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Fundraising
| Round | Amount | Valuation | Date | Source | Investor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | $ 30M | -- | Sep 22, 2022 | -- | -- |
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About Azuki
In January 2022, Azuki Genesis, a collection of 10,000 PFP NFTs, sold out within minutes and quickly became a leading NFT project, with cumulative trading volume exceeding $1.15 billion.
In May 2022, the founder publicly admitted to abandoning past projects, triggering a trust crisis, but subsequently devoted himself fully to Azuki's long-term development.
In June 2023, the Elementals launch sparked controversy, after which the team pivoted toward anime production, beginning a brand evolution.
In March 2024, Azuki announced a partnership with Arbitrum to build AnimeChain; in September, it acquired the Anime.com domain to develop a Web3 anime platform.
In January 2025, the ANIME token was launched with 37.5% airdropped to the Azuki community, while Anime.com beta went live to onboard Web2 anime fans.
In July 2025, Studio Azuki was established in the U.S. with COMISMA and Xenotoon, advancing global original IP production and distribution.
Key developments over the past six months (2026-03-04 to 2026-09-04):
Azuki TCG launched its debut set "Gates Awakened" (AZK-01) in April 2026, surpassing $1 million in direct presales and announcing a $100,000 tournament prize pool for organized play, signaling a strong entry into the physical trading card market.
In June 2026, Azuki unveiled an original manga series titled "AZUKI," written and illustrated by Arnold Tsang (former Overwatch character art director). The first chapter premiered at Anime Expo 2026 and became freely available on Azuki.com starting in September, with monthly releases planned.
Studio Azuki (the anime production joint venture with COMISMA and Xenotoon) established its standalone online presence in early 2026, and announced a strategic partnership with Westbrook Inc. (founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith). The studio also released its first 3DCG short "Catch of the Day" in January.
Future focus and roadmap as officially communicated: Azuki aims to build a cross-media entertainment universe centered on its original IP, integrating manga, TCG, anime, and blockchain technology. The company plans to expand the Azuki TCG with competitive play and collector experiences, grow the manga series into a long-running narrative, and leverage AnimeChain (its Layer 3 blockchain) and the Anime.com platform to connect with a global fanbase. The overarching strategy is to create a community-owned, creator-centric anime brand that spans physical and digital mediums, with upcoming original anime titles and story-driven content.
Azuki's core team includes founder Alex Xu (Zagabond), who previously worked at Google, Amazon, and 0x, and publicly disclosed his early NFT projects (CryptoPhunks, Tendies, CryptoZunks) with community handovers. Co-founders: Steamboy (artist), Hoshiboy (designer, Y Combinator alum), 2PMFLOW (engineer, ex-Google/Y Combinator), and location tba (engineer, ex-Facebook). Steve Chung serves as COO. The team builds the Azuki IP ecosystem, including the anime.com platform and Azuki TCG.
Azuki has recently seen a major team change: Chief Operating Officer (COO) Steve Chung departed in April 2026. Chung joined Azuki in June 2024 as its first COO, previously holding executive roles at media giants such as Fox and CJ ENM, with extensive experience in Hollywood, Korean entertainment, and Silicon Valley. During his tenure, he led Azuki's strategic development, partnerships, and business expansion, and was involved in promoting projects like AnimeChain. After leaving, he has become CEO of crypto media company The Block. Azuki has not yet announced a successor.