Japan's megli raises US$769.2K seed to build AI-native entertainment
What's the deal? Tokyo-based megli inc.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised US$769.2K (roughly $634,746) in a seed round to develop entertainment content created with AI. The round, structured as a third-party allotment of shares, was backed by Asu Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, PixAI, jig.jpDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Brave group.
What's the endgame? Founded in April 2026 by chief executive officer Hiroyuki Akiyama, megli produces AI singers, music, music videos, anime, and games. Rather than bolting AI onto existing production, it aims to build works with AI as the starting point.
What's the money for? megli will advance its AI production workflow, develop new services, and strengthen its capacity to make content for its own IP and for third parties. Its in-house brand, megli-ai, debuted AI singer coyane in April 2026 — a character whose design, music, vocals, and "personality" are all AI-generated.
Why the backers? Investors framed the bet as a shift in who defines creative markets. "When the camera appeared, painters did not lose their jobs," said Asu Capital Partners founding partner Lucheng Li, arguing that those who first turn new tools into beauty win "both the expression and the market of the next era."
What could go wrong? AI-generated entertainment faces open questions on audience acceptance and rights. jig.jp chief executive officer Sho Kawamata acknowledged that using AI in entertainment remains "in the stage of trial and error."
The signal: Generative AI is moving from a production efficiency tool toward the foundation of new content itself. megli's raise is a small but pointed test of whether AI-native studios — small teams producing music, anime, and fan engagement end to end — can build durable IP from Japan for a global market.
Read more: PR Times
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
