[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Japanese government funded: AI chat platform with Fujitsu

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

600000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

12

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Fujitsu and Anifie are tackling fandoms’ need to maintain and grow enthusiasm. Funded by the Japanese government, we address this need for athletes, artists, and brands across multiple communities.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://www.anifie.com/whitepapers/Building-Cardano-Dapp-with-Web3Auth-MeshSDK-and-on-chain-chat-data-privacy-preserving-with-ZKP.pdf
,
• https://www.anifie.com/whitepapers/Local-Currency-System-Using-Multi-Agent-Technology.pdf
,
• https://tfan.anifie.com/
,
• https://github.com/Anifie/Cardano_AuroraSynex
,
• https://github.com/Anifie/CardanoDemoDApp

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

No

License and Additional Information

We intend to open-source a significant portion of our project, including the codebase used to create blockchain-based communities with deployment on the Cardano mainnet (as referenced above). However, certain components will remain proprietary to safeguard user privacy and maintain system security. Specifically, we plan not open-source: (i) Users’ sensitive conversational chat data; and (ii) Backend code that could expose potential attack vectors for malicious actors

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Connected Community

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe your established collaborations.

Japanese government will co-fund with Catalyst 14 (http://bit.ly/4lf0W01, see No. 734- fund secured). Fujitsu, a Fortune 500 and Big 3 Japanese IT firm, brings mocap AI and top athletes (https://bit.ly/47iLgWg). These are established. We are also in final talks with a Big 3 Japanese auto company and another Fortune 500 Pharma partner (http://bit.ly/4m829aP).

Describe funding commitments.

• Japanese government – approximately JPY 20M in cash.
• Fujitsu – budget TBD; provides human resources and mocap AI; brings athletes and their communities.

Both are in addition to the Catalyst 14 Fund award. Additionally, Google will provide up to $200K in cloud credits for infrastructure.

Describe your key performance metrics.

1. Number of accesses
2. Transaction volumes
3. Number of chats
4. Retention rates
5. Community enthusiasm scores measured by our AI
6. Community LTV estimates measured by our AI
7. Revenues from communities

Goals: 100,000 accesses, 10,000 transactions, 100,000 chats, and a 20% retention rates.

Dashboard screenshots: http://bit.ly/47vMQnL

Reasons for KPIs: KPIs 1 and 2 measure the size of the communities. KPIs 3 to 7 measure the enthusiasm of the communities, key predictors for sustainable growth (See Cold Start Problem by a16z General Partner, Andrew Chen).

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Product - AI Chat Platform with 20X Enthusiasm

The Fujitsu x Anifie AI Chat Platform is a multi-agent AI system that powers fandom communities. Fans interact in chat rooms centered on artists, brands, or creators. Our AI analyzes these conversations in real time, predicts enthusiasm, and automatically delivers the right rewards, perks, or personalized experiences to keep fans engaged.

The result: fan participation grows dramatically — up to 20X more chats and enthusiasm compared to traditional platforms. Businesses see higher revenues, stronger LTV, and predictable community growth.

Every fan also receives a Cardano-based digital identity, making memberships and rewards portable, secure, and unique at the individual level. This ensures fan engagement scales globally while staying personal.

The platform is available via browser, InstantApp, and AppClip.

Who will our project engage?

In partnership with Fujitsu, a Fortune 500 and Big 3 Japanese IT enterprise with mocap AI and top athlete access, we will primarily engage athletes, artists, and brands. Backed by ~JPY 20 million in Japanese government funding, our platform increases community enthusiasm by up to 20X while maximizing ROI, using a multi-agent AI system powered by Cardano.

Proven Track Record – 500,000+ messages with Fortune 500 brands

We have worked with Honda, Boehringer Ingelheim, TBS (one of Japan’s top broadcasters), and others on other blockchains such as Polygon and XRP.

These communities have had:

• 100,000+ downloads of our blockchain-powered 3D app*
• 500,000+ messages exchanged
• ~40% Day-30 retention
• ~$5,000 revenue in a single day
• ~20X enthusiasm increase compared to open social platforms like X

We’ve collaborated with Jane Lynch, Dick Van Dyke, and Shaun Martin (Snarky Puppy), leveraging their influence for community engagement. Our team also includes a Grammy Award winner, enabling direct access to major influencers. Tony Hawk and David Foster helped our PR.

