Marvel Studios, a startup and self-described “AI-native studio” has secured $12m (£9m) in a seed funding spherical.
The London-based agency is growing know-how to extend the involvement of AI within the artistic course of. Marvel’s chief govt Xavier Collins described the corporate because the “leisure studio for the brand new period”.
Having launched solely half a 12 months in the past, the startup has already achieved early business success. Marvel introduced its first pre-seed increase of over £2m the month of its launch and has since gone on to work on the music video for Lewis Capaldi’s One thing within the Heavens.
The video was generated largely with AI and created through a partnership between Marvel, DeepMind, YouTube and Common Music. Capaldi’s use of AI in his music video sparked a backlash from followers of the artist over issues that the know-how may take the work of actual creatives.
“On the coronary heart of our imaginative and prescient is combining Hollywood filmmaking excellence with AI-powered artistic freedom, empowering each established administrators and rising creators to inform their most bold tales,” Collins stated.
In addition to growing AI instruments to be used within the manufacturing of movie and video, the corporate can also be making an attempt to curate what it calls a group of AI-native creators. It’s doing so through the Marvel app, a digital hub connecting numerous individuals utilizing AI in leisure.
The brand new funding spherical was led by Atomico alongside present buyers LocalGlobe and Blackbird.
“Marvel captures the magic that occurs when Hollywood artistry meets the ability of AI, proper when the trade is looking for a brand new mannequin” stated Ben Blume, companion at Atomico.
“Xavier and Justin have the uncommon mixture of market and group constructing expertise, artistic brilliance, and technical execution functionality wanted to create the leisure studio for the subsequent era. Their unbelievable traction validates that the market is prepared for his or her distinctive strategy.”
Marvel has additionally been backed by Adobe Ventures, Upside Ventures – the VC arm of the YouTuber group Sidemen, amongst different figures in content material creation.
