The South Korean content company HOW3, known for creating “music character artists,” has announced that it has secured seed investment from WOW Partners. Founded in 2023 by composer Kwon Jun-su, also known as Rhythmking, HOW3 is currently developing a character of the same name, “HOW3.”

With the rise of the virtual artist industry, groups like PLAVE, ISEGYE IDOL, and StelLive continue to emerge. PLAVE has achieved significant commercial success, with its mini-album released this year selling over a million copies in its first week. Additionally, IRISÉ, which debuted in February, garnered attention even before its official launch by collaborating with KOLON Sports on a brand pop-up store in December of last year.

HOW3 is also working on the virtual character artist “HOW3,” along with an animated music video series called ‘Battle Seoul’, where the character takes center stage, as well as various music releases. ‘Battle Seoul’ is set to premiere this June, with the storyline for the series already developed for over a year. The company has also registered trademarks for 45 characters that will appear in the music videos.

Set against the backdrop of ‘Battle Seoul’, HOW3’s narrative resonates with young people in their teens and twenties who feel anxious about entering society. It delivers messages of self-reliance and resilience, portraying a world where music becomes a force to challenge and break through oppressive societal pressures.

HOW3’s founder, Kwon Jun-su, has demonstrated his diverse talents as a composer, winning a prize in the Billboard Songwriting Contest and becoming the first Asian winner in the electronic category of the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. He also contributed to the soundtrack of Tim Burton’s ‘Wednesday’ and produced songs for artists such as Block B, EvoL, and Bumkey, achieving a No. 1 ranking on Melon’s charts. After working as a music director at a mid-sized entertainment agency since 2016, Kwon recognized the potential of music character artists, leading him to establish HOW3 in 2023.

Expressing confidence in the project, Kwon stated, “Since our protagonist is a character artist rather than a human, we focused on the message and storytelling behind the music. To ensure consistency, we spent over a year developing the characters and crafting songs and lyrics that align with each storyline. As a result, we believe an engaging and compelling character artist will emerge.”

Following the release of its first music video and song in June, HOW3 plans to expand beyond Korea and into the U.S. market.