Laihua raises US$9.35M Series D at US$508.8M valuation to grow Mideast AI comics
What's the deal? AI animation and 3D content platform Laihua.com has raised US$9.35M (≈$10 million) in a Series D round from an unnamed listed Chinese company. The deal values Laihua at about US$508.8M, with funds earmarked for its core algorithm team, AI model development, and overseas marketing.
What's the endgame? Founded in 2015, Laihua began by making animated promotional videos for government and corporate clients, amassing over 30 million users. Since 2022, it has built the VinaAI product system, spanning a content-creation agent platform, an AI short-drama app called VinaShortDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a model-routing tool, and smart hardware.
Founder Wei Bo told 36Kr that revenue reached roughly US$35.8M in 2025 and is projected to hit about US$68.8M in 2026.
Why now? Facing a crowded domestic AI content market and tighter short-drama licensing rules, Laihua entered the Middle East in 2023. Its AI comics now run across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, with a user base in the tens of millions.
Why the Middle East? Wei said local entertainment options are scarce and users pay readily, with per-user spending on AI comics reaching two to three times domestic levels. "Due to war and hot weather that discourage going out, the Middle East AI comics market is growing quickly," he said.
What could go wrong? Religious sensitivities make the market hard to crack. Content featuring alcohol, pork, or non-compliant romance plots trips regulatory lines, making local review teams essential.
Laihua's platform earns through advertising and paid memberships, with ads currently making up more than half of revenue. It also sells an interactive AI photo frame overseas, generating animated, conversational portraits from user-uploaded photos and scripts for emotional companionship.
The signal: Wei argues that Laihua's advantage lies not in AI generation alone but in a combined loop of technology, compliance, distribution, and hardware. "Large models can replicate content generation, but they cannot replicate the three years of local compliance experience we've built in the Middle East," he said, positioning the firm to keep expanding into markets like Malaysia.
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
Read more: 36Kr
