3D generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platform Atlas officially launched following two years of operating in stealth, the company announced on Tuesday.
The forward-thinking platform partnered with numerous brands and developers to build immersive spaces and experiences in a fraction of the time of traditional methods.
Atlas’ announcement comes after funding rounds led by 6th Man Ventures (6MV) and Collabo+Currency, totalling $4.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
The series of fundraisers has also attracted some of the world’s top investment companies like Square Enix, a16z Soucting Fund via Shrapnel, Gaingels, Contango, New Renaissance Ventures, GFR Fund, and Wagmi Ventures.
Capital raised will help expand Atlas’ portfolio of developer solutions, including those designed to rapidly upscale asset development nearly 200 times and cut production times in half.
Also, numerous entities joined the funding round, including Flamingo DAO, Landvault, Monaverse, Neon DAO, Founders Inc, and Slope Fund.
Strategic angel investors have included:
- Timmu Tõke, Chief Executive and Co-Founder, Ready Player Me
- Abel Mathew, Former Chief Executive and Co-Founder, Backtrace and Former Chief Technology Officer, Sauce Labs
- Geoff Renaud, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder, Invisible North
Atlas and GenAI for Creating Virtual Realms
Atlas is a Vienna, Austria-based firm and platform that has developed virtual ecosystems and experiences for extended reality (XR) developers.
For the proprietary software platform, in-house developers have leveraged over 50 years of total experience in the gaming, AI, and design industries. This has led to a novel tech stack aimed at enhancing its intuitive functionality and streamlining workflows for its users.
It also provides a self-service 3D AI creator platform capable of meeting the demands of enterprise users.
This has involved partnerships with some of the world’s largest AAA gaming studios such as Consortium 9, Shrapnel, and Square Enix, with the latter two becoming key investors.
GenAI tools engines integrated into the platform can build immersive virtual worlds, designs, and real-time 3D (RT3D) assets on the fly. This also includes creative content consistent with current intellectual property (IP) and readily deployable assets to any location.
Atlas is a platform for exclusive use by enterprise and commercial users. Alpha testing will launch over the coming months, according to the company.
In addition, the platform’s technology received a research grant to develop the platform to comply with Ethical Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. The European Union High-Level Expert Group on AI outlined the Guidelines for the regulatory framework in 2019.
Comments on Atlas Platform Debut
Speaking on the debut of the Atlas platform, Ben James, Chief Executive, Atlas, explained,
“We’re thrilled to partner with such innovative leaders who share our vision for the future of content creation. With our official launch and round close, Atlas will continue to develop our 3D AI using our unique, creator-first systemic approach so we can help more builders create the next evolution of gaming and virtual experiences”
Mike Dudas, Founder and General Partner, 6MV, noted that online experiences were “rapidly evolving” and that Atlas would remain “at the forefront of the next generation of AI-supported development.”
He added,
“Altas’ team and technology stand above the rest of the market and are revolutionizing the way virtual worlds are created and experienced. We’re excited to partner with them on their mission to build a boundless future”
Furthermore, Hideaki Uehara, General Manager of Investment and Business Development, Square Enix Holdings, stated that “the rising cost of game development has been challenging for the entire game industry.”
However, generative AI was set to help “streamline the process in new and exciting ways,” Uehara said.
He concluded: “We are excited about Atlas’ unique technology and look forward to seeing how it might unlock efficiencies in our business.”
Finally, Brooks Brown, Founder and Chief Executive, Consortium 9, said in a statement that with its NOR platform, the company had to “destroy our entire game every few months” and rebuild entire cities with “tens of thousands of buildings in a unique and new architectural style.”
Brown added: “The very idea is absurd and impossible – at least it was. Thanks to Atlas’ pipeline, the absurd is not only plausible, but without compromise.”
Atlas Key Investor Updates
Regarding some of the key partner investors, Ready Player Me remains one of the world’s premier enterprises for interoperable avatar technologies.
Recently, the company debuted a Premium Skins Catalogue in partnership with the Warner Music Group (WMG), Universal Music Group’s Bravado merchandise subsidiary, Rovio’s Angry Birds, McLaren Racing, and ITV Studio’s The Voice franchise.
For the deal, Ready Player Me unveiled a massive wearables catalogue where developers can create content to monetise via sales on metaverses, games, and other platforms.
The deal seeks to create a thriving ecosystem of creative content with a clear objective of earning new revenue sources for developers from key entertainment and gaming firms.
Additionally, Square Enix partnered with chipmaker and components giant Qualcomm Technologies to develop a huge XR experience.
The former will develop the content for its network of studios and IP portfolio, using technologies from its Advanced Technology Division (ATD) and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon spaces XR Developer Platform.
