{"slug": "heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app", "title": "heyyyyAI raises $10.5 million from one investor for AI character app", "summary": "HeyyyyAI, an AI character app startup founded by A Thinking Ape co-founders Wilkins Chung and Kenshi Arasaki, has raised $10.5 million from a single investor. The funding provides the founders, who previously sold their game studio to Embracer, with capital to test whether AI characters can become a durable consumer entertainment business.", "body_md": "# heyyyyAI raises $10.5 million from one investor for AI character app\n\n**A Thinking Ape co-founders Wilkins Chung and Kenshi Arasaki are back in consumer apps after selling their game studio to Embracer.**\n\nBy [Ryan Merket](/author/ryan-merket)\n· Published\n\n## Why it matters\n\nThe financing gives two founders with a proven record in mobile-game monetization substantial capital to test whether AI characters can become a durable consumer entertainment business.\n\n## Reader comments\n\nConversation for this story loads after sign-in.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app", "canonical_source": "https://runtimewire.com/article/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-ai-character-app", "published_at": "2026-08-10 19:09:43+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-10 19:37:22.326819+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-startups", "ai-products"], "entities": ["heyyyyAI", "Wilkins Chung", "Kenshi Arasaki", "A Thinking Ape", "Embracer"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/heyyyyai-raises-10-5-million-from-one-investor-for-ai-character-app.jsonld"}}