AI Researcher Raises $13M for 3D Model Startup
Source: techcrunch.com
AI foundation models that generate realistic images from text prompts are common. However, models creating full, coherent 3D online environments from text are emerging.
Matthias Niessner, an AI 3D model researcher, has founded SpAItial after leaving his position at the Technical University of Munich. Niessner previously cofounded Synthesia.
Funding Round
SpAItial has raised $13 million in a seed round led by Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from Speedinvest and angel investors.
The company released a teaser video showing a text prompt generating a 3D room.
Team
Ricardo Martin-Brualla, formerly of Google’s Beam platform, and David Novotny, who led Meta’s text-to-3D asset generation project, are on the team.
Competition
Competitors include Odyssey, which raised $27 million, and World Labs, valued at over $1 billion.
Niessner wants to create 3D worlds that behave like the real world, allowing interaction.
The potential applications range from digital twins to augmented reality and video game creation. The models could also be used in construction and robotic training.
SpAItial intends to have developers license the foundation model. Luke Rogers, formerly of Cazoo, is a cofounder assisting with business.
SpAItial will identify partners to work with early models and wants to see how they can use the APIs.
SpAItial is prioritizing revenue and focusing on quality over quantity in hiring. Niessner and his cofounders are working on generating larger, interactive 3D spaces.
The goal is to enable users to create video games by typing in text. SpAItial might focus on replacing CAD.