AI Entertainment Startup KOWRO Launches with 3 Billion JPY Funding

KOWRO, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yuji Harada) announced on June 1, 2026, that it has raised 3 billion JPY from DMM.com and has officially commenced operations. As a startup studio in the generative AI era, the company will simultaneously develop multiple businesses centered on AI and entertainment. KOWRO was established following the restructuring of Algomatic, a DMM Group company. Aiming to deliver Japanese entertainment to the world through the power of AI, the company began full-scale operations in June 2026. This first funding round since its inception is intended to support development and recruitment for the simultaneous expansion of multiple businesses targeting the global market. KOWRO's core businesses are AI character chat and the export of Japanese entertainment content using AI translation. Both share the goal of using AI to deliver attractive Japanese content and characters to a wider audience. While generative AI is changing the content production process, KOWRO sees an even greater shift in how content is delivered. No matter how compelling a character or work may be, its value cannot be fully realized without proper user experience design. By changing how content reaches users, previously overlooked expressions can cross borders and reach a global audience. We view AI not just as a tool for production efficiency, but as infrastructure to expand the possibilities of Japanese entertainment. Moving forward, KOWRO will promote the creation of new communication experiences with AI characters and build a global distribution platform for Japanese content, while developing a top-tier AI entertainment development organization. Additionally, the company is launching new ventures such as AI idol and AI fortune-telling businesses, and is strengthening recruitment for business leaders and professionals in these domains. We are actively seeking creators and producers with deep understanding of content expression and production to accelerate business and product development in the AI-entertainment sector, aiming to create new growth opportunities for Japanese entertainment.