The Problem with Fan Communities

Fandoms of artists, athletes, and brands face three main problems:

• Safety - Fear of criticism on open platforms limits authentic fan expression.
• Sense of Belonging - Fans seek spaces to share emotions with others who share their passion.
• Satisfaction- Fans don’t want their entertainment time to feel wasted; they want it to generate productive and meaningful outcomes, such as earning rewards or benefits.

Solution – Chat Platform with Rewards for Fan Enthusiasm

The Fujitsu × Anifie platform creates safe, criticism-free, members-only chat communities for enthusiastic fans. Within these communities:

• Multi-agent AI measures each fan’s enthusiasm through generative AI analysis of their chats.
• Fans earn personalized perks, benefits, and discounts based on enthusiasm scores.
• AI continuously optimizes ROI—balancing revenue from increased engagement with the cost of perks.

This platform directly addresses fandom challenges around safety, belonging, and satisfaction, while ensuring scalable ROI.

Why Cardano

Each fan logs in with wallet, which stores:

• All chat/message history
• Enthusiasm scores linked to their digital identity

This enables:

• Private channel access exclusively for high-enthusiasm fans
• Personalized perks and benefits based on digital identity

Why is this important to Cardano?

We expect to achieve the following KPIs:

• 100,000 or more users to access the project by September 2026
• 10,000 transaction volumes by September 2026

The same AI that drives engagement will also provide transparent, data-backed impact reports for the Cardano community.

10,000+ transaction volumes will mean recurring wallet activity from non-crypto-native fans. This brings consistent on-chain activity, diversifies Cardano’s user base, and showcases real-world adoption to enterprises and the public.

We will bring enthusiastic fandoms of athletes, artists, and enterprises into the Cardano ecosystem, driving broader adoption and engagement. This is expected to include many of our past collaborators or partners such as - Honda, Boerringer Ingelheim, Grammy award artists or equivalent, and top athletes - in addition to Fujitsu, and the funding from the Japanese government. As we bring enthusiastic fandoms of global brands and top influencers into the Cardano ecosystem, we expect to see:

• New wallet activations
• High-volume on-chain transactions
• Showcase of real-world, mainstream blockchain utility

Feasibility

From our past result of achieving 100,000 downloads as discussed earlier, we are comfortable that we will achieve 100,000 access for this project by September 2026. Additionally, from our past result of 500,000+ messages, Day 30 retention of ~40%, and $5,000 revenue in a single day, we are confident that we can achieve 10,000 transaction volume by September 2026.

As we partnered with Honda, Boerringer Ingelheim, and Grammy award artists in the past, we expect to bring similar level brands, artists, and athletes in this project in addition to Fujitsu partnership and the Japanese government funding.

Why AI + Blockchain Are the Right Tools

For the first time in history, three major technological and market shifts make our approach possible:

• Generative AI – Recent advances now allow for comprehensive and cost-effective analysis of vast amounts of chat and message data, enabling precise measurement of community enthusiasm at scale.
• Blockchain - MPC (Multi-Party Computation) technologies are now commercially viable, making our wallet-based login and data policies compelling to mainstream users — including those with little or no prior exposure to the Cardano blockchain.
• 3D social interactions - Observing young generations, they are in 3D digital environments to interact with their friends. Our chat community has not only a compelling backend AI and blockchain system, but has a beautiful frontend. Please see this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCCUzk0bn_o

Screenshots

• Example of our private community: https://docsend.com/view/gjvrchecxnaxx5rz (PW: anifiecardano)

Examples of past projects:

• Honda project: https://opensea.io/collection/honda-synergy-lab
• Boehringer Ingelheim: https://illuminate-tomorrow.com/howToJoin/
• TBS, a major broadcast station in Japan: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000317.000005544.html
• XRP grant award from Ripple’s $250M fund (one of the 7 recipients then): https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-s-250m-fund-backs-web3-projects-focused-on-entertainment-and-media

*Note:

Evidence for 100K+ downloads: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anifie.anifie&hl=en_US. Please note that our platfom is available via browser, InstantApp, and AppClip, whose adoption tends to be easier and faster than mobile apps.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Synergy with the Cardano Ecosystem

The Fujitsu x Anifie AI Chat Platform amplifies community enthusiasm, revenues, LTV, and ROI by combining AI with blockchain-powered digital identity. This identity layer enables closed communities of highly engaged members, where excitement spreads virally from one fan to another. The result is stronger engagement that converts community passion into predictable revenue and significantly higher ROI for enterprises, IP holders, and ecosystems.

