In an extraordinary feat, Layer, the preeminent AI-driven tool embraced by the gaming elite worldwide, has successfully amassed a substantial $1.8 million in seed funding. This financial infusion comes courtesy of prominent ad-tech and gaming luminaries, as well as venture capital powerhouses.
The brainchild of innovative minds, Layer AI, has proudly declared the triumphant closure of its inaugural seed round. This formidable round boasted the participation of serial entrepreneurs and industry titans such as Jim Payne, gaming virtuosos like Akin Babayigit, Michele Attisani, and Dilpesh Parmar, and gaming venture capitalists including The Games Fund, The Games Syndicate, GFR Fund, Laton Ventures, alongside other luminaries from the realms of AI and technology, such as 500 Global, Elena Silenok, and Taimur Rashid. The team also secured a strategic investment from the eminent U.S.-based art production and talent hub, Devoted Studios.
Dive into the Team’s Essence
Nestled in the vibrant landscape of San Francisco, Layer is the brainchild of a cadre of fervent professionals wielding decades of expertise in AI, Gaming, and Computer Vision. Volkan Gurel, an MIT-educated CEO with a rich background in engineering and management from institutions like Hunch and Coinbase, spearheads the team. Accompanying him is Burcu, the Chief Revenue Officer, who has lent her expertise to multiple client-facing roles across diverse products, spanning from advertisements to game services at Unity & LoopMe. Dr. Kuo-chin, the Chief Technology Officer, recently joined the ranks, bringing a formidable 20-year experience in Computer Vision gleaned from Appen and XMotors. Lastly, the team is enriched by Mehmet, a self-taught technical artist and game developer, co-founder of Gram Games, which found its new home with Zynga in 2018.
The team ardently believes that a compact and elite collective can outmaneuver larger counterparts, steadfastly expanding while maintaining selectivity and a laser focus on the gaming realm. Their conviction lies in the notion that driving substantial value to businesses, be they garage startups or industry behemoths, is paramount to their own triumph. Currently, they are actively seeking additions to their founding team, with details available at https://www.layer.ai/careers .
Unraveling Layer’s Uniqueness
Layer stands unrivaled in its seamless integration into art pipelines and its instinctively intuitive workflows, providing an unparalleled user experience and a formidable surge in productivity. Substantiated by glowing customer testimonials and detailed case studies, Layer emerges as the go-to tool for game creators at all proficiency levels, whether embarking on their developmental odyssey or reigning as masters of game development.
In a landscape saturated with AI tools, Layer distinguishes itself by not only addressing general use cases and foundational model training but also by offering a confluence of standout features tailored for everyday use. Many existing tools, in contrast, grapple with complexity or are ill-suited for multi-disciplinary teams, let alone being enterprise-ready.
“Layer catapults artist teams’ productivity by an astonishing 240%, accelerating art delivery to meet stringent deadlines,” attests the Production Lead at Games United.
Tripledot Studios’ VP of Creative extols, “Layer AI turbocharged our art creation, tripling our production speed and elevating quality. By minimizing our reliance on outsourcing studios, we’ve not only made substantial cost savings but have also brought the enchantment of art production in-house. We are eagerly anticipating further updates on this groundbreaking technology.”
Accelerated Imagination Unleashed
Layer doesn’t merely facilitate speed but propels creativity to new heights. An artist at APPS Teknoloji enthuses, “Our art pipeline is not just faster; the diverse variations Layer offers have been instrumental in expanding our creative potential and exploring innovative ideas.”
Layer empowers artists to generate images aligned with their unique styles, allowing seamless iterations through its premier AI-assisted canvas. It stands as the sole generative AI solution embraced by the teams of the world’s largest mobile gaming studios. The focus is crystal clear: style-consistent output quality, swift generation, and an intuitive interface dedicated to resolving game artists’ challenges through AI.
Volkan Gurel, the visionary CEO, envisions the AI revolution akin to the transformative eras of Web 2.0, Cloud computing, or mobile technology. He asserts, “AI has unveiled myriad applications that will be built upon this new tech stack. Our plan is to emerge victorious by crafting the ultimate product experience for artists in the enterprise, harnessing the power of foundational models and tools from OpenAI, Meta, Stability AI, and other trailblazers. We are creator-first, enterprise-ready, and unwaveringly model-agnostic.”
