Animoca Brands forges alliance with Cool Cats to boost presence in Japan
Animoca Brands Japan, together with San FranTokyo, has forged a strategic partnership with Cool Cats, the globally recognized NFT collection. The collaboration is a melding of cultures, ideas, and visions with the goal of expanding both global and local audiences, indicating a significant shift in the landscape of intellectual property development in Japan.
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Animoca Brands Japan invests in Cool Cats
Animoca Brands Japan, a subsidiary of the global blockchain innovator Animoca Brands, and San FranTokyo, a metaverse development studio, have embarked on a strategic investment and partnership to fuel the expansion of Cool Cats into the coveted Japanese anime market.
The partnership is marked by Animoca Brands Japan’s acquisition of equity in Cool Cats Group LLC, while San FranTokyo has shown its commitment by purchasing NFTs from all three Cool Cats collections on the secondary market.
The shared vision of Animoca Brands Japan, San FranTokyo, and Cool Cats paves the way for a dynamic integration of ideas that spans different cultures. Daisuke Iwase, CEO of Animoca Brands Japan, shared:
“This partnership is more than just about business growth. We are eager to unlock more opportunities for the Cool Cats IP to flourish.”
Placing community first
Animoca Brands Japan and San FranTokyo will also play a pivotal role in introducing Cool Cats to Japan’s leading entertainment and intellectual property organizations, fostering new alliances. Clon, the founder of Cool Cats, emphasized the inclusivity at the core of their ethos:
“Community is in everything Cool Cats represents, so we want to be inclusive and welcoming to new fans all around the world,”
A new wave of Web3 products & experiences
With an eye on the future, the two companies aim to co-develop Cool Cats-themed Web3 products and experiences. This partnership extends Cool Cats’ reach, leveraging Animoca Brands Japan’s deep market insight and San FranTokyo’s extensive network in the anime and manga industry.
The partnership also looks toward pursuing diverse initiatives from traditional merchandising to creating Vtuber content featuring Cool Cats. San FranTokyo teases future prospects, including integrating the Cool Cats IP narrative into the city of San FranTokyo with initiatives like interactive efigurine drops and aligning marketing efforts with iconic Japanese IPs.
David Taing, the co-founder of San FranTokyo, shared:
“We’re converging worlds, styles, ideas, industries, and technology. Our unwavering commitment to Japanese and Web3 IP will carve out new avenues for collaboration within Web3.”
Cool Cats anime
There are plans to create partnerships with Japanese anime and manga studios to tailor Cool Cats’ presence to the Japanese consumer base. A Cool Cats manga one-shot, also known as a yomikiri, will be produced, blending Cool Cats with the rich heritage of Japanese manga, to be penned and illustrated by a native manga artist.
As part of the deal, San FranTokyo acquired 37 Cool Cats, 15 Shadow Wolves, and 15 SideKXs for their treasury. This ensures that the storytelling around Cool Cats’ main characters — Blue, Chugs, Ardi, and Jo — remains true to its origins while paving the way for expansion and integration into various channels within Japan.
The strategic collaboration thus marks a promising horizon for Cool Cats as it adapts and grows within the vibrant cultural landscape of Japan.
