Korea-based investment firm, Investment arm of Pearl Abyss

Pearl Abyss Capital

32 Ventures specializes in direct investments in early stage companies.

32 Ventures

ZASH is an evolved network of synergetic companies working together to disrupt the media and entertainment industry as we know it today. The ZASH team is managed by a group of smart, if not somewhat brazen, consummate disrupters. ZASH believes its management team has an exceptional and unparalleled ability to pivot because their knowledge and experience are steadfast and unyielding.

ZASH

HYPERREAL

Hyperreal is a metaverse studio and entertainment company that strives to provide immersive entertainment in the world of virtual appearances. The company provides A-list talent and A-list brands with a digital asset to create high watermarks of digital humans in visual effects studios, as well as control over emerging and existing new media technology, allowing animation industries to engage with a global technology audience, strengthen the connection, increase brand awareness, and boost sales.

Hyperreal Digital Inc. is a metaverse entertainment and media company specializing in creating hyper-realistic digital humans and performance spaces. The company's flagship product is the HyperModel, an ultra-realistic 3D digital human that can be customized to any age, speak any language, and perform in various digital media environments including film, TV, video games, and interactive experiences. HyperModels are interoperable across digital platforms and can be adapted into animated NFTs. Hyperreal's technology has been used to create digital versions of celebrities like Madison Beer, Paul McCartney, and The Notorious B.I.G. for virtual performances and music videos. The company has also worked on projects with brands and entertainment companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Verizon, and Simon Fuller. In April 2022, Korean entertainment company CJ ENM acquired a minority stake in Hyperreal to gain access to its technology for potential synergies with CJ ENM's content library. Hyperreal aims to empower talent and brands to maximize their value in virtual appearances and commerce within the metaverse.

CJ ENM Acquires Stake in HYPERREAL® The Metaverse Entertainment and Digital Human Studio

Can A Metaverse AI Win America's Got Talent? (And What That Means For The Industry)

How Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott Is Giving the Metaverse a Soul

Generative AI to Help Humans Create Hyperreal Population in Metaverse

An Introduction to the Hyperreal Metaverse

Hyperreal and Freeverse Receive HBAR Foundation Grant to Develop HyperDream

Imbuing emotion into human-digital interactions

Digital Humans

Hyperreal

Hyperreal® Raises $7 million in Oversubscribed Seed Funding To Expand Its Digital Human And Virtual Production Capabilities

CJ CheilJedang Corp.

CJ ENM  acquired stake of HYPERREAL which is the Hollywood’s industry leader of hyper-realistic digital humans and performance spaces for A-list talent and brands.

Hyperreal Digital Inc. is a metaverse entertainment and media company specializing in creating hyper-realistic digital humans and performance spaces. The company's flagship product is the HyperModel, an ultra-realistic 3D digital human that can be customized to any age, speak any language, and perform in various digital media environments including film, TV, video games, and interactive experiences. HyperModels are interoperable across digital platforms and can be adapted into animated NFTs. Hyperreal's technology has been used to create digital versions of celebrities like Madison Beer, Paul McCartney, and The Notorious B.I.G. for virtual performances and music videos. The company has also worked on projects with brands and entertainment companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Verizon, and Simon Fuller. In April 2022, Korean entertainment company CJ ENM acquired a minority stake in Hyperreal to gain access to its technology for potential synergies with CJ ENM's content library. Hyperreal aims to empower talent and brands to maximize their value in virtual appearances and commerce within the metaverse.