What Lies Ahead?
While Layer concentrates on perfecting 2D generation for mobile games, followed by AAA studios, the forward-thinking team already contemplates the future. Layer’s trajectory includes generating spine and sprite animations from text, images, and other animations, expanding further into 3D workflows. Additionally, Layer will weave integrations into non-gaming workflows such as marketing and advertising.
Layer remains committed to delivering style-consistent output quality and seamless workflow integrations, liberating artists from redundant operational overheads. Burcu Ozcengiz, the Chief Revenue Officer, asserts, “AI has unlocked a plethora of opportunities for gaming, and we want Layer to be the most accessible tool, delivering the fastest return on investment.”
Layer currently boasts an impressive clientele, serving top-tier clients like Tripledot, Sciplay, Mag Interactive, and countless professional artists since its launch in February 2023. The team is diligently fortifying its compliance program, aiming for SOC 2 and ISO certification to further solidify the security and reliability of their enterprise offering.
Investors Weigh In
Maria Kochmola, General Partner at The Games Fund, reflects on the transformative potential of Gen-AI tools in game development. She commends Layer.AI for standing out by enhancing, not replacing, human artistry, emphasizing the liberation of creators from mundane tasks. The focus on enterprise clients and seamless integration into existing production pipelines resonates with her perspective.
About Our Esteemed Investors:
Jim Payne, through Breakpoint Capital
Jim Payne, through Breakpoint Capital, champions seed financing for founders by founders, leveraging their operational experience to guide companies from inception through Series A. For more info, please visit https://www.breakpointcap.com/
500 Global
500 Global, under the broader 500 Global network, invests in early-stage emerging European companies, fostering their growth on a global scale. For more info, please visit https://500.co/
Elena Silenok
Elena Silenok, a developer, entrepreneur, and angel investor, is passionate about technology’s role in shaping culture and creating a better future. Her diverse portfolio includes ventures in AI, security, consumer tech, and defense tech.
Laton Ventures (10 gaming founder LPs)
Laton Ventures, with its network of successful gaming founder LPs, empowers early-stage opportunities and provides robust operational support to its portfolio companies. For more info, please visit http://www.laton.vc/
The Games Fund
The Games Fund, headquartered in New York and Cyprus, leads in gaming VC funding, supporting innovative early-stage game and game-tech companies.
The Games Syndicate
The Games Syndicate, a global group of individuals, supports startups in the games industry with early-stage capital, advice, and mentorship. For more information, please visit https://riyadhsyndicate.com/
Devoted Studios
Devoted Studios, a U.S.-based production management studio, specializes in optimizing external development, making the process pain-free. For more information, please visit https://devotedstudios.com
Dilpesh Parmar
Dilpesh Parmar, with a decade of experience in leading mobile content companies, co-founded Aequus and currently serves as Director of Product at Moloco.
Michele Attisani
Michele Attisani, co-founder of FACEIT, led the competitive gaming platform with over 30 million users, emphasizing B2B partnerships and media.
GFR Fund
GFR Fund, an SF-based venture capital firm, specializes in future gaming, entertainment, and consumer tech, with notable investments in RTFKT, VRChat, and Omeda Studios. For more info, please visit https://www.gfrfund.com/
Taimur Rashid (Recursion Venture Capital)
Taimur Rashid, founder of Recursion Venture Capital, focuses on emerging data technologies, AI/ML, and developer platforms and tools.
Sebastien Borget
Sebastien Borget, Co-founder and COO of The Sandbox decentralized Metaverse, brings the virtual world to life through NFTs and SAND, the platform’s utility token.
Akin Babayigit
Akin Babayigit, Co-Founder of Tripledot Studios, boasts a wealth of experience from Facebook, Activision Blizzard King, McKinsey, and Skype, with a focus on angel investing in tech startups.
Layer AI’s journey is not just a testament to technological prowess but a harmonious symphony of visionary leadership and strategic partnerships, poised to redefine the landscape of game art production.
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