日本語 
AI Mage Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the beta version of “AI Mage – Supervision System”, which utilizes “Anime General Intelligence”, an AI developed specifically for understanding anime works, to streamline the licensing supervision process for anime IP. In conjunction with this release, we are now looking for a limited number of partner companies to try out the beta version ahead of the official launch.
Additionally, the company has raised 170 million yen through a third-party allotment of new shares, with Genesia Ventures Inc., Plug and Play Japan Inc., and Headline Japan Inc. as underwriters.
The funds raised will be allocated to product development and AI development, with the aim of further accelerating digital transformation in the anime business in order to realize its vision of “delivering hope and courage to people through stories.”
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Background issue: Improving the efficiency of supervision work required to scale the licensing business
Secondary uses of anime IP (intellectual property), such as merchandise, games, and collaboration projects, are a major source of revenue for the anime industry. To develop these uses, a process known as “supervision” is essential, as it involves checking the consistency of the original work’s worldview and character settings.
Generally, supervision work is carried out by people who have been involved in a work for a long time and have all the necessary information memorized, relying heavily on their experience and memory, and there is an issue of it easily becoming dependent on one person. Furthermore, tasks such as handing over, managing, and commenting on supervised works are divided among various work tools, resulting in a decrease in overall work efficiency and a dispersion of know-how.
This situation has caused lengthy lead times for commercialization and a lack of capacity for supervision work, creating a major bottleneck for the expansion of the licensing business. As a result, we are unable to meet the strong demand from anime fans around the world, and this is one of the reasons why opportunities are being lost to pirated copies and the resale market.
The funds raised this time will be used to upgrade various products, including the development and supervision system of AGI. At the same time, we will accelerate the verification of a new business model that aims to expand opportunities for IP holders to develop overseas licenses by utilizing AGI, which understands the worldview and rules of anime works. In line with this, we will actively hire new members who will be responsible for the growth of the business on both the business and product sides.
In addition, in light of the release of the beta version of the supervision system, we are now looking for a limited number of partner companies to try out the beta version ahead of the official release. Based on the feedback from partner companies who have used the beta version, we will further accelerate the PDCA cycle for product improvement in preparation for the official release.
SOURCE: PRTimes
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