[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] The competitive landscape in the virtual entertainment market is shifting from “how sophisticated the production is” to “what kind of IP is created and how long it can be sustained.” The fact that Accord Entertainment, which operates the virtual group MY:RAKL, has secured 2 billion won in investment is a prime example of this trend.

Accord Entertainment announced earlier this month that it had secured 2 billion won in Pre-Series A (Pre-A) funding. Smilegate, CNT Tech, and SM Culture Partners participated in this round.
It is noteworthy that investors from the entertainment and content sectors committed funds to a “virtual artist IP company”—rather than a mere technology firm. The investors cited Accord Entertainment’s proprietary IP growth potential, content planning and production capabilities, and scalability into the global K-pop market as key factors behind their investment.
As the virtual market grows, the industry’s center of gravity is shifting. While in the early stages, implementation technologies such as motion capture, graphics, and real-time rendering were key differentiators, the industry has now entered a phase where IP business capabilities—combining music, characters, world-building, live content, and fan communities to drive repeat consumption—are becoming increasingly important.
Accord Entertainment is also building this structure around its own virtual boy group, Miracle. The strategy goes beyond one-off character content to continuously supply music, a fictional universe, and original content, thereby expanding into a single artist IP.

The funds from this investment are scheduled to be allocated toward advancing virtual production systems, strengthening in-house IP, producing new content, expanding the global fanbase, and developing next-generation virtual projects. The company plans to expand its scope beyond music into various digital IP businesses in the future.
Choi Ji-yi, CEO of Accord Entertainment, stated, “The virtual content market is an industry where IP, ultimately, is the key competitive factor—more so than technology,” adding, “We will continuously enhance our proprietary IP and establish ourselves as a virtual entertainment company with global competitiveness.”
Miracle is a virtual boy group active under the concept of “idols starting over from their debut.” Through their monthly music project “Miracle The Series” (MY:RAKL THE SERIES), they are continuously expanding their music and universe, and on the 25th of last month, they released the digital single “Clumsy Navigation Log.”