London-based Synthesia Ltd., an artificial intelligence video avatar platform, today announced that it has raised $200 million in a late-stage funding, bringing the company’s valuation to $4 billion.
Founded in 2017, Synthesia offers a platform that generates photorealistic lifelike video avatars of people using generative AI. The company said it will use the new Series E round to redefine how employees learn, using its specialized video-AI product.
Synthesia’s tool lets users create a personalized avatar from a webcam or smartphone capture, then pair it with a clone of their own voice. The avatar looks like them, sounds like them, and can speak on their behalf in more than 30 languages — now with a full-body mode, complete with moving arms and hands that gesture as it talks.
A library of fully AI generated people for purposes of marketing and communication is also available. It’s possible to select from more than 230 prebuilt lifelike avatars that can speak more than 140 languages.
Existing investor Google Ventures Co. led the funding round, with participation from Evantic and Hedosophia. Other current investors, including NVentures, Accel, Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, PSP Growth, Air Street Capital and MMC Ventures, also joined in the round.
The announcement confirms reports from October that the company sought and raised $200 million, led by Google Ventures.
“Synthesia was founded on two core beliefs: first, that AI will bring the cost of content creation down to zero. And secondly, that AI video provides a better, more engaging way for organizations to communicate and learn,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Victor Riparbelli. “This funding round is about scaling that vision.”
The company said the next decade will usher in a transition from static, one-way content into interactive, conversational experiences powered by AI agents. For example, kiosks, video, cellphones and more can power AI avatars that can converse and react to humans, similar to a video call.
At the same time, enterprises are currently struggling to keep up with keeping employees informed and skilled amid rapid changes in products, regulations and other opportunities. To assist with this, Synthesia has focused on conversational agents designed around education and upskilling.
“Market opportunities like this do not come along often,” Riparbelli added. “We are at a unique point in time where technology enables agents that can truly understand and respond.”
The company said early feedback from customers piloting the new agent-based products was positive. Organizations reported higher engagement compared to traditional formats. In response, Synthesia said it will make the educational agents its core strategic focus, alongside investing in further product features for its existing platform.
Image: Synthesia
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