Inworld AI is a developer platform for creating AI-driven virtual characters for gaming, metaverse, and interactive experiences. Founded in July 2021 by Ilya Gelfenbeyn, Michael Ermolenko, and Kylan Gibbs, the company offers a Character Engine that uses advanced AI to build generative characters with personalities, thoughts, memories, and behaviors designed to mimic human interaction. Inworld's no-code studio allows writers, designers, and creators to easily develop AI characters that can be integrated into popular game engines like Unreal and Unity.
The company's technology goes beyond existing large language models and chatbots, orchestrating multiple machine learning models to enable multimodal character expression. Inworld's AI characters can learn, adapt, navigate relationships with emotional intelligence, have memory and recall, and autonomously initiate goals and actions. This allows for more dynamic and immersive experiences compared to traditional scripted non-player characters (NPCs) in games and virtual worlds. As of August 2023, Inworld AI had raised approximately USD 120 million in funding and was valued at over USD 500 million. The company plans to launch an open-source version of its Character Engine to further innovation in the gaming industry.
Key customers and partnerships
Inworld AI has worked with several notable companies and projects to implement its AI character technology. The company has created AI-driven NPC experiences for Team Miaozi (NetEase Games), Niantic 8th Wall, LG UPlus, and Alpine Electronics. Inworld's technology has also been used in community-created mods for popular games like Skyrim, Stardew Valley, and Grand Theft Auto V. In 2022, as part of the Disney Accelerator program, Inworld demonstrated a 'Droid Maker' prototype created in collaboration with ILM Immersive. The company's Character Engine is featured in Unity's AI Marketplace as a Unity Verified Solution, and Inworld has received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games. Additionally, Inworld AI has integrated its technology with Unreal Engine's MetaHumans to enhance character creation capabilities.

Inworld AI

Soul Machines, founded in 2016 by Greg Cross and Academy Award winner Mark Sagar, develops hyper-realistic, autonomously animated digital people powered by its proprietary Biological AI technology and Digital Brain. The company's platform enables the creation of AI-driven avatars that can interact with users in real-time through natural language processing and emotional responses. The Digital Brain contains layers of AI-driven reciprocal human systems that simulate the human nervous system, enabling realistic emotional responses and dynamic conversations. Through its Soul Machines Studio platform, users can design and deploy customized digital people that integrate with GPT 3 and four to create engaging AI experiences. As of March 2024, the average conversation length with a Soul Machines Digital Person is 20 minutes. The company offers various subscription plans ranging from a free tier to a USD 2,700 per month professional plan. In September 2023, Julie Kim replaced Greg Cross as CEO, and Mark Sagar departed his role as Chief Scientific Officer in June 2024. The company's headcount reduced from 253 in July 2023 to 70 in July 2024.
Key customers and partnerships
Soul Machines has collaborated with several major organizations including the World Health Organization, Heineken, Walden University, BankABC, and Morningstar. In the entertainment sector, Soul Machines has partnered with celebrities to create digital twins, including basketball player Carmelo Anthony, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, and K-pop star Mark Tuan. In March 2024, the company partnered with Authentic Brands Group to launch Digital Marilyn, an AI-powered version of Marilyn Monroe.

Soul Machines

DeepBrain AI is a deep-learning-based video synthesis company specializing in AI-generated virtual humans. The company's flagship product, AI Studios, enables users to create high-definition videos featuring virtual humans by simply typing a script. DeepBrain AI's technology utilizes real-time artificial intelligence and video synthesis to generate realistic human-like AI avatars, reducing the cost and time of video production while improving digital engagement quality. The platform offers over 100 AI avatars proficient in more than 80 languages and voices, catering to diverse ethnicities and professions.
DeepBrain AI's solutions have applications across various industries, including media, finance, commerce, hospitality, and education. In March 2023, the company launched AI Studios 2.0, integrating ChatGPT for enhanced script generation. This release contributed to a 900% revenue growth for the quarter and a 533% increase in the user base. DeepBrain AI also introduced AI Interview in May 2023, combining generative AI video with OpenAI's large language model to streamline the interview screening process. The company's technology has been utilized in innovative ways, such as creating an AI avatar for a person diagnosed with ALS to help them communicate and stay connected.
As of July 2023, DeepBrain AI reported significant growth, doubling its US team size over the previous year. The company has established partnerships with major technology firms, joining the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network and becoming part of Lenovo's AI Innovator partner ecosystem. DeepBrain AI's commitment to innovation has been recognized with multiple awards, including the CES Innovation Awards in 2022 and 2023.

