Layer, the AI software gateway constructed particularly for sport builders, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to make next-generation manufacturing instruments.
Layer acts because the glue for sport studios to deploy AI rapidly and effectively, with an expert suite of instruments to construct, handle and refine 2D, 3D and video property whereas considerably decreasing manufacturing time. Layer helps scale content material throughout manufacturing pipelines, making it simpler to develop and preserve video games of all kinds. It’s obtained lots of cellular sport prospects, which is why it has raised a brand new spherical of funding and is determining go after the PC and console sport studio enterprise.
“We’re the leading AI-powered tool for content creation, and we’re here for game studios,” stated Volkan Gurel, CEO of Layer, in an interview with GamesBeat. “We started off with a focus on games. We’ve become the leading solution used by mobile studios worldwide. We have super deep gaming DNA.”
An artist working with AI instruments.
Arcadia (Akin Babayigit’s new fund), and an funding automobile linked to Riccardo Zacconi (co-founder of King), led the spherical, with participation from present buyers e2.vc (previously 500 Rising Europe). Layer beforehand raised $1.8 million in November 2023.
“We’re just very excited about the funding ground. We’re very excited about the team we’re building, not just for for product development, but at the board level. We’re super excited about how we are the leaders in mobile. And I believe we will be the leaders in PC and console gaming content creation.”
Based by {industry} veterans from Unity and MIT, Layer has rapidly grow to be the main AI-powered content material creation platform for cellular studios worldwide. Since launch, greater than 200 studios, together with leaders like Zynga, Tripledot, SciPlay, Huuuge Video games and Machine Zone, have built-in Layer into their manufacturing pipelines to speed up asset creation whereas sustaining model consistency.
Embracing a number of AI fashions
Layer helps create content material quicker.
The corporate helps sport studios create content material for all the pieces from in-game property to stay ops, artwork and advertising and marketing property. It’s versatile in that it permits sport studios to make use of the best-of-breed AI fashions for various duties corresponding to 2D imagery, 3D imagery and extra in an AI manufacturing pipeline, Gurel stated.
“It’s a jigsaw puzzle. Every company has a different need, and what we built was basically is an [all-in-one] platform where all these foundation models come in. So we are model agnostic,” he stated. “We bring all these together under one umbrella and then deliver this super accessible tool for artists. And that actually also brings me to my next point, which is we try not to keep AI front and center in the product as much as the human aspect. We empower the artists.”
Gurel stated many corporations discovered our early that AI fashions have been good for producing constant output. However once you needed to edit photos, resize issues or convert a picture right into a 3D mannequin, there have been no instruments for that. That’s what Layer targeted on, Gurel stated.
Layer is constructing an AI ecosystem.
“Game studios preferred us because we had all the models. We weren’t tied to one model and limited just to what that one model could do,” Gurel stated. “We could do it all in one platform. So it gave us an advantage.”
Against this, some AI instruments get criticized for eliminating human builders.
“The vision we have of the future is an artist with taste, an art team with taste, driving this content creation and creating a differentiated offering,” he stated. “We don’t believe in a future where AI is churning out the same stuff for everyone. We believe there needs to be super controllable, deep artist involvement in whatever art is created now and in the future.”
Constructed with sport makers in thoughts from the beginning, and enterprise prepared, Layer has already grow to be the popular companion to cellular builders, the corporate stated.
“At a time that everyone was creating point solutions, we saw that the best path to effectively apply AI models to games in the most custom, flexible and long-term way, was to have a multi-modal, tool-agnostic platform,” stated Gurel. “We are the only games-specific company delivering an enterprise ready solution, and the response from the industry has been near immediate. We have quickly become the preferred partner for mobile game companies, and with our seed investment, and the support of our incredible investors Akin and Riccardo, our team will enhance our platform and expand to the broader games industry.”
The Layer group contains specialists in AI, gaming and artwork manufacturing, all targeted on constructing the very best instruments for artistic professionals so the corporate stands out with its capacity to serve sport creators. Layer helps with all the pieces from core sport growth property to stay service content material, to advertising and marketing pipelines, and gives groups a grounded AI resolution designed to resolve actual challenges, at scale, of their model type.
Layer is considered one of Lightspeed and GamesBeat’s Recreation Changers.
