Superplastic, a studio specializing in creating 3D characters that has previously launched NFT collections on the Ethereum blockchain, has successfully raised $20 million in a Series A-4 funding round led by Amazon’s venture capital arm, Alexa Fund.
In addition to Alexa Fund, several other investors, including Google Ventures, Sony Japan, Galaxy Digital, Animoca Brands, and Craft Ventures, participated in the funding round. With this latest infusion of capital, the firm’s total funding to date stands at $58 million.
Superplastic creates “synthetic celebrities” and has previously partnered with brands such as Fortnite and Gucci. Janky and Guggimon are among the most popular characters conceived by the studio that exist as influences on Instagram and TikTok with millions of followers.
The Janky & Guggimon Show, which chronicles the adventures of two best friends who are lazy and inept yet determined to achieve wealth and fame but end up causing mayhem and devastation wherever they go, is already in production at Amazon Studios.
“Superplastic’s universe of synthetic celebrities have earned a cult following in every medium they’ve touched,” said Superplastic founder and CEO Paul Budnitz. “The new collaboration partnership with Amazon Studios reaches a massive audience and provides a new playground for us to wreak havoc worldwide.”
The two companies have inked a first-look agreement to work on the development of more series and films featuring other characters in the Superplastic universe.
“We see them as a new class of IP that is going to be increasingly relevant with younger generations,” said Paul Bernard, director of Amazon’s Alexa Fund.
To date, Superplastic has produced more than 25,000 NFTs in a variety of collections, including a PFP collection, which generated $3.2 million in total volume traded, and a collaboration with Gucci, which generated over $10 million in total volume. The Cryptojankyz NFT collection, launched in July 2021, has amassed almost $15.2 million in total volume traded.