As Cardano is itself a community-centered blockchain, our platform creates natural synergy with its ecosystem. By integrating with Cardano projects and communities, it can serve as a killer application that amplifies enthusiasm, ROI, revenues, and LTVs across many initiatives in the Cardano ecosystem.

Driving Measurable Cardano Adoption

We will have 100,000+ accesses by non-crypto-native users to our Cardano-powered platform by September 2026 and generate 10,000+ transaction volumes. These transactions will represent recurring wallet activity from fans engaging with perks, NFTs, and, in a longer term, stablecoin payment. This will create repeatable on-chain activity, diversify Cardano’s user base, and showcase adoption to brands and mainstream artists and athletes.

Short-Term Deliverables

Within the project term, we will:

• Implement 30+ Cardano-based blockchain communities for artists, athletes, and brands; and
• Deliver discounts, perks, and benefits tailored to each consumer’s digital identity using our multi-agent AI.

Additionally, we expect our Cardano-powered product to be used at the World Championship of Gymnastics this October. This demonstrates how short-term adoption of our platform within the Cardano community can deliver immediate and significant ecosystem benefits.

Feasibility

Our traction for other communities, such as for Honda, Boehringer Ingelheim, Grammy award artists, and others, includes:

• 100,000+ downloads of our blockchain-powered 3D app
• 500,000+ messages exchanged
• ~40% Day-30 retention
• ~$5,000 revenue in a single day
• ~20X enthusiasm increase vs. open social platforms like X

Our KPIs are not only achievable but realistic given our track record.

Longer-Term Ecosystem Expansion

We are in discussions with multiple Japanese local governments to introduce stablecoins. The Japanese national government has about $2.2B (300B yen) available for local governments to use for stablecoin issuance and related purposes. Our system to provide personalized perks and benefits to users will accelerate the adoption of the stablecoins.

Ecosystem Benefits for Cardano

• Expands Cardano’s partnership network with global brands, Grammy artists, athletes, and enterprises.
• Establishes direct implementation channels in mainstream fandoms.
• Strengthens Cardano’s reputation in the artist and athlete sector.
• Creates best practices for high-engagement blockchain communities.

How will we share the outputs and opportunities that result from our project?

Our outputs—including case studies, technical resources, and learnings—will be shared with the Cardano community and beyond through open-source channels and through a dedicated project chat community, open to Cardano members. This approach ensures broad access, encourages replication, and supports scaling in fandom-related projects.

To balance transparency with sensitivity, we will share performance insights and outcomes at an aggregate level (e.g., overall transaction volumes, access rates, retention, and engagement data). Sensitive information such as individual community revenues—which could expose competition-sensitive or popularity-related data—will not be made public. Instead, such data will be reported confidentially to the Cardano team, as appropriate and upon request, ensuring accountability without compromising our partners’ trust.

We will also provide:

• A dashboard displaying verified KPI data (transaction volumes, engagement rates, aggregated revenues).
• Reports on partnerships and community outcomes, shared via open platforms where appropriate.
• Our NFT policy ID, so that the Cardano team (or others) can independently verify metrics via tools like CardanoScan, Koios API, or Blockfrost API.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Proven and Commercialized Technology and Approach

We started developing our technology in 2019 and commercialized it in 2020.

Our proven traction includes:

• Fortune 500 customers including Hitachi, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Honda.
• Fortune 500 partners including Fujitsu
• Over 100,000 users downloaded and accessed our products

Our product traction in the past includes:

• Day-30 retention rate of around 40%
• Approximately 20 times more chats in our closed community than open social media such as X
• Average session duration is 20 times longer than typical websites, thanks to a 3D environment developed by a Grammy Award–winning executive producer

This traction proves the product efficacy. Therefore, our product is in the commercialization phase with minimal development risk going forward.

