V47 Entertainment’s specialist agency Virtue Asia has signed an agreement with Chinese-listed microdrama company COL Group to develop and distribute brand-funded entertainment across Southeast Asia, the companies announced on the sidelines of the APOS conference in Bali.
Under this partnership, Virtue Asia and COL will work together to package opportunities for marketers in the region across microdrama, vertical video, and mobile-first narrative entertainment. Formats on offer include original brand-ready microdrama series, sponsorship of existing vertical properties, and bespoke creator-led activations. The collaboration will target Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, with the first campaigns expected to be announced in the coming months.
COL Group is listed on the ChiNext board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and has established itself as one of the originators of the microdrama format in China. The company’s global platform FlareFlow has 33 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. According to a report by research firm Omdia, the combined monthly active users of five major Asian micro-drama apps will reach 150 million by February 2025.
“This partnership gives our clients direct access to one of the most exciting leaders in the category, backed by the regional brand and cultural expertise that our team has built over many years,” said Leslie John, CEO of Virtue Asia. “This is a meaningful step forward for brand-funded entertainment opportunities in Southeast Asia.”
Virtue Asia is the brand and culture arm of V47 Entertainment, launched in late 2025 as a joint venture between Virtue Asia and Goldfinch International. The new COL agreement extends its obligations into the areas of microdrama and entertainment verticals.
“V47 was founded on the simple belief that brands increasingly need to go beyond advertising and participate directly in the entertainment ecosystem where their audiences actively choose,” said David Webster, Chairman of Vault47 Group and V47 Entertainment.
FlareFlow Chief Marketing Officer and COL Group General Manager Timothy Oh said the ASEAN region is a strategic priority for the company. “We believe this partnership will be a powerful vehicle to advance our Vertical 2.0 strategy by delivering the next generation of premium brand stories to regional audiences in a way that respects both the creative craft and the huge commercial opportunity,” said Oh.
