The Korean startup LENGED, operator of the virtual avatar mobile video editing tool ‘Chelly,’ has secured investment from TheVentures. Chelly allows users to easily create 3D short-form and video content using virtual avatars. The app, developed by LENGED—a company founded by LENGE, a pioneering metaverse influencer with 640,000 followers—achieved 100,000 downloads within 50 days of its alpha release. Notably, 90% of these users are international, predominantly from the US.

Traditionally, creating virtual avatar content has been complex, requiring high-spec computers that can run at least four intricate programs and necessitating a minimum of three weeks of training. The process involves several steps, including animation file conversion, avatar application, camera operation in a 3D engine, and setting up a 3D environment, all of which can take up to three days even for professional creators.

Chelly simplifies this process by replacing four desktop-based programs with a single mobile app that allows easy and quick creation of avatar-focused videos. Users can apply animations, move the camera, adjust lighting, and edit videos using simple clicks and touch gestures, without the need for extensive training. The user-friendly app reduces the average production time to just 10 minutes. In a demo test among ZEPETO creators last year, over 68% of participants were able to produce a 3D video within 20 minutes on their first try.

Cheolwoo Kim, CEO of TheVentures, commented on the investment, stating, “The digital avatar market, valued at approximately KRW 10.477 trillion in 2022, is poised for explosive growth. With the strong community influence of virtual influencers, the technical prowess demonstrated by co-founders in the ZEPETO world, and a robust pool of virtual creators, LENGED is ideally positioned to lead this sector.”

Jiyoon Kim, CEO of LENGED, remarked, “While there are numerous solutions for creating 3D avatars and converting physical items into 3D, Chelly stands alone in enabling the creation of short-form and challenge videos using these avatars. We plan to expand our influence from virtual avatar video editing to encompass the entertainment, VTuber, animation, and gaming industries.”