Morphic Launches AI Anime ‘DQN’ & $1 Million AI Filmmaker Fund

Silicon Valley outfit Morphic, Inc. is producing its first AI-powered episodic anime series, DQN, from Kushagra Kushwaha (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Danmachi), in partnership with Kushwaha’s Tokyo-based studio 4861. Morphic produces AI products and technology as well as films, series and other types of content with the mission of making visual storytelling “accessible, efficient and affordable for everyone.”

DQN is set in a cyberpunk world ruled by decentralized networks and AI intelligence, and tells the story of 12 strangers locked in a race to uncover the secrets of a hidden vault that could rewrite the rules of power. (Watch the trailer below.)

Kushwaha is a rising anime creator originally from India, and now based in Tokyo, who’s worked on a number of globally acclaimed anime series and films such as JoJo’s Stone Ocean (Netflix), Vinland Saga (Netflix), Lycoris Recoil (Amazon, Crunchyroll) and Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest (Amazon, Apple, Roku, Crunchyroll).

“Kush is an exceptionally gifted filmmaker with an incredibly deep understanding of anime as an art form and I couldn’t be more proud to make DQN our first anime series,” said Morphic founder Jaynti Kanani (former CEO/Founder of blockchain company Polygon). “Morphic is committed to putting state-of-the-art tech in the hands of the world’s most talented filmmakers and we’re excited to launch our first Creator’s Fund to invite even more talented storytellers onto our platform.”

Kushwaha commented, “As an anime artist from India now working in the heart of the anime industry in Tokyo, I’m passionate about using cutting-edge tech to bring this form of storytelling to the widest possible global audience. I’m thrilled to be working with JD and the Morphic team, who are using AI to democratize this genre, accelerate its speed to market and help a new generation of artists fulfill their most ambitious creative ideas.”

Morphic is also committing $1 million to a Creators Fund that will back animators, filmmakers, game developers, designers and other creators bringing original stories to life across full-length features, animated films, games, short films, motion comics, comics and manga. The Morphic Creators Fund will support bold ideas, give space to unheard voices, and fuel the stories that shape culture and move the world.

Morphic says it already has tens of thousands of users and dozens of enterprise companies using its platform, from studios to indie filmmakers, gamers and content creators. The company spans offices in San Jose, New York, Dubai and Bangalore, employing developers and engineers from all over the world.

morphic.com