AI Video Generator Irreverent Labs, Backed by a16z, Secures Funding from Samsung Next

Generative artificial intelligence (AI), which produces content ranging from text and images to videos, continues to gain momentum. Major tech companies and startups around the world are aggressively competing to launch innovative AI-driven chatbots, text-to-image generators, and video creation tools.

One notable contender is Irreverent Labs, a startup based in Bellevue, Washington. Their cutting-edge AI technology empowers users to effortlessly create videos. Recently, the company secured a new round of funding, led by Samsung Next, but the exact amount raised remains undisclosed due to Samsung’s corporate policies.

This funding round is not Irreverent Labs' first; the company, founded in 2021, raised $45 million last year from Andreessen Horowitz. Initially characterized as a blockchain company, Irreverent Labs was known for its robot cockfighting game, MechaFightClub, which utilized non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, the company now clarifies that this game was primarily a demonstration of a substantial machine learning model designed to facilitate video creation from various inputs—including images, text, and audio—set to launch later this year.

According to co-founder and CEO Rahul Sood, aligning with Samsung as a strategic investor will provide access to Samsung Next’s portfolio companies interested in utilizing Irreverent’s API. Additionally, the partnership will allow the startup to collaborate with Samsung’s device divisions to devise a comprehensive distribution strategy, Sood explained.

A well-known serial entrepreneur, Sood co-founded Irreverent Labs with David Raskino, the company's current CTO. The pair first crossed paths at Microsoft in 2011 while establishing Microsoft Ventures. After leaving Microsoft for a gaming venture, Sood transitioned into the startup landscape, while Raskino founded a venture fund in 2014.

Conversations about Irreverent Labs intensified following Sood’s previous company's acquisition in 2021. “While David aimed to develop an AI application for business purposes, I was more focused on entertainment,” Sood shared, leading to the concept of Irreverent Labs as an “automated entertainment company.”

Although the startup initially harnessed AI for video game development, they recognized a broader opportunity in enabling users to generate various types of short videos, including 3D content. “At Irreverent, our mission is to empower anyone to create compelling short-form video entertainment with AI,” Sood stated. “Users will be able to visit our website and upload a brief video prompt, like a live photo. Our AI will then generate a short, high-quality video from these images. It’s incredibly straightforward.” (Irreverent plans to reveal the website's name later this year.)

Eventually, users will be able to utilize multiple inputs, such as text for directing actions, incorporating characters, audio, and customizing start and end frames they upload. “We’ll generate the video content to fill in the gaps,” Sood added.

Initially, Joe targets existing content creators who frequently produce short-form videos for platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Moving forward, Irreverent anticipates that its AI foundation will allow individuals without traditional video production skills to create short video content. The company also aims to cater to the developer ecosystem with its upcoming API and enterprise-level customers.

“The opportunities presented by Irreverent Labs’ technology are tremendous, with far-reaching implications for the mobile devices we carry and the televisions in our homes,” remarked Joan Kim, an investor at Samsung Next. “This innovative model transforms concepts into reality, bridging the gap between imagination and implementation.”