DGene, a content creation startup based in San Jose, has secured $20 million in Series B funding to revolutionize content creation as metaverse development continues to advance.
The funding round was led by Alibaba Group and brings the total funding raised by the startup to over $41.3 million. The capital will be used to boost product development efforts and establish new collaborative partnerships with leaders in the entertainment industry.
Founded in 2016, DGene provides creators with AI-powered content creation and restoration tools, accelerating workflows and transforming production. The solutions offered by the startup at this time include the creation of realistic virtual beings, volumetric capture, and 3D reconstruction. Helena Packer, Senior Vice President and General Manager at DGene U.S., said about the startup’s solutions:
“We like to define our AI technology as ‘assisted’ intelligence because it builds upon and enhances creations that only humans can make, saving time and money while delivering a level of quality unmatched by other tools. Whether you’re restoring a film to stream in high definition or replicating an entire city to build upon in the metaverse, collaborating with DGene opens a world of possibilities.”
The startup has been disrupting Hollywood by demonstrating the potential of its technology not only by helping revive old films and tv shows but also by opening a world-class volumetric capture stage in Louisiana to allow the creation of 3D holograms. The assets resulting from this volumetric capture will allow content creators to innovate in multiple areas ranging from movie-making to metaverse creation.
At this time, DGene is collaborating with Jeff Apple, an experienced film producer who has participated in the production of titles like “House of Cards” and “In the Line of Fire”. Apple’s new episodic series “Secret Agent” will feature DGene’s fully AI-driven characters, a feat that will allow the startup to showcase its technology on the big stage.