DeepBrain AI

Digital Domain is a renowned visual effects company founded in 1993 by film director James Cameron, visual effects pioneer Scott Ross, and make-up effects creator Stan Winston. The company specializes in creating visual effects for feature films, television, and other media. Digital Domain has worked on over 500 films, including blockbusters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Dune franchise, and award-winning productions like Titanic and RRR. The company has earned three Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and has contributed to six of the top 20 highest-grossing films globally.
Digital Domain's technology portfolio includes Masquerade, a facial motion capture system used in films like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In April 2024, the company introduced Masquerade3, an advanced markerless facial capture technology that eliminates the need for tracking markers on actors' faces. This innovation aims to streamline production processes, reduce costs, and improve the quality of facial animations.
The company is expanding its focus beyond entertainment, exploring applications of its technology in sectors such as banking, education, elderly services, and tourism. In July 2024, Digital Domain announced plans to invest USUSD 26 million in a new research and development center at Hong Kong Science Park. This facility will concentrate on developing AI-powered virtual humans and advancing AI video production technology.
Despite its technological achievements, Digital Domain has faced financial challenges. After declaring bankruptcy in 2012, the company was acquired by Hong Kong-based Sun Innovation Holdings. In 2023, Digital Domain reported a 23% decline in revenue and a 45% decrease in gross profit compared to the previous year, resulting in its ninth consecutive year of financial losses.

Digital Domain

ObEN is an artificial intelligence company specializing in the creation of Personal AI (PAI) technology. Founded in 2014 and based in Pasadena, California, ObEN develops customized, intelligent digital avatars that can mimic the appearance, voice, and behavior of real individuals. The company's technology allows for the creation of digital likenesses capable of speaking in the user's voice in multiple languages, using only a small sample of speech and image data. These digital personas, known as PAIs, can be utilized in various applications including smartphone apps, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, and social networking.
ObEN's full-stack AI technology enables the rapid generation of 3D avatars from 2D selfies, complete with voice conversion capabilities and chatbot features. The company's products allow users and brands to create intelligent digital personas that can be customized to represent any person or character imaginable. ObEN's PAI Studio SaaS platform enables creators, enterprises, and developers to build, manage, and monetize unique interactive experiences using conversational, animated PAIs. This technology facilitates the economical generation of livestream, interactive, or video content.
Key customers and partnerships
ObEN has collaborated with several high-profile clients and partners. In February 2020, the company announced a partnership with Yoshimoto Kogyo, a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate, to bring AI-powered avatar technology to the Japanese market. This collaboration aimed to combine Yoshimoto's entertainment and celebrity IP with ObEN's avatar technology to revolutionize digital interactions between celebrities and fans.
ObEN has also worked with China Central Television (CCTV), creating AI avatars that appeared on the Network Spring Festival Gala in February 2019, which was viewed by nearly 300 million people. ObEN has developed celebrity avatars for Chinese music group SNH48 and formed a joint venture called AI Stars with S.M. Entertainment, Korea's largest entertainment company. This venture aims to connect celebrities with their fans through personalized AI avatars. Additionally, ObEN has worked on projects for investors and clients including SoftBank and NBA stars, demonstrating the wide-ranging applications of its technology across various industries.

ObEN

Digital humans that engage in two-way conversations for customer service and employee training

Digital humans that deliver responsive interactions for virtual events, social media, and entertainment

Interactive digital humans for applications in education, fashion, sports, and others

Digital humans for one-way customer and employee communications, including presentations, training modules, or informational videos, and the like

Digital humans as characters in movies, news reporting, virtual events, and television shows without two-way user interaction

Digital humans as characters for video games without two-way user interaction

Digital humans for applications in fashion, education, sports, and others without two-way user interaction

Several digital humans are integrated with GenAI models

NLP is used by digital humans to understand, process, and generate natural language

AI and ML are used in digital humans to process data and generate responses

Digital humans can be deployed in the metaverse for a variety of purposes, such as virtual customer service, virtual events, and virtual social interactions.

Hyperreal

Sources

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless