SoftBank Vision Fund 2 Invests $160M in Iyuno-sdi Group

Iyuno-SDI Group Secures $160 Million Investment

Iyuno-SDI Group, a leading provider of media localization services – including subtitles and translations – has announced a significant funding round. The company received $160 million in investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

This investment establishes SoftBank Vision Fund 2 as a major shareholder within the Iyuno-SDI Group.

Formation Through Strategic Acquisition

The creation of Iyuno-SDI Group followed the recent acquisition of SDI Media by Iyuno Media Group. This merger has positioned the company for substantial growth in the media localization market.

David Lee, CEO of Iyuno-SDI Group, founded Iyuno in 2002 while studying in Seoul. He detailed in a TechCrunch interview how the company leverages its unique, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

Proprietary Technology for Scalable Localization

This software facilitates the delivery of localization services – encompassing subtitles, dubbing, and accessibility features – on a large scale. It allows for efficient project management and resource allocation.

Furthermore, Iyuno has developed its own neural machine translation engines. These engines are specifically trained using data from various entertainment genres, enhancing the productivity of human translators.

A Diverse Client Portfolio

Iyuno-SDI Group serves a prestigious roster of clients within the entertainment industry. Notable customers include Netflix, Apple iTunes, DreamWorks, HBO, and Entertainment One.

Global Reach and Linguistic Capabilities

Following the completion of the merger, Iyuno-SDI Group now boasts a network of 67 offices spanning 34 countries. This extensive global presence enables the company to offer localization services in over 100 languages.

Continued Support from SoftBank

SoftBank Group’s involvement with Iyuno Media Group began in 2018 with an initial investment through SoftBank Ventures Asia. Now, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 will collaborate with David Lee and existing investors – Altor, Shamrock Capital Advisors, and SoftBank Ventures Asia Corporation – on the Iyuno-SDI Group’s board of directors.

This continued support underscores SoftBank’s confidence in Iyuno-SDI Group’s potential for innovation and expansion within the rapidly evolving media localization landscape.