Emmy-Winning Baobab Studios Lands Naver Ventures Investment, Sets ‘Shine’ as Flagship Title (EXCLUSIVE)
Baobab Studios has received a seven-figure strategic investment from Naver Ventures, valuing the Emmy-winning animation company above its previous funding round. The deal matters because it aims to help Baobab create entertainment franchises that can move between Asian and North American audiences, spanning comics, animation, film, television and games.
Its first project under the partnership is “Shine”, a fantasy adventure about a half-human girl seeking to restore balance between human and spirit worlds in a futuristic Korea. Co-created by filmmaker Erick Oh and webtoon author Madeleine Rosca, it will launch as a Webtoon digital comic and a First Second print graphic novel, while Baobab retains screen and gaming rights; Webtoon says 75% of its monthly active readers are Gen Z.
In short
- Baobab gains seven-figure Naver Ventures investment.
- “Shine” launches as Webtoon and graphic novel.
- Partnership targets global Gen Z entertainment franchises.
Explained simply
Baobab Studios is an animation company known for work that has won Emmy Awards, US television honours. Naver Ventures is the investment arm of South Korean internet company Naver, which also operates Webtoon, a platform for reading digital comics.
The partnership reflects an effort to develop stories for audiences in Asia and North America across different forms of entertainment. Its first project, “Shine”, is a fantasy set in a future version of Korea, following a girl with human and spirit ancestry as she tries to restore balance between the two worlds.
“Shine” is being developed as both a Webtoon digital comic and a printed graphic novel. Baobab holds the rights to adapt it for screen and games, giving the story potential to reach readers and viewers through several formats.