Interest
VShojo Releases Statement Following Talent Exodus
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
Ignacio's full statement reads:
VShojo has failed, and I've mismanaged the company into the situation you're all witnessing. So today I am sharing the difficult news that VShojo is shutting down, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this point. I've been doing everything I can to fundraise and right the ship these past few months, but despite my efforts, we are in a worse position, and those I care about are now paying the price. Over the past few years, we raised around $11 million to pursue a bold, talent-first approach in Tubing, prioritizing creators and community over short-term profits, to achieve long-term sustainability. Our funding went directly to our creators through generous splits, debut investments, infrastructure, concerts, events, and staffing, all designed to support them. We also wanted talent to own their IP, which we knew was a unique creator-first approach for an agency. However, despite all our efforts, the business failed to generate the revenue we needed to sustain that model, and eventually, we ran out of money. Additionally, I acknowledge that some of the money spent by the company was raised in connection with talent activity, which I later learned was intended for a charitable initiative. At the time, we were working hard to raise additional investment capital to cover our costs, and I firmly believed, based on the information available to us, that we would be able to do so and cover all expenses. We were unsuccessful in our fundraising efforts. I made the decision to pursue funding, and I own its consequences. I am deeply sorry to all the talents, staff, friends, and community members who believed in our brand. You did not deserve this. - Justin (Gunrun)
Ignacio's comments come days after former VShojo talent Ironmouse made a public announcement that she was leaving the agency. In her statement, Ironmouse alleged VShojo has not paid US$515,000 in charitable donations she raised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation. Following the announcement, all but one VShojo talent announced their departure from the agency.
Soon after Ignacio's statement, the final VTuber signed to VShojo, Apricot the Lich, announced on her X (formerly Twitter) account that she was leaving the agency as well. The VTuber states, "As a day 1 talent it's truly heartbreaking that it has come to this. I had the opportunity to achieve so much in the last 4-5 years. I'm really anxious about becoming Indie but I'm going to continue doing what I set out to do and make fun things." In a follow up statement Apricot the Lich said, "I didn't even get a chance to finish my termination process before the company claimed to shut down publicly."
Sources: VShojo's X/Twitter account, Apricot the Lich's X/Twitter account (link 2), VShojo
