NAVER D2SF Invests in 23i, a Virtual Entertainment Startup
The investment will help 23i expand content production and virtual artist technology as it targets faster growth in Korea and Japan, NAVER D2SF said.
- On Thursday, July 9, 2026, NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture arm of NAVER, announced an investment in virtual entertainment startup 23i to expand virtual intellectual property through enhanced production capabilities.
- Growing demand in Korea and Japan for virtual entertainment prompted the investment, as 23i utilizes in-house technologies including real-time motion capture and toon shaders to maximize virtual artist strengths.
- The startup's virtual boy group, WE GO-6, unveiled last year, employs an original "multi-persona idol" concept where each member expresses distinct personas to deepen fan communication through narrative-driven storytelling.
- 23i CEO Hyungmin Kim stated, "With this investment, we plan to strengthen our content production infrastructure and deliver content with an even higher level of quality," targeting new fan experiences.
- Sanghwan Yang, Head of NAVER D2SF, identified virtual entertainment as a "market with strong growth potential," signaling planned collaborations with NAVER entertainment businesses including Motion Stage.
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NAVER D2SF Invests in 23i, a Virtual Entertainment Startup
23i brings strong content planning and production capabilities built around multi-persona virtual artistsInternalized virtual content production technologies including real-time motion capture and toon shaders, enabling high-quality, high-frequency content that builds narratives together with fandomsNAVER D2SF continues to invest across the…
NAVER D2SF invests in virtual entertainment startup 23i
SEONGNAM-SI, South Korea, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture capital arm of NAVER, has made a new investment in 23i (CEO, Hyungmin Kim), a virtual entertainment startup. As the global virtual entertainment market continues to grow rapidly, particularly in Korea and Japan, NAVER D2SF decided to invest in the team based on its ability to create expanded entertainment IP through strong content production capabilities and…
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