Bellevue-based startup Irreverent Labs, a player in the surging field of generative artificial intelligence, has successfully secured a new round of funding led by Samsung Next, with undisclosed financial details due to Samsung’s corporate policy. This latest investment will support Irreverent Labs in expanding its AI-driven video creation platform, enabling users to effortlessly produce engaging short-form videos.

Irreverent Labs, established in 2021, previously attracted $45 million in funding, primarily from Andreessen Horowitz. Initially, the company garnered attention as a blockchain-based startup with a robot cockfighting game that utilized non-fungible tokens (NFTs) called MechaFightClub. However, the company clarifies that the game served as a demonstration of its substantial machine learning model. This model will soon empower users to craft videos using diverse inputs, including images, text, and audio.

Rahul Sood, co-founder, and CEO of Irreverent Labs, revealed that the startup’s decision to collaborate closely with Samsung as a strategic investor stems partly from its aim to offer its API to Samsung Next portfolio companies. Additionally, Irreverent Labs plans to collaborate with Samsung’s device units to formulate an extensive distribution strategy.

Sood, an accomplished serial entrepreneur, co-founded Irreverent Labs alongside David Raskino, who currently serves as the company’s CTO. Their partnership began in 2011 during their tenure at Microsoft, where they established Microsoft Venture together. Sood later embarked on a game-related venture, while Raskino launched a venture fund in 2014.

The concept behind Irreverent Labs gained momentum after Sood’s prior company was acquired in 2021. Their vision evolved into creating an “automated entertainment company” centered around AI applications for a variety of purposes, including entertainment.

While initially focusing on AI-driven video games, Irreverent Labs recognized the broader potential of enabling users to create various short videos, including 3D content. The startup is on a mission to democratize short-form video entertainment production through AI.

Users of Irreverent’s platform can simply upload a short video prompt, such as a live photo, and the AI will generate a short, high-quality video based on those frames. In the future, the platform aims to support multiple inputs, allowing users to direct the action, add characters, audio, and their own beginning and ending frames.

Initially targeting content creators on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, Irreverent Labs intends to expand its user base to include individuals without extensive video production experience. The company also plans to cater to the developer ecosystem by releasing an API and exploring opportunities in the enterprise sector.

Samsung Next investor Joan Kim expressed excitement about the groundbreaking potential of Irreverent Labs’ technology, which bridges the gap between imagination and execution, revolutionizing content creation for mobile devices and televisions.

By Impact Lab