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TL;DR
- Story Engine Inc., co-founded by Bangladeshi Stanford graduate Sheikh Srijon, has secured $750,000 in pre-seed funding from Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z) to develop AI-powered webtoon and anime creation tools.
- The startup aims to democratize visual storytelling by enabling users to create consistent, controllable characters and stories across multiple panels, addressing limitations in existing AI tools.
- Story Engine Inc. has launched an alpha version (www.komiko.app) for early testers and is building a community on Discord for user engagement and feedback.
- The founders’ track record of rapidly developing successful projects, including Titans Education and Glato.ai, played a crucial role in attracting investment from A16Z.
Story Engine Inc., an AI startup co-founded by Bangladeshi Stanford graduate Sheikh Srijon, has secured $750,000 in pre-seed funding from renowned venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z). The company, founded by Srijon along with Zhizhuo Zhou and Wanrong He, aims to transform the creation of webtoons and anime using generative AI technology.
The Story Engine platform addresses key challenges faced by existing AI tools like Midjourney, enabling users to create consistent, controllable characters and visual stories across multiple panels. Srijon explains the startup’s mission, stating, “While 53% of Gen Z in the US watch anime, only a fraction of them have the tools to create their own visual stories.” He emphasizes their goal to democratize webtoon and anime creation, drawing a parallel to YouTube’s impact on video content.
This funding will support the team in scaling operational expenses and improving their AI model training. Additionally, Story Engine Inc. received Google Cloud credits worth $500,000, which Srijon notes as crucial for extending the startup’s lifeline. The partnership with A16Z provides access to valuable mentorship and networking opportunities within a community of 32 high-growth companies.
Srijon’s journey from Dhaka to Stanford University, where he studied computer science, laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial pursuits. He previously co-founded Titans Education, a platform that has helped over 100 students gain admission to top US colleges. The team’s experience with AI-driven consumer apps, including Glato.ai, which ranked #3 on Product Hunt, caught A16Z’s attention.
The startup’s alpha version, www.komiko.app, is currently live for early testers. Story Engine Inc. is fostering an active community on Discord, where users can engage, share creations, and provide feedback. As the company continues to develop its web and mobile apps, it focuses on building a strong community and developing intellectual property.
Srijon attributes their success in securing funding to the team’s demonstrated ability to rapidly develop and scale projects. He notes, “Our investor told us that they would rather invest in unknown variables with high velocity than known variables with low velocity.” This philosophy aligns with the startup’s quick development of an AI marketing tool that gained significant traction in just three weeks.
The funding and support from A16Z position Story Engine Inc. to potentially revolutionize the webtoon and anime creation landscape, making it more accessible to a broader audience of creators.
News Source: the daily star
