– ‘FANZ MAKER’ launched on the 20th, brand IP-maker matching and comprehensive growth support
– Creating a funding ecosystem where anyone can challenge the licensed product business at Wadiz
– Strategic collaboration with various IPs planned every month, starting with ‘Zanmang Luffy’, which has a strong fan base.
Wadiz is entering the character IP business in earnest, starting with collaboration with Janmang Luffy, the most popular character in the MZ generation.
Wadiz (CEO Shin Hye-seong) announced on the 20th that it is launching ‘FANZ MAKER’, a comprehensive IP matching program that connects brand owners with intellectual property rights (IP) with potential makers and supports licensed product development and funding.
‘Fans Maker’ is a project where Wadiz selects a new IP every month, publicly recruits startups and small business owners who want to develop products, verifies marketability through fans’ feedback and funding, and supports them in entering the global character IP market. .
The purpose of this project is to bring together brand IPs with high marketability, fans who like and support them, and makers with innovative product development ideas to discover and present to the world one-of-a-kind licensed products. The purpose is to provide ‘anyone with an idea the opportunity to enter the licensed product business of popular IP’ and create new added value in the IP market.
The first main character of ‘Fans Maker’, ‘Sweet Luffy’, is a side character that exaggerates Luffy’s humor and foolishness in the popular animation ‘Porong Porong Pororo’, and has recently appeared in ‘LG Twins’, ‘Spao’, and ‘Mega’. It continues to have high recognition and popularity through various collaborations with large brands such as ‘Box’ and is receiving enthusiastic support and love from the MZ generation.
Any maker who wants to develop a licensed product using the ‘Zanmang Luffy’ character can apply through Wadiz from July 20th to August 8th. We plan to select a manufacturer that will enter into a final license productization agreement with Janmang Rupee based on creativity and technical skills.
Meanwhile, ‘Fans Maker’ is a project that fully expanded the ‘Character IP Startup Incubating Program’ in July last year, in which Wadiz worked with Line Friends to discover capable makers and present a new IP licensing business method. At the time, 320 startups were launched. Through fierce competition, a total of 10 unique products, including a Q microphone for creators, a portable espresso extractor, and a smart golf stick device, have succeeded in receiving funding.
Wadiz plans to form strategic alliances with various brand IPs that have recently attracted attention in the market, starting with ‘Janmang Rupee’, and fully support the growth of makers from product ideas to funding, customer selection, and product launch.
Lee In-gyun, director of Wadiz IP business, said, “Through Wadiz funding, we will introduce trendy products to fans who like characters and build a business ecosystem where makers with technology and ideas can grow by challenging the character license commercialization business.” He said.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom
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