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)
