Investor Interview Vol. 2 - Plott (Investor: Airy)
Hello everyone!
This is Nazuki from Bandai Namco Entertainment 021 Fund.
In November, the 021 Fund invested in Plott, a Japanese startup that specializes in the production and business development of IP (intellectual property) content, particularly short-form animations that are distributed on social media platforms.
We've asked Airy, who led the investment, to share what makes Plott so appealing.
Nazuki：Please tell us what made you interested in Plott.
Airy：Recently, we've been seeing a shift in consumer preference from traditional media to “short-form content.” Short-form drama series is picking up a lot of traction, but I would say that short-form animation is rapidly increasing its viewership. Although the primary audience is young elementary and middle school students, many of these animation series include humor that appeals to adults too. With new episodes released daily, it's easy to find yourself casually watching these in your free time. We expect that there will be a growing demand for this kind of "light, snackable content," so we decided to explore investment opportunities in this space.
Nazuki：I’m aware that Plott is mostly recognized for short-form animation, but could you elaborate on their specific business activities?
Airy：As you said, Plott focuses on creating IPs by distributing short-form animation on social media. While their focus is on producing short animation series on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, they're also producing and developing webtoon comics. They're also actively expanding into transmedia projects, including merchandise, mini-games, and music. As of July 2024, their short-form animation channels collectively boast over 9 million subscribers and generate 500 million monthly views. I think it’s fair to say that they are a leading startup in the social media-driven animation market!
Nazuki：Many of my friends are watching Plott's series like Teikou Penguin and Paranomal Private High School (Shiritsu Paranomal Koukou). What sets Plott apart when it comes the creation of new IPs through short-form animation?
Airy：One of their key strengths is their lineup of content that’s especially popular with Gen Z, such as Karekore of Mixedblood (Konketsu no KareKore) and Flag Chan! (Zenryoku Kaihi Flag-chan!) Plott takes a data-driven approach to content creation, analyzing metrics like impressions and views to create a structured production process. This allows them to respond to user feedback and continuously refine their work to create successful IPs. They already have a large fan base, and their expertise in rapidly developing character-based digital contents would be valuable to Bandai Namco Entertainment for potential future synergies. Compared to their competitors, Plott excels in creating original IP from scratch and boasts a significantly larger user pool.
Nazuki：I see how their ability to create IPs by staying close to the fans is incredibly appealing. Finally, could you share what you hope to achieve through this investment and any potential areas of collaboration?
Airy：With short-form animation and drama series experiencing tremendous growth, we see great potential in leveraging Plott’s formats for marketing and IP development purposes. It’s worth mentioning that in 2022, Plott produced a short animation series for Taiko no Tatsujin that is currently available on the Taiko no Tatsujin official YouTube channel.
Additionally, Plott collaborates with major publishers like Shogakukan and Kodansha, creating both original and spin-off IPs that are gaining significant viewership. Looking ahead, I believe we can combine our strengths to develop content in ways that align with the characteristics of each individual IP that we work on!
Nazuki：I am really excited see how our collaboration with Plott could lead to the creation and growth of new IPs. Thank you so much for sharing your insight, Airy!