In terms of achieving the growth and enthusiasm metrics through partnerships, there are reasons why artists, athletes, and brands choose Anifie’s AI chat platform.

Benefits to the artists, athletes, and brands:

• Up to 25X increase in revenue from Superchats
• Up to 20X increase in community enthusiasm
• 800% ROI on PR costs for brands

Please let us elaborate this.

What is a Superchat?

Superchat is a popular paid message feature on YouTube, widely used in Japan’s VTuber industry—where anime avatars livestream and viewers pay to have their messages read aloud by the avatar. The VTuber market is large and fast-growing; for example, Hololive’s VTuber business reached an IPO valuation of around $1B. Some anime avatars, VTubers, have made more than $1M annually from this.

25X Revenue Increase – Superchat NFTs

We enhance Superchat revenues by as much as 25X by:

1. NFT-Gated Communities – Only NFT holders can join exclusive fan chats, increasing engagement and perceived value.
2. Proof of Attendance NFTs – Fans receive collectible NFTs when they send Superchats, boosting participation and spend.

We call this Superchat NFT. It has been known that fans tend to spend more money in Superchats, when their enthusiasm gets increased at a special occasion. For example, they tend to spend more money on birthdays of streamers, or at anniversaries on their debuts. The proof of attendance NFTs, in exchange for the superchats, capture this need, resulting in increased revenue.

20X Enthusiasm

Here is another reason for 25X revenue increase. Superchat revenue rises as fan enthusiasm grows. Our NFT-gated chat community significantly boosts fan enthusiasm.

For example, an actress with about 120,000 followers on X had the following traction in the closed chat community:

Over 20X Volume:

• On X, she had approximately 15 comments for a post regarding her upcoming TV drama episode.
• In the closed community gated by NFT, she had approximately 500 comments for a very similar post. (Over 30X more chats)

Higher Quality Engagement:

• One of her fans commented on X “I really enjoyed the third episode. I am excited that these four people will endeavor for a new journey”.
• The same person commented as follows in the closed chat community gated by NFT. “Finally!!! Thank you so much for the merchandise!!!!!! As you can tell from the names of the items, they’re all perfectly hitting the fans’ sweet spots—absolutely amazing 😭 The story is wonderful too—was it the manager’s idea? 🥰 In any case, I want to get them all 🔥🔥”.

(The original comments were in Japanese, but the difference in tone makes them seem like two different people — that’s how strong the shift in enthusiasm is.)

Why Superchat NFTs can drive up to 25X revenue:

• Enthusiasm amplification — Fandom enthusiasm rises significantly in NFT-gated communities where members share the same passion.
• Monetization through engagement – As enthusiasm rises, fans are more likely to spend money via Superchat NFT.
• Revenue boost with proof of participation – Revenues from Superchats NFTs increase further when fans receive Proof of Attendance NFTs in exchange for their contributions.

800% ROI for PR cost for brands

We have achieved approximately 40% retention rates. This is 800% ROI for PR costs for brands under the following assumptions.

Assumptions:

• CAC (customer acquisition cost) of about JPY 2,500 (CPC of about JPY 100, conversion rate for user registration of about 10%, conversion rate for wallet creation of about 70%, and conversation rate for paid user of about 60%. This is proxy of our actual results. Because paid to free ratio in the freemium model is about 1-5%, this is within that range.)
• Day 30 retention rate for usual website is about 10%
• Running social media would require JPY 1.4M per month staff cost
• Running our chat platform would require JPY 2.2M per month staff cost
• Brands want to maintain monthly active user (MAU) of 10,000

Then, our retention rate of 40% would save the customer acquisition cost by approximately JPY 7.5M per month. This is a customer acquisition cost for 3,000 users. Because the additional cost of running our system is 2.2M - 1.4M = 0.8M, ROI is (7.5M - 0.8M)/0.8M = ~800%.

Proven Team and Partnerships

The partnerships necessary to execute this project are in place. For example, our partner, Fujitsu, is a Fortune 500 company and has contractual relationships with many sports athletes and teams. Given the government funding discussed above, we are partnering with a former executive of one of the largest broadcast stations to secure various artists.

Our track record includes successful partnerships with various content IPs and fandoms including Grammy Award winners.

