Clout Kitchen raises $4.45 million to develop AI gaming assistant

Clout Kitchen, a company specialising in creator-powered digital experiences, announced today that it successfully raised $4.45 million in its seed funding round. The funds are earmarked for the development of innovative products, including their new AI-powered offering, Backseat AI. This tool is designed to enhance the gaming experience in League of Legends by creating AI buddies that provide tips and engage players in the voice of popular gaming content creators.

The concept of Backseat AI involves real-time assistance for gamers, offering strategic guidance and entertaining commentary tailored to the player’s actions and progress. This is achievable through an AI that mimics the voice and personality of well-known figures in the gaming community. Initially launched in a limited early-access test phase in June, the full service is now available at a subscription rate of $4.99 per month, per creator-specific AI buddy. Currently, the roster of available creator voices includes Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, cosplayer and streamer Emily “Emiru” Schunk, and professional esports player Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski. The tool primarily targets League of Legends players at the entry-to-mid-level stages, aiming to improve their skills and enjoyment of the game.

Clout Kitchen CEO, Justin Gorriceta-Banusing, elaborated on the inspiration behind Backseat AI, noting how the idea emerged, in part, from Tyler1’s recent journey into fatherhood. This status shift encouraged the need for innovative interaction with fan communities while managing personal commitments. Banusing emphasised that Backseat AI addresses the challenge of creators balancing content production with community engagement, allowing fans to interact with content in a new way that doesn’t require the direct, ongoing input from the creators themselves.

The seed funding round was led by investment firms Peak XV’s Surge and a16z Speedrun with contributions from AppWorks, Antler, Hustle Fund, Founders Launchpad, Orvel Ventures, and several individual creators. Jack Soslow, investment partner at a16z Games, expressed optimism about the potential of Clout Kitchen’s offerings, stating the company aligns with a16z’s vision of how technology and gaming can reshape personal interactions and experiences.

Looking ahead, Clout Kitchen plans to expand its AI buddy concept beyond League of Legends, exploring opportunities across other gaming platforms such as World of Warcraft, as well as branching into non-gaming areas like fitness. Banusing mentioned that the company’s overarching goal is to infuse beloved creators into a wide array of experiences, echoing their guiding mantra of ‘all your favourite games, all your favourite people’.

With this substantial financial backing, Clout Kitchen is positioned to scale its team and enhance its technical infrastructure, ultimately aiming to pioneer a new way of interacting with digital content across multiple domains.

Source: Noah Wire Services