How much funding has HOLYWATER TECH raised?

HOLYWATER TECH has raised $22M in total funding. Their latest funding round was Series A. Key investors include Horizon Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, Wheelhouse, FOX Entertainment.

What does HOLYWATER TECH do?

HOLYWATER TECH operates in the Generative Media (Image / Video) sector. Ukraine-born AI-first entertainment tech company building a mobile-first "Netflix for vertical series" (microdramas) with AI-assisted content creation, reaching 85M+ users worldwide. Builds "Hollywood 2.0" by pairing creators' imagination with AI efficiency to produce and distribute vertical short-form series (microdramas), books, and AI-generated content at scale, delivered through a mobile-first streaming model.

When was HOLYWATER TECH founded?

HOLYWATER TECH was founded in 2020. It is based in Kyiv, Ukraine (HQ; offices in Lisbon, Portugal and Los Angeles, USA).

How much funding has HOLYWATER TECH raised?

HOLYWATER TECH has raised $22M in total funding. Key investors include Horizon Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, Wheelhouse, FOX Entertainment.

Who is the CEO of HOLYWATER TECH?

Bogdan Nesvit (co-CEO) & Anatolii Kasianov (co-CEO) is the CEO of HOLYWATER TECH. The company was founded in 2020.

Where is HOLYWATER TECH located?

HOLYWATER TECH is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine (HQ; offices in Lisbon, Portugal and Los Angeles, USA).

What funding stage is HOLYWATER TECH at?

HOLYWATER TECH is currently at the Growth Stage stage.

How many employees does HOLYWATER TECH have?

HOLYWATER TECH has approximately 101-500 employees.

HOLYWATER TECH

Category: Generative Media (Image / Video)

Ukraine-born AI-first entertainment tech company building a mobile-first "Netflix for vertical series" (microdramas) with AI-assisted content creation, reaching 85M+ users worldwide. HOLYWATER TECH was founded in 2020. The company is led by Bogdan Nesvit (co-CEO) & Anatolii Kasianov (co-CEO). Based in Kyiv, Ukraine (HQ; offices in Lisbon, Portugal and Los Angeles, USA). Team size: 101-500. Total funding raised: $22M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include Horizon Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, Wheelhouse, FOX Entertainment.

Founded: 2020
Headquarters: Kyiv, Ukraine (HQ; offices in Lisbon, Portugal and Los Angeles, USA)
Team size: 101-500
Total funding: $22M

Value proposition

Builds "Hollywood 2.0" by pairing creators' imagination with AI efficiency to produce and distribute vertical short-form series (microdramas), books, and AI-generated content at scale, delivered through a mobile-first streaming model.

Products and solutions

My Drama (flagship #1 vertical streaming platform among US/European players), FreeBits (ad-supported vertical series app), My Passion (#1 independent digital book publishing platform among non-Chinese companies), My Muse (platform for vertical series produced with generative AI support).

Unique value

Leading Western player in the microdrama/vertical-series segment, using a systematic data-driven user engagement model and AI-assisted content production to scale rapidly with high retention, positioning itself as an alternative to Netflix/HBO/Hollywood.

Target customer

Global mobile consumers of short-form vertical video content (microdramas), book readers, and viewers of AI-generated series; primarily US and European audiences.

Industries served

Entertainment / Media streaming, Digital publishing, AI-generated content (comics, anime, microdramas)

Technology advantage

AI-first content production pipeline (generative AI for series, comics, anime, and audiobooks via My Muse), AI-powered personalization for user engagement, and a data-driven IP creation/testing/distribution infrastructure. Acquired AI-assisted VFX company Jeynix (facial animation, face replacement, de-aging, lip-sync) in 2026.

How they differentiate

Differentiates as the leading Western (non-Asian) microdrama player with Hollywood production values, AI-assisted content creation, and a data-driven engagement model — versus Asian-origin competitors like DramaBox and ReelShort that dominate the non-China market in in-app revenue.

Main competitors

DramaBox, ReelShort, MicroCo, GammaTime, AppReel, Tattle TV

Key partnerships

FOX Entertainment (strategic partnership + equity stake, Oct 2025, co-producing hundreds of vertical series), AMO Pictures (70+ new series, Nov 2025), Elefantec Global (Spanish-language vertical streaming pipeline), Second Rodeo (musical microdrama "Playback"), Owl & Co (industry report on vertical series audience).

Major milestones

Founded 2020 in Kyiv from Genesis ecosystem ($100K seed, team of 7), scaled to 85M+ users and ~$90M ARR, My Drama named Best Streaming Service of 2025, FOX Entertainment strategic partnership + equity stake (Oct 2025), $22M Series A led by Horizon Capital (Jan 2026), acquired AI-assisted VFX company Jeynix (2026).

Growth metrics

85M+ users worldwide across platforms; ~$90M annual revenue (ARR) achieved in 4 years; recognized as one of Europe's fastest-growing companies in 2025.

Market positioning

Category leader among Western players in the microdrama market (an $8-11 billion global vertical video market), with the largest confirmed funding round in the microdrama sector outside Asia.

Geographic focus

US and Europe (expanding from Ukraine-born base); competing against Asian microdrama platforms in the Western market.

About Bogdan Nesvit (co-CEO) & Anatolii Kasianov (co-CEO)

Bogdan Nesvit: Co-founder & co-CEO of HOLYWATER TECH; emerged from the Genesis ecosystem; UCL education; based in Los Angeles. Anatolii Kasianov: Co-founder & co-CEO (born 27 Oct 1995, Ukraine); software developer; co-founded HOLYWATER at age 24 as a university dropout; based in Portugal.

More Generative Media (Image / Video) companies

Official website: https://www.holywater.tech/