Additionally, we are backed by institutional venture capitals and enterprises and, in the past, participated in:

• StartX - Stanford University’s accelerator (2019)
• Berkeley Blockchain Accelerator - University of California, Berkeley’s blockchain accelerator

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Launch of AI/Cardano-powered community platform

Milestone Outputs

• A chat community with multiple private channels only accessible with Cardano-based NFT
• Integration of AI into the community to measure enthusiasm scores by chats/messages in the community
• A dashboard that shows the enthusiasm scores by the AI
• A 3D environment that the chat community is integrated into
• A Super Chat equivalent functionality where users can send messages to Content IP with money, and receive a proof of attendance NFT in exchange

Acceptance Criteria

• The product platform to have all the features listed above in Milestones Outputs.
• The functionality is tested by a quality assurance engineer and approved by a project manage with indication that the product platform is ready to launch
• The product is launched to the public

Evidence of Completion

• Delivery of products in the form of website URL and InstantApp/ AppClip available to the public
• A checklist by a quality assurance enginner with approval from a project manager that show the products meet all the Milestones Outputs and Acceptance Criteria

Delivery Month

2

Cost

50000

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

At least 100 chats with at least 1 community

Milestone Outputs

• At least 1 community for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 1,000 accesses to the chat platform
• At least 100 total chats across communities

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 1 community for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 1,000 total accesses across communities
• At least 100 total chats across communities

Evidence of Completion

• Number of communities: product screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product
• Number of accesses: Google Analytics
• Number of chats: dashboard screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product

Delivery Month

4

Cost

50000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

At least 10,000 total accesses across at least 5+ communities

Milestone Outputs

• At least 5 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 10,000 accesses to the chat platform
• At least 1,000 total chats across communities
• At least 300 transaction volumes

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 5 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises
• At least 10,000 total accesses across communities
• At least 1,000 total chats across communities
• At least 300 total transaction volumes across communities

Evidence of Completion

• Number of communities: product screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product
• Number of accesses: Google Analytics
• Number of chats: dashboard screenshots
• Transaction volume: dashboard screenshots - verifiable by tools like CardanoScan, Koios API, or Blockfrost API

Delivery Month

6

Cost

100000

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

At least 100,000 user accesses across at least 20+ communities

Milestone Outputs

• At least 20 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 100,000 accesses to the chat platform
• At least 5,000 total chats across communities
• At least 1,000 transaction volumes

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 20 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises
• At least 100,000 total accesses across communities
• At least 5,000 total chats across communities
• At least 1,000 total transaction volumes across communities

Evidence of Completion

• Number of communities: product screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product
• Number of accesses: Google Analytics
• Number of chats: dashboard screenshots
• Transaction volume: dashboard screenshots - verifiable by tools like CardanoScan, Koios API, or Blockfrost API

Delivery Month

8

Cost

200000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

At least 5,000 transaction volume across at least 30+ communities

Milestone Outputs

• At least 30 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 100,000 accesses to the chat platform
• At least 5,000 total chats across communities
• At least 5,000 transaction volumes

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 30 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises
• At least 100,000 total accesses across communities
• At least 5,000 total chats across communities
• At least 5,000 total transaction volumes across communities

Evidence of Completion

• Number of communities: product screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product
• Number of accesses: Google Analytics
• Number of chats: dashboard screenshots
• Transaction volume: dashboard screenshots - verifiable by tools like CardanoScan, Koios API, or Blockfrost API

Delivery Month

10

Cost

100000

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

At least 10,000 transaction volume, 100,000 user accesses, and 10,000 chats

Milestone Outputs

• At least 30 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises within our AI chat platform powered by Cardano
• At least 100,000 accesses to the chat platform
• At least 10,000 total chats across communities
• At least 10,000 transaction volumes

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 30 communities for artists, athletes, and/or enterprises
• At least 100,000 total accesses across communities
• At least 10,000 total chats across communities
• At least 10,000 total transaction volumes across communities

Evidence of Completion

• Number of communities: product screenshots - verifiable by accessing our product
• Number of accesses: Google Analytics
• Number of chats: dashboard screenshots
• Transaction volume: dashboard screenshots - verifiable by tools like CardanoScan, Koios API, or Blockfrost API

Delivery Month

12

Cost

100000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

1. Product development

This cost will be covered by the Japanese government (approximately JPY 20M) and Anifie (approximately JPY 10M). A detailed breakdown is available upon request.

