Singapore’s cult-favorite premium collectibles maker XM Studios finances expansion plans throug

Exquisitely hand-crafted cold-cast porcelain statues of characters from popular comic book series Marvel and DC Comics made by XM Studios, a Singapore-based design studio, have been some of the most sought-after art collectibles by comic book fans around the world. 

XM Studios holds IP licenses to some of the biggest popular culture brands such as Marvel, Star Wars, DC Comics and Sanrio. The collectible statues the studio makes are individually hand-painted and feature intricate details such as fine zips and buckles as well as “switch out” parts to reflect the character’s changing moods. Prices of the premium collectibles range from under S$1,000 (US$745) to as much as S$6,000 (US$4,470), depending on the size and complexity of design. 

The company, which started in 2012 as a small family business, has seen strong growth during the Covid-19 pandemic alongside its expanding licensing agreements. It reported a net profit of over S$4.2 million (US$3.1 million) in 2020, with revenues more than doubling in 2020 to S$16.9 million (US$12.6 million) from S$7.9 million (US$5.9 million) in 2019.

Collectors can now also have exposure to the fast-growing company itself. 

On the back of an investment by Heliconia Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore’s state-owned investment firm Temasek Holdings, in XM Studios last week, the company on Sept. 9 announced it raised S$4.5 million (US$3.3 million) in fresh capital through a tokenized listing of exchangeable notes on digital securities investment platform ADDX – formerly known as iSTOX. Heliconia anchored the deal with a S$1 million (US$745,000) investment. ADDX is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and its investors include the Singapore Exchange and Heliconia Capital.

XM Studios CEO Ben Ang told Forkast.News the company had decided to fundraise on ADDX to reward its community, create liquidity for its investors and increase awareness of XM Studios in the financial community. The fresh capital will be used for XM Studios’ expansion into new product categories and markets as well as to acquire new intellectual property licenses.

“XM Studios has grown from a humble shop in Singapore’s Bras Basah Complex into a global brand. We could not have done this without the consistent support of our fans and collectors over the past decade,” Ang said. “The fundraising on ADDX was designed to allow fractional access at a minimum investment of just S$10,000, because we wanted to provide long-time XM Studios fans with the chance to take part in the growth of the company.” 

“The new capital also enables XM Studios to seize opportunities in the next phase of our expansion — in new markets and new segments like premium mass collectibles, allowing fans to buy their favorite collectibles at a more affordable price range,” Ang added. The company is also in the advanced stages of exploring non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Source:forkast.news