Kimu Studio, a social startup that breaks down barriers between people with developmental disabilities and society through content, announced on December 11 that it has secured pre-Series A investment from Gaia Venture Partners.
With this investment, Kimu Studio plans to strengthen its educational programs for designers with developmental disabilities, further develop its core business by expanding artwork and content IP development, and broaden global exhibition and distribution partnerships. The company also aims to expand ESG collaboration projects between companies, thereby increasing opportunities for creations by designers with developmental disabilities to be connected to real-world industrial environments.
Kimu Studio is a social startup that discovers and educates artists with developmental disabilities who possess artistic talent, helping them grow into exceptional designers. Through its educational programs, the company nurtures individuals with developmental disabilities in Korea and abroad to become distinguished designers, and showcases their unique works-created in collaboration with these designers-through exhibitions and content formats.
Additionally, Kimu Studio has partnered with a variety of companies-including Samsung Electronics, Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation, KB Kookmin Card, Amorepacific, Korea Association of Health Promotion, and Tmoney Welfare Foundation-for ESG campaigns, developing diverse business models for a sustainable ecosystem such as exhibition design, character design, and product and package design. Furthermore, through the Kimu Bridge program, a partner collaboration initiative that supports employment of people with disabilities, the company helps corporations implement ESG management practices.
Nam Jangwon, CEO of Kimu Studio, stated, "This investment will further solidify the structure in which the creations of exceptional designers are connected to content production, domestic and international exhibitions, and corporate collaborations, providing a stronger foundation for expanding their activities. Moving forward, we hope to create many opportunities for the growth and independence of these exceptional designers in partnership with various collaborators."
A representative from Gaia Venture Partners commented, "Kimu Studio has established a sustainable business structure by expanding the creative activities of artists with developmental disabilities into education, content IP, exhibitions, and corporate collaborations. We decided to invest after recognizing its potential to realize both social value and industrial growth."
Meanwhile, Gaia Venture Partners, established in 2015, is a venture capital firm specializing in cultural content, having invested in a wide range of content IP and production and distribution sectors such as films, dramas, and animations. The company has also formed a social services fund, expanding its investment scope to areas that generate social value and supporting businesses with sustainable growth models.
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