2. Marketing

(1) Bringing athletes from around the world

This cost will be fully covered by Fujitsu. If awarded, the Fujitsu × Anifie team will adopt Cardano as the platform.

(2) Bringing artists from around the world

This cost will be covered by Scenes Media in exchange for a share of revenue from Superchat NFTs and NFT sales of the artists they introduce.

(3) Bringing Japanese artists

To maximize impact, we plan to host online tournaments where hundreds of Japanese music artists compete for prizes. The cost per tournament is approximately USD 53,000, broken down as follows:

• Radio feature for the winning IP: ~USD 3,000/event (advertising fee)
• Magazine feature for the winning IP: ~USD 3,000/event
• Internet magazine feature: ~USD 2,000/event
• Exclusive Cardano NFTs: ~USD 1.50 per NFT in gas fees (two transactions per NFT)
• Grand prize: either (i) funding a special online concert (USD 30,000) or (ii) commissioning a new composition (USD 30,000)

Assuming 1,000 NFTs per tournament, the total per tournament is ~USD 53,000. We plan to hold one tournament every two months (six per year), for a total of USD 318,000.

To manage these tournaments and secure media features, we will hire KK Alto discussed above, the firm run by a former broadcast executive (~USD 50,000/year).

Total annual tournament cost: USD 368,000.

With two transactions per NFT and six tournaments, we expect to generate ~12,000 transactions—enough to meet our milestone targets.

(4) Advertising

We will allocate USD 20,000 for social media advertising to generate excitement and new wallet users. Based on past experience, CAC in Japan is ~JPY 2,500 (USD 16). With this budget, we expect to acquire ~1,200 additional paying customers with wallets.

3. Personnel and Operations

(1) Project management and brands involvement - Yohei Iwasaki and John Oetjen

Yohei Iwasaki: 0.3 FTE × USD 200,000/year = USD 60,000

John Oetjen: 0.2 FTE × USD 200,000/year = USD 40,000

Subtotal: USD 100,000

(2) Community management (Japan, U.S./Europe, Nigeria)

Senior community manager (Japan): 0.1 FTE × USD 27/hour ≈ USD 5,600

Junior community manager (Europe): 0.15 FTE × USD 14/hour ≈ USD 4,400

Nigerian community manager: 1 FTE × USD 5,000/year = USD 5,000

Subtotal: USD 15,000

(3) Marketing and product iteration - Igor Khmer

Igor Khmer: 0.2 FTE × USD 200,000/year = USD 40,000

(4) Gas fee

We expect ~20,000 transactions. At ~USD 0.75 per transaction, this equates to ~USD 15,000.

(5) Cloud cost

We were selected by Google to get free cloud credit. Google will provide ~USD 200,000 in Google Cloud credits. Engineering costs to migrate from AWS to GCP will be covered by the Japanese government grant. Catalyst funding will not be used for infrastructure costs.

Summary

• Tournaments and prizes: USD 368,000
• Social media advertising: USD 20,000
• Project management and brand involvement: USD 100,000
• Community management: USD 15,000
• Marketing and product iteration: USD 40,000
• Gas fees: USD 15,000
• Product development: covered by Japanese government (USD 0 for Catalyst 14 fund)
• Athletes: covered by Fujitsu (USD 0 for Catalyst 14 fund)
• International artists: covered by Scenes Media (USD 0 for Catalyst 14 fund)
• Cloud: covered by Google credits (USD 0 for Catalyst 14 fund)

Total Catalyst funding requested: USD 558,000.

At an exchange rate of USD 0.93/ADA, this equals 600,000 ADA.

If ADA appreciates, we will increase transaction volumes and prize scope. If ADA declines, we will adjust tournament prize levels while maintaining transaction and community growth targets.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project represents exceptional value for money because Catalyst funds will be multiplied by substantial partner contributions, leveraged technology, and long-term ecosystem benefits. Every USD 1 from Catalyst is matched by more than USD 1 in confirmed external commitments, reducing development risk and maximizing ROI.

