My Face Becomes a VTuber in One Minute [K, to Hollywood]

Millennial Works Taps into the North American LBE Market with AI Photo Booth

Yoo-Sang Song, CEO of Millennial Works [Photo by Jo Haneul, QK Pictures]

"We do not aim to be a 'photo booth company,' but rather an 'LBE platform enterprise.'" Yoo-Sang Song, CEO of Millennial Works, explained the North American market entry strategy for the AI photo booth 'Anymoment' at 'U-KNOCK 2025 in USA,' hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency on November 5 (local time) in Los Angeles, USA.

This technology, which can transform a person's face into a virtual character in just one minute, is designed to go beyond simple photo booths and expand the business into location-based entertainment (LBE) theme parks.

Collaboration with Netflix and Blizzard, Securing Three Patents

Anymoment instantly converts users' faces into virtual characters through an AI-powered kiosk. Unlike typical AI filters or avatar apps, which require individual processing on web or mobile platforms, this service allows anyone to easily access it via kiosks and immediately upload generated content to social networking services (SNS) or turn it into merchandise.

Millennial Works holds three related patents. CEO Song stated, "While speed is important, the key is the ability to instantly transform and generate content in a physical space."

The company has already partnered with global intellectual property (IP) holders such as Netflix, Naver Webtoon, and Blizzard Entertainment, accumulating extensive know-how in operating various concepts.

The North American expansion is being carried out in phases. The first targets are multi-purpose cultural spaces, large shopping malls, convention centers, museums, and amusement parks. In the East, the company recently entered Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, while in the West, it is currently considering high-traffic areas in Los Angeles as a priority.

The core strategy is to operate thirteen different concepts simultaneously at the 'SPACE:V' theme park. The plan is to first focus on one or two proven global IPs to build brand awareness, and then expand to various concepts through a phased approach.

Yoo-Sang Song, CEO of Millennial Works [Photo by Jo Haneul, QK Pictures]

Step-by-Step Expansion: Pop-up Stores, Permanent Stores, and LBE Theme Parks

The mid- to long-term vision is a step-by-step expansion from pop-up stores to permanent stores (SPACE:V) and ultimately to LBE theme parks. The revenue model is multilayered: B2B sales and rentals of AI kiosks, short-term high profits from pop-up stores, stable cash flow from permanent stores, and fostering creators and generating content revenue through VTuber entertainment.

The company envisions a long-term competitive edge through a virtuous cycle ecosystem that connects AI kiosks, VTuber creator conversion, and LBE space utilization. The goal is to develop the platform beyond a simple photo booth, transforming ordinary people into VTuber creators.

The challenge is that innovation does not immediately translate into trust. In particular, the biggest obstacle when negotiating with North American partners is the preconception of being an "unproven Asian startup."

As a solution, CEO Song highlighted collaboration cases with global companies such as Netflix, Blizzard, LG Electronics, Chanel, and BMW. The strategy is to build local trust by working with North American marketing agencies and to first demonstrate results through small-scale test projects. "After securing proof of concept (PoC) results and initial traction locally, we plan to pursue a concrete Series A round next year."