Genies to Create AI Companions from King Records IP
Los Angeles-based AI avatar company Genies has entered a strategic partnership with Japanese entertainment company King Records. The collaboration will transform King Records' globally recognized characters into interactive AI companions.
- The partnership's initial focus will be on "HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle-," a King Records multimedia franchise that includes 21 core characters and combines hip-hop, music, anime, and live performances. - Genies, founded in 2011, reached a $1 billion valuation following a $150 million Series C funding round in April 2022, led by tech investment firm Silver Lake. The company has raised a total of $276 million. - This collaboration extends Genies' existing strategy of partnering with major IP holders, which already includes global agreements with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to serve as their "official avatar and digital goods NFT provider". - King Records is the anime and music subsidiary of Kodansha, Japan's largest publishing group, giving the partnership potential access to a vast library of globally recognized manga IP. - The collaboration aims to preserve the original creative work by using human creators to supervise all 3D character models and expressions, while AI technology will be used to enable interactive fan communication. - Genies has also secured partnerships with major U.S. sports leagues, including a deal with the MLB Players Association to create AI avatar "companions" for every player on the league's roster. - The AI companion market is a rapidly growing sector, with one report projecting the global market size to expand from $48.63 billion in 2026 to approximately $552.49 billion by 2035.
