Graphic India, a digital graphic storytelling startup, has secured around Rs. 32 crore ($5 million) in its new funding round from investors at its parent Liquid Comics, and other investors, including Start Media, 3One4 Capital, Backflip Studios’s co-founder Julian Farrior, and Zodius Capital‘s founder Neeraj Bhargava.
With this funding, Graphic India will create and launch more characters into the international markets as well as expand beyond digital comics and animation. It will foray into original mobile content, live-action TV/Film and VR/AR.
Sharad Devarajan, co-founder & CEO of Graphic India, said,
In today’s media landscape, if the content is king, then the globally appealing multi-platform content is the god. India has the world’s largest youth population and its time it shared an equivalent portion of the annual multi-billion-dollar character entertainment industry. We believe the next JK Rowling, Steven Spielberg, Miyazaki or Stan Lee is here in this country, ready to transform the world with their stories.
The company’s mission is to create characters and stories that are uniquely Indian, but entertaining and inspiring to audiences around the world.
Graphic India was founded in 2012 by Sharad Devarajan, Suresh Seetharaman and Gotham Chopra. The startup is owned by U.S book company, Liquid Comics, CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC (TCG) and Start Media LLC.
It creates digital graphic characters and comics which represents India. The company says, “in the same way that America created superheroes and Japan created anime, Graphic India is tapping into the creativity of India to launch a new wave of enduring characters and mythic heroes to captivate the imaginations of youths in India and around the world.”