AI Startup Morphic to Produce Anime Series ‘DQN,’ Launches $1 Million Creator Fund for Emerging Filmmakers (EXCLUSIVE)

AI tech developer and production studio Morphic is producing its first episodic anime series, “DQN,” from creator Kushagra Kushwaha, in partnership with Kushwaha’s Tokyo-based studio 4861. Additionally, the company is committing $1 million to a creators fund that will back emerging filmmakers with an aim of making live-action and animated features, shorts, games, comics and manga.

Kushwaha is an anime creator originally from India, and now based in Tokyo, whose credits include Netflix’s “JoJo’s Stone Ocean” and Amazon, Apple, Roku and Crunchyroll’s “Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest.” His “DQN” is set in a cyberpunk world ruled by decentralized networks and AI intelligence. It tells the story of 12 strangers locked in a race to uncover the secrets of a hidden vault that could “rewrite the rules of power.”

“Kush is an exceptionally gifted filmmaker with an incredibly deep understanding of anime as an art form and I couldn’t be more proud to make ‘DQN’ our first anime series,” said Jaynti Kanani, former CEO and founder of blockchain company Polygon, who launched Morphic in 2024 with bases in San Jose, New York, Dubai and Bangalore. “Morphic is committed to putting state-of-the-art tech in the hands of the world’s most talented filmmakers and we’re excited to launch our first creator’s fund to invite even more talented storytellers onto our platform. ”

Added Kushwaha, “I’m passionate about using cutting-edge tech to bring this form of storytelling to the widest possible global audience. I’m thrilled to be working with JD and the Morphic team, who are using AI to democratize this genre, accelerate its speed to market and help a new generation of artists fulfill their most ambitious creative ideas.”