“Layer is the first solution I have seen to provide developers with the simplest way to bring AI into their production pipelines,,” stated King cofounder and investor Riccardo Zacconi, in a press release. “I’m impressed with the group Burcu and Volkan have constructed, in addition to Layer’s expertise and deployment pace. I’m excited to hitch this gifted group’s journey alongside fellow investor and cellular video games vet, Akin Babayigit. “
“The team at Layer fundamentally get games, and they have the right vision and momentum to create a new industry standard to transform how world-class studios are scaling game development and production with AI,” stated Tripledot cofounder and investor Akin Babayigit, in a press release. “I am excited to support Burcu and Volkan, who are executing with incredible efficiency, and to join Riccardo, who is a phenomenal entrepreneur himself.”
With this funding, Layer will proceed to ship industry-leading instruments for cellular studios whereas increasing the group and constructing options to help a variety of video games. Because the video games {industry} continues to evolve, Layer shall be laser-focused on serving to creators bridge the hole between AI innovation and sport growth.
Origins
Volkan Gurel is CEO of Layer.
The founding group contains Gurel, who’s a technologist with deep experience in AI, scalable techniques, and machine studying.
He had an engineering background from MIT and studied below AI pioneers Marvin Minsky and Pat Winston. Gurel has spent his profession on the forefront of AI-driven product growth. He has held key engineering management roles at Coinbase, the place he labored on scalable monetary infrastructure, and at Airware, the place he helped develop AI-powered options for enterprise functions. His expertise spans large-scale distributed techniques, AI analysis, and product innovation, all of which now drive Layer’s mission to carry generative AI to sport studios worldwide.
Burcu Hakguder is CRO of Layer.
He labored at Hunch, an organization cofounded by Chris Dixon. They made a advice engine utilizing machine studying to resolve the advice drawback for e-commerce. They ultimately obtained acquired by eBay, and Gurel was a part of the group that constructed the eBay merchandising system powered by machine studying.
“That’s where I got exposed to some personalization aspects of how machine learning could really help them generate a lot more revenue from a baseline once it’s applied to a use case like personalization,” he stated.
The cofounder and chief income officer is Burcu Hakguder, a enterprise chief with deep experience in constructing and scaling companies for sport studios. She drives the corporate’s development technique, forging partnerships with prime sport studios worldwide. Earlier than Layer, Burcu spent over a decade in gaming-related companies, specializing in enterprise growth and go-to-market technique.
At Unity Applied sciences, she performed a key function in constructing new income streams throughout a number of management positions, serving to set the corporate up for a profitable IPO. She has additionally labored with a number of tech startups, scaling AI-powered merchandise for the video games {industry}. As a cofounder, she drives partnerships with prime sport studios like Zynga, SciPlay, and Huuuge Video games, serving to them scale their manufacturing pipelines and proceed to develop. Gurel credited her for understanding lots of people within the {industry}.
“She’s amazing with seven years of experience in business development at Unity,” Gurel stated. “She literally knows everyone. It’s a small community and when you build that reputation of being trusted, you can set up really strong partnerships and build products with feedback in mind. That’s how we were able to get where we are with such a small team.”
The highway forward for AI
An artist utilizing Layer.
Gurel sees all types of corporations embracing AI, together with new studios with a few folks. He additionally sees larger studios utilizing the instruments to grow to be extra environment friendly. The instruments will ship video games with extra personalization, localization and maybe 10 or 100 instances extra content material, he stated. The groups that ship this content material shall be world-class groups, not simply groups with a single individual he stated.
Gurel sees AI persevering with to ship decrease prices, quicker creation and higher-quality creation going ahead, on the tempo of Moore’s Regulation, which drives chip and {hardware} innovation ahead.
“It will keep happening and we are relying on it,” he stated. “We see that over and over, so we always try to stay ahead.”
However Gurel doesn’t imagine that can put all sport builders out of labor.
“We believe the opposite. We believe that the near future will have more practical applications of AI, and it will transform how we work digitally. And our focus is on that practical aspect,” he stated. “Like, how do we help artists, game studios adapt to this future, transform digitally for content creation.”
The corporate has a group of 16 folks, and Gurel stated it’s an environment friendly group partially as a result of it’s utilizing AI in all of its disciplines throughout engineering and advertising and marketing.
“It’s the same for us as it is for our customers,” Gurel stated. “There’s all sorts of issues and blockers with AI that we know how to overcome. We use those learnings to build a great product.”
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