Holywater: Duanju raises a record $22 million in the West

Holywater has just announced a $22 million funding round to accelerate the development of its applications, such as MyDrama, and its content dedicated to the short vertical format: Duanju.

A fundraising round is a process where investors buy a stake in a company to finance a growth phase. In practice, there is almost always a lead investor, the one who provides the largest share of the capital and leads the round. They manage the analysis of the business plan, negotiate the terms of entry, and then other investors join the round under the same conditions.

In the case of Holywater, Horizon Capital is leading the transaction. The fund indicates it is investing $16 million of a total of $22 million. The remaining $6 million comes from other announced participants, including Endeavor Catalyst and Wheelhouse.

Who are the investors mentioned?

Horizon Capital is an investment fund that finances growth-stage technology companies. Its role is to provide capital, but also to help structure scaling up: objectives, management, recruitment, and partnerships. In its announcement, Horizon explains that it is supporting Holywater to accelerate the production and development of a suite of applications dedicated to vertical fiction.

Endeavor Catalyst is the investment fund linked to Endeavor, an organization known for its international network of entrepreneurs and creative industry professionals. This type of investor often seeks two main benefits: financing and access to a business and entertainment network.

Wheelhouse. It's an American company positioned at the intersection of production, talent, and investment, founded by Brent Montgomery. Its "entertainment" profile aligns with the current logic of the sector: produce quickly, industrialize formats, and optimize distribution.

Genesis. In Horizon Capital's press release, Genesis is presented as a long-standing supporter of Holywater. Horizon specifies that it has known the team for over ten years through its relationship with Genesis, which positions Holywater within an already established product ecosystem, rather than simply as a recently launched application.

What does this change for the public?

This funding should translate into a noticeable upgrade: more original series, more serialized storylines, a more recognizable cast, and a more premium production quality while remaining true to the vertical format. The objective is clear: to capture the daily consumption habit on smartphones, with short episodes designed to immediately trigger the next one.

Beyond Holywater, the signal is broader. A $22 million funding round confirms that duanju is no longer a marginal format. It is becoming a fully-fledged investment segment, where catalogs, applications, and integrated monetization mechanisms are being financed, with ambitions comparable to those of streaming platforms, but adapted for mobile devices.

Sources:

• Holywater – January 15, 2026

• Business Wire – January 15, 2026

• Axios – January 15, 2026

• The Hollywood Reporter – January 15, 2026

• Vestbee – January 16, 2026