TOKYO, August 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Next generation media entertainment company, Breaker Inc., has announced a significant investment from gumi Ventures, L.P. At the same time Breaker revealed its intention to forge a strategic alliance with the investment company's parent, the major mobile online game developer, gumi, Inc.
The investment and impending partnership paves the way for Breaker to continue its drive to become a significant force in the rapidly growing online video entertainment market.
The plan is to maximize the respective companies' extensive experience and knowledge in the mobile entertainment industry. Details of the investment and strategic alliance will be released at a later date.
Earlier this year Breaker received seed round financing of $2 million from Tokyo-based strategic consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator Inc., Siemer Ventures, and others.
Industry experts predict an explosion in the demand for streaming video, and Breaker sees a huge opportunity in Japan, which, on a per capita basis, has the largest mobile content market in the world but has been lagging in streaming video. Breaker's focus is innovative content to the 'always-connected' generation, with an emphasis on entertainment, music, and fashion.
Breaker CEO Alan Swarts said, "We're a Japanese entertainment company with global aspirations. That's why we're honored to be in partnership with such a pioneering and international company like gumi. We look forward to developing an entirely new kind of entertainment together. "
gumi CEO Hironao Kunimitsu said, "We believe that the current shift in the online video market is the same kind of paradigm shift that happened in the mobile online game industry, and that in the online video market Breaker can be the leading company. By using our experience in online mobile games and Breaker's experience in video content production we intend to build and offer entertainment that hasn't been seen before."
Digital media venture studio Designed for Revolution Ltd. (DFR Asia) originally conceived and launched Breaker, and plays an ongoing management role.
About Breaker Inc.
Breaker is Japan's first next generation media entertainment company. Using its unique network and technology, Breaker produces the complete entertainment strategy with video and social media that breaks barriers between Japan and the world for individual creators, artists, brands, and media companies. This concept has attracted various investors from around the world including: Designed for Revolution, Dream Incubator Inc., Siemer Ventures, 500 Startups and On The Line. Breaker was founded in 2013 by the former Vice President of MTV Japan, Alan Swarts and co-founder of Designed for Revolution, John Possman. For more information please visit: http://brkr.jp.
About gumi Inc.
Tokyo-based gumi Inc., founded in 2007 by its CEO Hironao Kunimitsu, has the goal of becoming the #1 provider of social games in the world. The company is already one of the top game developers on Japan's leading mobile social gaming network, Gree, having published role-playing games including Brave Frontier and Genjuhime Monster Princess, as well as other original titles including the award-winning Yakuza Wars, Knight Wars, Pirate Wars, Duel Summoner, Duel in Wonderland, and Mythical Maidens. gumi employs about 800 staff and has subsidiaries in South Korea, Singapore, China, France and the U.S. Its investors include Jafco Co. (8595), the nation's biggest venture-capital firm, as well as Gree, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co. and Development Bank of Japan Inc.'s investment unit. For more information please visit: http://gu3.co.jp/en/.
About DFR Asia
Designed for Revolution (DFR Asia) was founded in 2008 by Asia media and technology veterans John Possman and Rick Myers. DFR, under its venture studio model, conceives, sets up, funds, and scales new startup ventures from inception. The company's ventures in Japan and China are leading the transformation now taking place in digital media, mobile, and entertainment in Asia. For more information please visit: www.dfra.com.
Contact: Makiko Katsuyama
Telephone: +81 3-6447-4864
Email: press@brkr.jp
