Creative Labs, a Canada-based digital studio launched by talent manager Creative Artists Agency (CAA), has secured $5m from Dream Link Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japan-headquartered television broadcaster Asahi Broadcasting Group.
Dream Link will provide the funding over the next two financial quarters. The $2.7m first tranche was supplied last month through venture capital firm Pegasus Tech Ventures.
CAA launched Creative Labs in 2017 with $12.5m from investors including media companies Forbes Media and Telegraph Media Group, entertainment distributor Entertainment One, Boatrocker Ventures, Real Ventures, Seedcamp Ventures and various angel investors.
Creative Labs is an incubator for media technology startups influenced by untapped popular culture and entertainment trends. It has supported the launch of brands in partnership with personalities such as US president-elect Joe Biden, NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns, and chef Gordon Ramsay.
As part of the new deal, Dream Link will spearhead the launch of Creative Labs Japan in partnership with Creative Labs’ leadership team, with the aim of developing business concepts for the Japanese market as well as bringing domestic products overseas.