emole, which operates the short drama app “BUMP,” announced on the 28th that it has raised 850 million yen in Series A round through third-party allotment of shares and debt financing. Angel Bridge led this round, with participation from existing investors Chiba Dojo Fund, D4V, and Samurai Incubate, and new investors Dentsu Ventures, Hakuhodo DY Ventures, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS, and Aozora Corporate Investment. emole’s cumulative funding amount has reached 1.16 billion yen.
BUMP was released at the end of December 2022 as a usage-based billing short drama app. In about two years, the cumulative download count has exceeded 1.9 million, and the total number of plays on social media has exceeded 2.5 billion, gaining support from users, primarily Generation Z women.
Reference article: 3-minute smartphone drama hits; we asked about “BUMP’s” secret to creator returns / [MUGENLABO Café & Oshi Startup]
On BUMP, users can enjoy short dramas of 1 to 3 minutes per episode, like manga apps, through the passage of time or viewing advertisements. They can also watch dramas for 97 yen per episode. The app features a lineup of drama works covering diverse genres such as mystery, romance, and action. In addition to the main content, users can see behind-the-scenes of production, such as auditions and filming, and the app also offers functions to cut out favorite scenes and share them on social media, a playback bar that shows the excitement within the work, and viewer comment functions.
From March 2025, the app service and drama distribution began in 100 countries and regions worldwide. Focusing on the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan as key areas, short dramas currently distributed in Japanese have been translated into English, Korean, and Taiwanese, with 11 works initially distributed with subtitles and 5 works with dubbing.
The company is also advancing collaboration with local production companies and plans to distribute works produced in partnership with FLIM.CO.,LTD in South Korea in May 2025. Beyond just translating and distributing existing content, the company aims to produce and distribute content for viewers in each region by utilizing emole’s unique short drama production capabilities. The goal is to grow faster than in Japan and have overseas sales exceed domestic sales.
The funds raised will be used to expand the short drama production line, strengthen the organizational structure, and improve the app product. Additionally, the company will collaborate with new investors Dentsu Ventures, Hakuhodo DY Ventures, and SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS on business to expand the number and genres of content distributed.
via PR TIMES
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