to even further extend its leadership role in the delivery of high-quality and legal music for retail in China.”
About 2muse
2muse provides customized music programming for stores and businesses throughout China. The 2muse solution integrates high-quality music programming, digital delivery, and backend royalty accounting into a cost-efficient and easy-to-use system. Working with both original music rights holders and government trade bodies, 2muse brings businesses that use copyrighted music into compliance with their licensing and royalty payment obligations. More information can be found on the 2muse website at www.2muse.fm .
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Media Contact: Gonzalo Ferrero
Telephone: +86 (0)21-6385-8880
Email: press@dfra.com
Jun 2013 (Tokyo) — The Japanese magazine NYLON noted the success of the most recent Hostess Club Weekender music festival that took place from 8-9 June 2013 at Yebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The two-day event was a success, with the venue being fully packed with fans. A special autograph session was organized to allow fans to interact more closely with the performing artistes. The NYLON team also took the opportunity to take snapshots of the stylist fans who attended the event. Click here to view the full article.
Organized since 2012, Hostess Club Weekender has become one of the top music events for fans of Western Rock in Japan. A number of famous bands have performed with Hostess Club Weekender, including Iceland band MUM, UK Rock band TRAVIS and others. Hostess Club Weekend events are held in smaller venues so that fans can have a more intimate experience with their favourite artistes.
Ynos was conceived and launched by Asia music industry luminary Andrew “Plug” Lazonby and digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution (DFR) in 2011.
About Ynos Inc.
Ynos is a pan-Asian music community focused on live entertainment with the community connected via the Hostess Club mobile app. Ynos’s Hostess Club brand is gaining recognition for bringing great artists to Asia to appear at its Weekender events. All performers are part of the Hostess family. For more information please visit: http://ynos.tv
About NYLON
NYLON is an American magazine and digital media company that focuses on pop culture and fashion. NYLON Japan launched in 2004 and is currently headed by editor-in-chief Takashi Togawa. The local magazine covers topics ranging from fashion, beauty, music, movies and TV programmes in Japan . For more information please visit: http://www.nylon.jp/
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Jun 2013 (Tokyo) — DFR venture Ynos released the first version of its mobile app for the festival series Hostess Club Weekender, to provide concert lovers with on-the-go information about the events. The app is available for iOS and Android.
The app was launched a week before the two-day June festival in Tokyo, the fifth edition of Hostess Club Weekender. It provides detailed information such as time slots for each performing artist. Fans can not only access artists’ biographies and videos but also purchase their albums. In the “Artists” section, the user can find information about all artists who have performed in the previous four editions of Hostess Club Weekender. The app also includes fun features such as the Photo Booth, allowing fans to take pictures with the Hostess Club Weekend Posters and their favorite artists’ figurines. The app was featured by Apple in its Japan App Store, and was downloaded by more than 60% of all attendees in the June edition of the festival, which included headlining artists such as Múm and Travis.
“We are excited about the release of this app, and the reception so far is very encouraging. Hostess Club Weekender is a unique event with top quality independent artists, and the mobile app is crucial for engaging with our demographic. We will continue to release updates with even more exclusive content, music, and access that our audience is looking for,” says Andrew Lazonby, Director of Ynos Inc..
The Hostess Club Weekender app was developed in collaboration with a peer DFR venture Mobile Now, facilitated by DFR. Based in Shanghai, Mobile Now has years of experience designing and building innovative mobile apps across Asia for the likes of RedBull, Ford, and many other top clients.
“This type of cross-country collaboration between our ventures is core to the DFR model. As a group of best-in-class Asian digital media and entertainment companies, we continue to conceive and build new companies while also focusing on facilitating collaborations between them,” says Gonz Ferrero, CFO of DFR.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Oct 2012 (Shanghai) — DFR Asia Ltd, Asia’s first Digital Media Venture Studio, today announced that the company has closed its first round of outside equity financing.
Investors included leading Asian network services and technology firm Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (NASDAQ:IIJI, TSE1:3774), entertainment industry leader On the Line, and other backers. Terms of the financing were not disclosed.
The funding will be used to expand DFR’s venture studio model for digital media in Asia. Under the globally emerging, post-incubator studio model for launching and growing new startup ventures, firms such as DFR who are expert in the startup lifecycle conceive, build, and assume ownership and execution responsibility for new ventures from inception. The studio approach stands in contrast to traditional incubators and accelerators, which typically support a much larger number of startup ventures with some combination of group training and “boot camp” programs, shared back office services, and limited initial seed financing for small minority equity stakes.
DFR is the first venture studio in the world to focus exclusively on digital media, and the first to be established in and for Asia—home to several of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing digital media markets.
DFR will continue to be managed by long-time media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers. With more than forty years of experience in key Asian markets between them, Possman and Myers have been investors in and backers of numerous digital media ventures seeing successful IPOs and trade sales across Asia.
“Our new backers bring serious additional horsepower to DFR’s venture studio model,” said John Possman, CEO of DFR. “The combination of their incredibly deep domain expertise together with new venture growth opportunity from DFR we believe is extremely powerful.”
Companies already launched by DFR across Asia under their studio model include new ventures in media metrics and analytics, online market research, in-store media, consumer data mining, online advertising, digital music services, and user engagement, among others.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) is the first startup venture studio in Asia and the first in the world focused exclusively on media and entertainment. Founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers, DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company’s ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Media Contact: Gonzalo Ferrero
Tel: +86 (0)21-6385-8880
Email: press@dfra.com
in partnership with Gravity Group
Suite 508, Block C
700 Huangpi South Road
Shanghai 200021
China
in partnership with Two 4 Seven
Seizan I #801
2-26-32 Minami Aoyama
Minato-ku Tokyo
Japan