1. Strong funding commitments from partners

Partnership funding commitment highlights:

This program is highly leveraged. In addition to Catalyst’s 600K ADA request (~$558K USD equivalent), partners are contributing or defraying significant costs:

• Japanese Government Grant: ~$200K (approximately JPY 30M (including JPY 10M from Anifie), or approximately $200K. To be spent on product iteration, upgrade, and data acquisition for AI).
• Google: up to $200K in infrastructure credits for Google Cloud Platform.
• Fujitsu: in-kind support estimated at $100K–$200K.
• Scenes Media: partnership sourcing and IP rights (estimated at $100K value).

Estimated total partner savings: ~USD 600K

For every $1 in Catalyst funds, partners contribute or defray >$1 in co-funding and in-kind resources.

2. Bringing fully developed AI-chat platform to the Cardano community

Anifie has developed the blockchain powered chat platform with 3D and AI technologies with various customers and partners such as Honda, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ripple/XRP, and TBS with millions of dollars. This project will be built on this existing platform that has been developed and tested by these customers and partners.

Total estimated saving: $3M

3. Why Cardano? Game Changer Impact on the Cardano community

Cardano is uniquely aligned with our mission. Its community-first governance, embodied in Project Catalyst, mirrors our approach to fostering sustainable fandom engagement. Cardano’s proven adoption in Japan and Africa, together with its reputation for security, compliance, and sustainability, provides the trust foundation required to onboard enterprises, governments, and mainstream fandoms. By building on Cardano, we ensure that fandom-driven communities are not only cost-effective and scalable but also anchored in a blockchain already recognized for inclusivity and regional leadership.

From stablecoins to NFTs, the success of most blockchain projects depends on cultivating enthusiastic communities. The Fujitsu x Anifie Chat Platform directly addresses this need, creating powerful synergies for the Cardano ecosystem.

Our system delivers long-term value through:

• A lasting community platform technology,
• Reusable and replicable AI-driven solutions for building enthusiasm, and
• A knowledge base that sustains community growth.

These elements position the platform as a potential killer application for Cardano. This relates to why Cardano is one of the best suited chains for this technology.

The project’s scalability further amplifies its value. The framework can be readily adapted for other Cardano initiatives, as we are committed to making our AI technologies available to community projects. This adaptability creates a multiplier effect—enabling future blockchain expansions and ensuring self-sustaining community growth across the ecosystem.

By providing a replicable, AI-powered framework, this initiative delivers value that surpasses traditional community-building efforts and establishes a new standard for blockchain adoption on Cardano.

4. Lasting userbase

We have achieved an approximately 40% retention rate, demonstrating that the user base we bring to the Cardano community will remain engaged over the long term. Based on this performance, the estimated ROI is ~800%, as outlined earlier.

5. Bridge with mainstream fandoms

This program integrates blockchain into mainstream fandoms that previously had little or no exposure to the technology—effectively building a bridge between those communities and the Cardano ecosystem. The resulting data feeds directly into the optimization of perks and offerings, fueling further ecosystem growth. This creates a powerful cycle: blockchain adoption drives fandom enthusiasm, which in turn strengthens Cardano’s presence in mainstream culture.

6. Efficient use of cost

The project maximizes efficiency by leveraging shared resources across communities and existing partnerships, significantly reducing the cost per community. Budget allocation follows best practices in both the U.S. and Japan, while a global team spanning Nigeria, Japan, Europe, and the U.S. ensures operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness at scale.

7. Launchpad for our upcoming stablecoin projects

We are in active discussions with multiple Japanese local governments on the introduction of stablecoins. The Japanese national government has allocated approximately $2.2B (300B yen) for local governments to use for stablecoin issuance and related purposes. Our system, which delivers personalized perks and benefits to users, provides a natural launchpad to accelerate adoption of these stablecoins.

Summary

This project creates a viral community centered around mainstream fandoms, ensuring sustainable growth and efficient resource use. By leveraging proven technology, established products, and strategic partnerships, we minimize development costs and maximize impact. Catalyst funding will not only unlock a $3M+ proven platform and $600K+ in confirmed cost savings, but also position Cardano at the center of mainstream fandom adoption, creating sustainable and replicable ecosystem growth. The result is a scalable, replicable framework that strengthens the Cardano ecosystem through lasting adoption, measurable ROI, and a direct bridge to millions of new users worldwide.

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