Virtual celebrities are raking in very real profits for the companies that create them.

Virtual celebrities are raking in very real profits for the companies that create them. While some companies are designing uncannily realistic influencers (like Brud’s Lil Miquela), others are opting for a more “Saturday morning cartoon” feel—like Toonstar’s Poppy the Blue Chicken, who used to broadcast weekly on Live.ly. Investors are taking a double-take as these companies go beyond one-hit wonders, building out networks of non-human social media stars that interact with each other. (TechCrunch)