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Novel Vtuber App IRIAM Launches in the US
TOKYO, JAPAN – November 18, 2024 – DeNA Co, Ltd.’s subsidiary IRIAM Inc. began providing the novel Vtuber app IRIAM in the US on November 15 (US time).
IRIAM is a service designed for smartphones that allows users to easily enjoy live communication using animated characters. The service first launched in Japan in October 2018, and has achieved 3.91 million cumulative downloads as well as 7.8 billion yen in annual revenue as of September 30, 2024. For the US service launch, official Founding Streamers will stream with Live2D® models in collaboration with the IRIAM team to build up the service and foster culture. Our streaming technology is nearly lagless, and enables us to provide a highly real-time interactive stream.
The Vtuber market has been growing around the world in recent years. According to the QYResearch market research report “Vtuber (Virtual YouTuber) - Global Market Report 2023-2029,”* the global Vtuber market size is forecasted to reach 4.044 billion USD (approx. 606.0 billion JPY at a 150 JPY to 1 USD conversion rate) in revenue. Over half of the top 20 on the global YouTube Super Chatted ranking are Vtubers.**
For IRIAM, global launch is a part of our long term strategy. The Vtuber market is expanding, and we will continue our focus on careful operations with an emphasis on building the service in cooperation with the community. We will start by bringing our IRIAM “experience connecting hearts” to the US, and deliver the optimal service for the US IRIAM community.
Comment from Shinya Masuda, Representative Director, IRIAM Inc.
IRIAM has now operated in Japan for 6 years, since our launch in October 2018. We serve as a place for people to express their true selves through animated characters, and we have grown steadily with support from the many Vtubers, streamers, and viewers who enjoy our service. Since the beginning our team has wanted to share our unique approach and this experience with people around the world, and as a first step we have been working on this US launch. Japanese content, such as games and anime, have seen a rapid rise in popularity around the world, and in the US Vtubers are also rapidly gaining traction both in general awareness and market growth. I am confident that IRIAM, a service specially designed for mobile, will be a wonderful new Vtuber experience connecting hearts that is enjoyed by US users. We hope that you will keep an eye on IRIAM in the US.
*https://www.giiresearch.com/report/qyr1559192-vtuber-virtual-youtuber-global-market-share.html
**Source: PLAYBOARD 2015 - 2024 full year results
■ About IRIAM
IRIAM Inc. operates the smartphone app IRIAM. IRIAM is an interactive Vtuber platform. It's designed exclusively for watching and interacting with Vtubers' live streams on mobile devices. It’s also easy to communicate with viewers through their comments and gifts, making it feel like you’re sitting right next to them over the bridge of the smartphone. At IRIAM, our mission is to “cast magic to connect hearts,” and we provide an experience where individuals can experience new connections and possibilities by becoming a character. Since our launch in October 2018 we have accumulated 3.91 million downloads. We also received the Japan’s Best Virtual Live Streaming App Award at the “Sensor Tower APAC Awards 2022.”
https://us.iriam.com/
IRIAM is available in English and Japanese for compatible iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded at the links below:
- App Store (iOS): https://app.iriam.com/Ikps/xhgxc5dt
- Google Play (Android): https://app.iriam.com/Ikps/s2qi7r7c
■ About DeNA
At DeNA (pronounced "D-N-A") we engage in a variety of businesses, from games and live communities to sports & the community and healthcare & medical, under our mission to delight people beyond their wildest dreams. Since our founding, DeNA has produced many businesses leveraging our passionate and enterprising employees and our technological capabilities. We develop and operate high value add services that capture customer needs through our usage of AI technology and our unique data analysis methods to maximize business value and solve problems. DeNA Co., Ltd. is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2432). For more information, visit: dena.com/intl/.
