People are using AI video generation tools to contribute to an unexpected new viral tendency: Podcast’s specialty AI Janit talk ChildrenAnd one of the companies helping artists is so Headra,
Startup launched in 2023 provides a web-based video generation and editing suit. Its character -3 modelWhich allows users to make videos with an AI-borne character as the focus, as well as shifting styles in images and audio.
This is what people are using to make podcast videos This oneIn which an AI-based dog talks about it like to live with a new child in the house.
We are not sure how much Hedra has benefited from this trend, but it is attracting enough investor’s attention: the company said on Thursday that it has raised $ 32 million in a series A funding round led by Andresen Horovitz’s Infrastructure Fund. Its previous investors are participating in the round, and will join the board of Matt Bornstein Startup of A16Z.
The company’s founder and CEO (depicted below) Michael Lingalebach said that Techchunch Startup was inspired by the difference that he saw among companies such as synthesia, which allows users to like AI-Janit Avatar on presentations, and startups such as runways, which offer video generation tools to make small clips.
“I thought if we did something at the intersection of video generations and 3D characters, with long dialogues and better controllativeness,” he said.
Hedra launched her first video model in June 2024, and acquiring $ 10 million in seed funding from Index Ventures, Abstract Ventures and A16Z Spidrun, investor quickly attracted interest. Earlier this year, Amazon also supported the company through its venture capital arm, Alexa Fund.
Lingelbach said that launch Character -3 model in March was a big conflict point (Soon after the company signs its term sheet with A16Z), and now a lot of user is developing.
The startup wants to use fresh cash to train its next model, which says it enables better adaptation, as well as develops technology to interact with users to its AI-based characters.
The company is now focusing on attracting creators and prosecutors, and said that it has also received inbound interest from the marketing departments of enterprises.
While Hedra’s own model focuses around the character movement and expression, the app lets you employ other models such as VO2 and Kling for the video generation; Fluxes for image generation, imagene 3, sana and Idogra V2; And audio models from XIb for voice generation or cloning.
Headra’s contestants also include caption (supported by A16Z), which is more concentrated on smartphones; Graycroft-supported chuhu, who works with Hollywood studios to create animated features; Synthesia, and HaygenHedra claims that the video generated with its platform has more expressive characters than those using its competition.
Bornstein of A16Z feels that as the AI-driven video generation space develops, we will see more equipment focusing in characters, speed, voice, editing and such.
“AI companies can produce amazing clips of atmosphere and simple tasks. But they cannot generate meaningful dialogue or animation. It’s not just about making a video, it’s about making a story that resonance. It is largely below the story and characters in the story. It is the same that is the same that is building a headra,” he told in an email statement.
