VShojo
VShojo was a US-founded VTuber agency that launched on November 24, 2020 in San Francisco and billed itself as a “talent first” company. It was among the first US-based VTuber companies, and in July 2025 it announced that it would cease operations. This page is kept as a record of the agency and its place in the history of English-language VTubing, and it explains what happened to the company and its best-known talent.
At a glance
- Status: ceased operations (announced July 24, 2025)
- Founded: November 24, 2020, San Francisco, California
- Founders: Justin “theGunrun” Ignacio (CEO), Phillip “MowtenDoo” Fortunat (CTO) and Daniel “Apek” Sanders (COO)
- Platforms: mainly Twitch, with YouTube for videos and music
- Funding: raised $11 million in March 2022 in a round led by Anthos Capital
- Subsidiaries: VShojo Japan, and the record label UNIVOLT, formed in July 2025 with Universal Music Japan for VShojo NOVA
How it worked
VShojo positioned itself as a talent-first agency, and departing talent typically kept their intellectual property and characters. Its stated goals included anime and gaming conventions, a mobile streaming project and a mental health partnership with Rise Above the Disorder. In its early years it was nominated for The Streamer Awards’ Best Content Organization (2022–2024) and The VTuber Awards’ Best VTuber Organization (2023 and 2024), but Wikipedia lists no wins.
Talents
VShojo’s early line-up included Ironmouse, Projekt Melody, Silvervale, Nyanners and Veibae. Kson joined in July 2022, GEEGA in September 2023 and AmaLee in January 2025. VShojo NOVA, four Japanese members, was revealed in November 2024.
Timeline
- March 2022: raised $11 million in a round led by Anthos Capital.
- April 2023: Silvervale, Veibae and then Nyanners left.
- December 2023: Amemiya Nazuna’s contract ended.
- May 2025: CTO Phillip Fortunat left.
- June–July 2025: GEEGA and Zentreya departed.
- July 21, 2025: Ironmouse left, alleging unpaid revenue, including funds meant for charity. See her profile, Ironmouse.
- July 21–24, 2025: most remaining talent resigned, including all NOVA members, and several cited unpaid compensation.
- July 24, 2025: the CEO announced the company would cease operations. VShojo also stated that it had improperly spent money raised for charity and had run out of funds.
Questions readers ask
- Is VShojo still operating? No. Wikipedia describes it as defunct and cites an archived copy of the official website from January 2026.
- Where did the talents go? Ironmouse continues to stream independently. We have not verified the current status of every former member, so check each talent’s own channels.
- Can I trust older merchandise links? Treat them as historical. The company has ceased operations.
Why it still matters
VShojo was an early example of a Western-founded agency built around Twitch audiences, and some of its former talents, such as Ironmouse, continue to stream independently. For active agencies, see hololive production and VSPO!.
Profile
Sources
Reviewed by WVR Inoue on October 21, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Thumbnail: We Are VShojo by VShojo Classic on YouTube. Shown via YouTube; all rights belong to their owners.
