Clout Kitchen

what happens when you get a former pro LoL player, an AI companion coach of tyler1, and a 2x startup founder together? pure magic (and some chaos) peep at what Justin Gorriceta-Banusing and Marcel Feldkamp are building this speedrun (+ congrats to their recent $4.45M raise!)

We’re thrilled to share the news of our US$4.45 million seed co-led by A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN and Peak XV Partners, with participation from AppWorks, Antler, Hustle Fund, Founders Launchpad, Orvel Ventures, and founders & creators like Gabby Dizon (YGG), Kun Gao (Crunchyroll), Voyboy, Jankos and Perkz.? Grateful for the support in our mission of unlocking infinite scale for creators and new ways to engage with their community – starting with Backseat AI, co-built with Tyler1. Fan-favorite creators like Emiru and Jankos are joining in the fun too! In the coming months, we’re excited to grow our team in Los Angeles and build our tech stack to bring more creator-powered apps and experiences to life. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_2ZBw7M ?? Check out Backseat AI: https://backseat.gg

In August last year, a 23-year-old walked into the AppWorks office and said he had only booked a one-way flight ticket from Manila. Crashing at the co-working space AppWorks offered at a very low cost for startup founders, Justin Gorriceta-Banusing had just parted ways with his previous startup, AcadArena, a venture-backed gaming community in the Philippines. We began to know Justin and witnessed how he started envisioning his new startup idea, now Clout Kitchen. Justin is young, but he’s had 9 years of entrepreneurial experience in the gaming industry. Likewise to his co-founder, who made his name a top eSport athlete during his teenage time. Marcel Feldkamp retired at age 21 and later on ran his own gaming talent agencies, one of which—Press X—had a great exit being acquired by the Hollywood-based United Talent Agency. These two gaming veterans, this time partnered with the youngest venture-backed founder in the Philippines, Gabriel Henry Lopez.? Clout Kitchen is seizing this right moment to be part of the next evolution in gaming: AI companionship. People used to rely on watching the best players on Twitch to learn and sharpen their skills. Now, the best players can impart their time-honoured knowledge and expertise to an AI model. We could say the last big disruption in gaming was Twitch, which made it possible to watch your favourite gamers play any game at almost any time. Now, AI companionship is taking it a step further—allowing you to actually play with your favourite gamer anytime. That’s why Clout Kitchen’s recent beta launch, Backseat AI, received great attention, earning 3 million views across multiple platforms.??? In 2021 there was Axie Infinity built on blockchain from Vietnam, in 2024 we are excited to see Clout Kitchen powered with AI from the Philippines. Gaming often stands at the forefront of new technologies, offering a strong opportunity for Southeast Asia startups to leapfrog into a blue ocean. Our Principal,?Sophie Chiu,?wrote this piece. She talked about why we invested in Clout Kitchen leading their Pre-Seed round back in December 2023 prior to their latest round with a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV Partners. Article link ?? https://bit.ly/3Y8LJ8p

Manila-based consumer AI startup Clout Kitchen is making waves as the first Filipino company accepted into Andreessen Horowitz's (a16z) renowned A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN tech x games accelerator program. This achievement comes with a significant funding boost of US$1.2 million (PHP69 million). Founded in 2024, Clout Kitchen specializes in creating interactive experiences powered by creators. They partner with top gaming and pop culture personalities to develop innovative ways for creators to engage with their audiences and fandoms. Read now on The Independent Investor.?https://lnkd.in/gMavm6qR #investment #fundraise #ArtificialIntelligence #gaming #accelerator #tech

?????? ?????? ?????????: Filipinos are commonly top audiences for gaming content creators ???? ?? Meet David Constantine Viray?, Chief of Staff of Clout Kitchen and former League Pro Player. David shares with us a fun fact about the game streaming industry and what the team at Clout Kitchen aims to achieve in the months ahead.? ?? Clout Kitchen? is unlocking infinite fun and possibilities for creators and communities with Backseat AI, launched in partnership with top League of Legends streamer Tyler1. #fyp #founderslaunchpad #foryou #startups #tech #ai

Last Friday, we celebrated the launch of Backseat AI with Proxy and friends from the creator space at WePlay Studios! ?? No better place to be building at the intersection of gaming, AI, and the creator economy than in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for what's been cooking! ?? Learn more about Backseat AI and sign up for early access at https://backseat.gg.