Backed by Google’s Gradient, Versed wants to help storytellers create video games using generative AI
Generative AI has undoubtedly been the big buzzword of the past year, driven in large part by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT. But while the ability to create all manner of fresh content from a simple prompt raises various societal and ethical questions, it also opens the door to myriad businesses that simply would not have been possible just 12 months ago.
Venture Capitalists (VCs) have been pouring bucketloads of cash into generative AI startups, with some investors launching dedicated funds specifically for it — just this week, Salesforce Ventures revealed it was upping its generative AI investment fund, announced in March, from $250 million to $500 million.
It’s against this backdrop that fledgling European startup Versed is looking to make its mark by allowing anyone to create their own role-playing game (RPG) simply by writing text-based stories and instructions. Versed claims that its AI interprets the narrative and assigns characters and locations from an in-house database to create immersive worlds.
Founded out of the Netherlands just four months ago, Versed is the handiwork of CTO and former Unity developer Cat Burton, and CEO Robert Gaal, a former Googler and entrepreneur with several startups to his name. In the intervening months, Versed has grown its remote-first team to seven people spread across the U.K., Denmark, Bulgaria, and the U.S. Now, in preparation for scaling the business from early-alpha to a full-fledged commercial product next year, the company today revealed that it has raised €1.6 ($1.7 million) in a pre-seed round of funding led by Google’s Gradient Ventures.
Generative AI is already making inroads into the gaming sphere. Developers have shown how they can generate original visual assets,
Read more on techcrunch.com
