Mantayay Global Holdings Pte Ltd, a company focused on the creator economy and digital media, announced that it has raised $5 million in funding. The round was led by Kairous Capital through its Kairous Asia Venture Fund II (SEA).
This is Mantayay’s first major institutional funding round. The new investment will help the company expand across the region, grow its network of creators, and improve its AI-powered content and commerce tools in key markets.
Founded in Malaysia, Mantayay has grown to work with global brands in industries like gaming, consumer goods (FMCG), and technology across Southeast Asia.
The company currently manages more than 4,000 TikTok creators, produces over 1,000 short-form videos every month, and reaches more than 100 million monthly views across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Mantayay’s original series, Terpaling Menantu, has become a huge hit in Malaysia. It’s the country’s most-watched short-form drama, with over 300 million total views across platforms. This success has made Mantayay one of the leading creative studios driving Southeast Asia’s new wave of digital entertainment.
Looking ahead, Mantayay plans to open offices in China, Japan, and South Korea to help companies from those countries expand into Southeast Asia. The regional creator economy is expected to grow rapidly, with projections showing it could exceed $1.4 billion by 2030.
“Kairous is backing Mantayay’s conviction at the nexus of content, creators, and commerce (3Cs),” said Joseph Lee Moh Hon, Managing Partner at Kairous Capital.
“Having observed powerful structural tailwinds within the media industry globally such as short dramas, content‑commerce, and creator‑led IP, that we believe are now taking shape in Southeast Asia, we believe Mantayay is uniquely positioned to ride and benefit from this wave,” he said.
“The Mantayay team stands out for their exceptional ability to balance between visionary effort and business fundamentals, as they have been profitable in their pursuit to elevate the digital content infrastructure in Southeast Asia. They represent the strength and ingenuity of Malaysia’s new digital generation. Together, we aim to build the foundation for how content, creators, and commerce will connect in the decade ahead,” he added.
“Mantayay is focused on building industry leadership in short‑form storytelling and content‑commerce,” said Ng YuBin, Chief Executive Officer of Mantayay. “This investment will accelerate our regional expansion, add breadth and depth to our creator ecosystem, and further enhance our data‑driven operations to deliver strong measurable outcomes for partners.”
Founded in 2015, Kairous Capital is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in companies across Southeast Asia and China.
With its new fund, Kairous Asia Venture Fund II (SEA), the firm plans to support strong and innovative teams that can build scalable businesses and create long-term value in the Southeast Asian market.
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