Japanese media company TV TOKYO has led a Series D funding round for Vietnam-based digital entertainment firm POPS Worldwide, the latter said in a statement.
The financial details of the round were not disclosed. In a separate announcement, TV TOKYO said it has injected $3 million into the Vietnamese company.
Last year, POPS also trumpeted its plan to raise $50 million in its Series D financing, after having garnered $37 million from investors including Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, EastBridge Partners, and Turner Asia Pacific.
It is unclear whether POPS has secured the target amount or closed the funding round.
The company said it will use the proceeds to accelerate the global growth of its anime content and other live-action series for GenZ customers.
TV TOKYO also expressed its intention to expand anime-related businesses in Southeast Asia through various online channels such as digital entertainment and e-sports.
“We have been striving to bring Japanese animation to anime fans around the world as quickly as possible and with the best possible quality. We have been looking for a business development who can expand our business in Southeast Asia,” said TV TOKYO’s senior managing director Yukio Kawasaki.
POPS and TV TOKYO, a subsidiary of Japan’s listed certified broadcasting company TV TOKYO Holdings Corporation, first started their partnership in 2020 by bringing dubbed Japanese anime to fans across Southeast Asia with major titles like NARUTO, Sergeant KERORO, and My Guardian Characters.
Established in 2007, POPS has been providing online entertainment and kid content through multiple digital platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.
The company claims to have around 690 million users currently, with a presence in Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.