WEBTOON Entertainment Partners With Genies to Expand Character-Driven Fan Experiences With Digital Avatars

Key Terms

ai avatar technology technical

AI avatar technology creates digital characters that can speak, move and respond like real people by using artificial intelligence to process voice, text and visuals. Investors care because these avatars can become new ways to sell products, reduce customer-service costs, and boost engagement—like hiring a virtual salesperson or spokesperson that works around the clock—while also carrying risks around privacy, content control and evolving regulation that can affect revenue and liabilities.

digital avatars technical

Digital avatars are computer-generated or animated representations of people or characters used in online platforms, virtual worlds, customer service, marketing, and social interactions — think of them as a virtual salesperson or online persona. They matter to investors because they can drive new revenue (virtual goods, subscriptions, advertising), increase user engagement and brand reach, and create cost efficiencies, while also exposing companies to privacy, content and intellectual-property risks that can affect future returns.

interactive digital identity technical

A digital identity that not only proves who a person or business is online but also actively interacts with services — sharing permissions, personal preferences, transaction history and real-time signals to enable personalized experiences and secure transactions. Think of it as a smart, permissioned digital passport that can talk to apps and platforms to speed signup, prevent fraud and tailor offers. Investors watch this because stronger, privacy-respecting identities can reduce costs, unlock new revenue from personalized services, and change regulatory and security risk profiles for companies.

3d avatars technical

Three-dimensional avatars are lifelike digital representations of people or characters that can move, speak and be viewed from any angle in virtual spaces, games or augmented/virtual reality environments. For investors, they matter because they can boost user engagement, enable new revenue streams (such as virtual goods, subscriptions, or branded experiences), and reduce costs for services like customer support or remote collaboration—similar to how a more engaging storefront can attract and convert more customers.

digital collectibles technical

Unique digital items—such as artwork, trading cards, or virtual goods—stored and traded online. Think of them like a baseball card or limited-edition print that exists only on a screen; ownership is recorded so a buyer can prove they hold the original. Investors watch digital collectibles because they can create new revenue streams, speculative price swings, and liquidity opportunities, but they also carry risks from market hype, platform dependence, and unclear regulation.

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The companies will develop new opt-in tools enabling creators to turn their characters into interactive digital avatars, creating new digital experiences and a future monetization stream for creators

The partnership gives fans new ways to actively engage with the stories and characters they love

Kicking off with hit titles ‘The Greatest Estate Developer’, ‘The Knight Only Lives Today’ and ‘My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me,’ WEBTOON will later scale the opt-in feature to creators around the world

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN), a global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced a strategic partnership with Genies, the AI avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity, to develop character-driven chat and digital experiences.

Through the collaboration, participating creators will be able to extend their characters into interactive 3D formats using avatar and creator tools integrated into WEBTOON’s English platform. These experiences mark a new chapter for fans, who can now go beyond reading to chat and interact, uncover hidden lore by the Creators, and collect exclusive digital items, creating new ways to engage with the characters and story universes they love.

The partnership will kick off with a curated group of creator-approved flagship titles like The Greatest Estate Developer, The Knight Only Lives Today and My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me among others. Creators will work directly with WEBTOON and Genies to reimagine customizable 3D avatars that reflect their distinct artistic style and each character’s unique personality. Powered by Genies’ AI visual and embodiment layer tools, characters will come to life, expanding beyond the webcomic in ways that complement storytelling and express each creator’s artistic vision, while laying the foundation for future monetization opportunities.

This partnership is built to scale across WEBTOON's vast and continuously growing universe of creator-owned characters and franchises, making immersive fan experiences accessible across the full breadth of content on the platform. Genies' avatar creation tools and style adaptation capabilities are uniquely positioned to support that ambition, with the flexibility to honor the distinct artistic vision of each series. Whether a title is gritty and dark or lighthearted and stylized, the resulting avatar reflects the creative integrity that makes each WEBTOON series unique.

Through Genies' technology suite, the companies will also introduce interactive digital collectibles, designed to create new immersive opportunities for fans. The initial rollout will allow users to interact with their favorite characters for an experience that is personal and progressive: as fans read deeper into a series, they unlock collectible items, access expanded Creator-developed backstories via chat, and exclusive lore that rewards fans with a window into their favorite creator’s expanded universe. For WEBTOON's most passionate fans, it means the story doesn't end when the episode does.

“Creators are the foundation of everything we do at WEBTOON,” said Yongsoo Kim, President at WEBTOON Entertainment. “This partnership introduces new ways to extend their worlds beyond the page. For fans, it transforms how they experience the stories they love, with immersive new digital experiences that offer more of their favorite worlds and characters. Our approach is deliberately creator-first: participation is opt-in, and every character experience is built to reflect the integrity of the original work.”

“WEBTOON has built one of the most creator-driven communities in digital entertainment, where artists and storytellers shape worlds that fans deeply connect with," said Akash Nigam, CEO and Founder of Genies. “We’re excited to collaborate on tools that help WEBTOON creators expand how fans experience their stories, turning characters they love into interactive digital experiences while preserving creative authenticity.”

Genies recently announced collaborations with MLB Players Inc, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), King Records, and Sanrio.

As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has redefined digital storytelling and continues to evolve how creators can reach global audiences. By combining WEBTOON’s scale and creator community with Genies’ technology, the collaboration extends character-driven storytelling, giving Creators a new way to expand their franchises and offering fans a richer, more immersive way to live inside the stories that define their fandom.

Fans will be able to check out digital avatars starting this summer. Full details of product features and timing are in development. Further details will be shared in the coming months.

About WEBTOON Entertainment

WEBTOON Entertainment is a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world's largest storytelling platforms. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON Entertainment has transformed comics and visual storytelling for fans and creators.

With its CANVAS UGC platform empowering anyone to become a creator, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators and series, WEBTOON Entertainment’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. WEBTOON Entertainment adaptations are available on Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and other screens around the world, and the company’s content partners have included Warner Bros. Animation, Discord, HYBE, and Duolingo, among many others.

With approximately 160 million monthly active users, WEBTOON Entertainment’s IP & Creator Ecosystem of aligned brands and platforms include WEBTOON, Wattpad--the world’s leading webnovel platform--WEBTOON Productions, Studio N, Studio LICO, WEBTOON Unscrolled, LINE MANGA, and eBookJapan, among others.

About Genies

Genies is an AI avatar technology company powering the visual and embodiment layer for AI. Through the Genies SDK, their proprietary avatar framework brings AI to life as fully realized AI personas that look, think, behave, and play like living identities. Genies powers AI companion, NPC, and agent use cases across enterprise, consumer, creator, entertainment, and gaming. Genies has raised $200M from Silver Lake, BOND, and Bob Iger. Genies is built on the belief that every website, app, game, brand, and human will have an AI persona.

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Patrick Henkel
patrick.henkel@webtoon.com

Source: WEBTOON Entertainment Inc.