Date: May 9, 2024 16:35
Posted by Joe
Manga tech startups Orange, Inc sent us details about their latest fundraising round. They have raised JPY 2.92 billion (approximately USD 19.5 million* ) in pre-series A funding.
The company bills itself as a manga localization technology company that uses deep learning models to translate manga. In the webcomic, they explain that having humans translate the majority of comics published in Japanese would not be cost-effective. As a result, they claim less than 2% of Japanese comics are translated.
They also say they will send skilled translators to polish the output, when in reality, for a translator, it is actually easier to translate directly than to rearrange machine-translated text. .
Machine translation has its role. It is frequently (and successfully) used to translate text with consistent context, such as manuals and technical documents. This text is often very dry but also very limited in scope with fixed and repetitive text. Once the human has corrected it, the machine model can use the preferred translation for that expression over and over again, which makes sense in the manual.
However, Manga is a creative endeavor and as a result the translations have a very wide range. Translators must be creative, who is speaking? What is their background? What mood are they in? What is the context of what they are saying? Is that a play on words? Are they talking officially? Do they have a regional accent? This and many other factors must be taken into account, words do not always have a 1-1 connection, because the context and purpose make translating manga an art form in itself.
We are reminded in an industry where companies are trying to reduce translation costs at the expense of translators' salaries, which can make it difficult for a freelancer to make money when companies ty is trying to race to the bottom.
We were thinking about whether you brought Otaku News Group 2.92 billion JPY, we will not publish as many manga as Orange Inc intended, but we will pay the translators, letters and other other production staff a worthy salary. So if any company wants to send us nearly $19.5 million for publishing then please get in touch. We have a list of manga we want to license and translate!
On a more serious note, we reached out to several professional translators to get their opinions on Orange Inc News and machine translation in general. We also asked them to do a little translation battle.
The whole story
The press release is as follows:
Manga Tech Startup Orange, Inc. Raised 2.9 billion yen ($19.5 million) in pre-Series A funding round
The entertainment technology company accelerates its mission: “Create a world where everyone loves manga.”
Tokyo, May 6, 2024-Orange, Inc., a manga localization technology company, today announced the raising of 2.92 billion JPY (approximately 19.5 million USD*) in financing. Series A advance grant.
*Exchange rate: 1 USD=150 JPY
[Truyện tranh đặc biệt”Let’s Go! Mr.Orange”】
Để xem đầy đủ: https://orange.inc/special
Vòng tài trợ được dẫn dắt bởi Shogakukan, Globis Capital Partners, ANRI, SBI Investment, JIC Venture Development Investments, Miyako Capital, Chiba Dojo Fund, Mizuho Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital và GFR Fund.
Quỹ này sẽ được sử dụng để phát triển sản phẩm bản địa hóa dựa trên về các mô hình deep learning và ra mắt cửa hàng manga kỹ thuật số vào mùa hè năm 2024
Giới thiệu về ngành Manga toàn cầu
Orange là một công ty khởi nghiệp về công nghệ giải trí đến từ Nhật Bản chuyên về manga ngành công nghiệp. Công ty tận dụng công nghệ học sâu để giải quyết các cơ hội thị trường toàn cầu quan trọng và những thách thức phát triển mang tính lịch sử trong hoạt động sản xuất truyền thống của loại hình nghệ thuật Nhật Bản.
Thị trường manga toàn cầu đã cho thấy sự tăng trưởng đáng kể, với tốc độ tăng trưởng kép hàng năm ( CAGR) là 10% và dự kiến sẽ đạt thị trường 42,2 tỷ USD vào năm 2030 (báo cáo Manga Market 2023 của Grand View Research, Inc.). Ngành giải trí truyền thống này ở Nhật Bản đã phát triển thành một ngành sở hữu trí tuệ toàn cầu, phản ánh lượng khán giả ngày càng tăng đối với manga và các ngành lân cận, chẳng hạn như anime.
Tuy nhiên, chỉ một phần nhỏ tác phẩm—theo nghiên cứu của Orange, là khoảng 2 % manga phát hành hàng năm ở Nhật Bản đã được dịch chính thức và có sẵn bằng tiếng Anh, một phần do quá trình dịch thuật khó khăn và kéo dài cũng như số lượng người dịch hạn chế. Thị trường manga vi phạm bản quyền toàn cầu đạt 5,5 tỷ USD vào năm 2022 [Hiệp hội phân phối nội dung ở nước ngoài]which significantly harms the industry and the rights of amazing creators and artists.
Orange challenges
Orange is solving these problems by developing innovative technologies that enhance localization and enable simultaneous distribution of manga around the world, working closely with a number of publishers.
Orange has been developing a localization system specifically for manga since it was founded. It delivers significant efficiency in manga localization by integrating advanced computer vision and natural language processing technologies developed by a team of leading deep learning engineers.
Their proprietary system uses a localization operation, allowing Japanese to English localization capacity of up to 500 manga volumes per month. This number is five times the current production capacity of the entire localized market, according to Orange estimates. Orange will also work to localize the manga into other languages, ensuring that manga fans around the world can enjoy the manga in their native languages.
In the summer of 2024, the company will also launch a digital comic store called “emaqi” in the US. “emaqi” will include titles localized by Orange. It will offer recommendations suggested by AI technology and manga influencers to bring new and exciting experiences to all manga fans in the United States.
Goals and vision
“Since our founding in 2021, our vision has been to share 'all manga'-the manga that touches us and that we love so much-in all languages across the world. demand,” said Shoko Ugaki, Founder and CEO. “Manga covers a wide and diverse range of topics. Our goal is to promote a global society where manga is an everyday joy for everyone, from children to adults.”
For more information, please visit our website or contact our press team.
Website: https://orange.inc
About Orange Inc.
Founded in 2021, Orange, Inc. has focused on the mission of “creating a world where everyone loves manga” by developing manga localization technology for mass localized publishing. We aim to enhance the lives of every manga fan, regardless of nationality, age or gender, through providing diverse and unique manga. We strive to pass on the joy of manga to future generations.
Source: Orange Inc