Irreverent Labs
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- AI, Gaming, Web3, Blockchain
OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, stick around to the end for a late-breaking addition to the show — a bonus segment about OpenAI's new AI video generation technology Sora. Joining the show is Rahul Sood, CEO and co-founder of Irreverent Labs, a Seattle-area startup that is working on AI to turn images and text into video. We also discuss the Seattle-area startups that are bringing employees into the office five days a week; look ahead to the upcoming release of what appears to be a juicy Amazon book, due out in April; and preview the GeekWire Awards in advance…
Seattle Startup Irreverent Labs Secures Samsung NEXT Funding After AI Video Generation Pivot
Seattle startup Irreverent Labs pivoted from an NFT-based video game to developing an AI video generation model, securing funding from Samsung NEXT. The company aims to offer API tools for creators and developers to generate video content using AI.
Seattle startups push into crypto, blockchain and Web3 amid investor caution and regulatory shifts
The article lists Seattle startups building products and services around crypto, blockchain, and Web3, noting the region’s talent but limited local investor interest and regulatory uncertainty. Industry leaders cite Seattle’s potential as a cloud-computing hub while warning entrepreneurs face funding disadvantages compared with other jurisdictions.
Unlock Venture Partners raises $60M second fund to back Seattle and L.A. startups, bringing total raised to $85M
Unlock Venture Partners, a seed-stage firm focused on Seattle and Los Angeles startups, raised a $60 million second fund and has now raised more than $85 million total to back early-stage companies including gaming, Web3 and metaverse plays.
UN PRI Report Calls for More ESG in Venture Capital as Unlock Venture Partners Launches $60M Fund for LA and Seattle Startups
Venture capital lags behind other asset classes in integrating ESG metrics, according to a new UN PRI report urging the industry to do more. Unlock Venture Partners announced a $60 million fund targeting startups in Los Angeles and Seattle, while a supply chain tech startup highlights growing market interest.
Unlock Venture Partners Raises $60 Million for Second Fund Focused on LA and Seattle Startups
Unlock Venture Partners, founded by Sanjay Reddy, Andy Liu, and Raazi Imam, has raised $60 million for its second fund targeting early-stage startups in Los Angeles and Seattle, bringing its total capital to $85 million. The fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments to support entrepreneurial talent in these cities, which lack sufficient early-stage venture capital despite their strong startup communities.
Irreverent Labs, led by Rahul Sood and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, raises $5M and unveils MechaFightClub — a Solana-based AI + NFT fighting game
Irreverent Labs, a Seattle startup led by Microsoft veteran Rahul Sood that raised a $5 million seed round backed by a16z, unveiled MechaFightClub, a Solana-based, cruelty-free play-to-earn fighting game using AI, NFTs and an in-game currency called nuggets set to release this spring. The game features unique tradable ‘mechabots,’ genetics/breeding systems, and aims to attract traditional gamers by offering character ownership and monetization.
Andreessen Horowitz hires Seattle gaming vet James Gwertzman as first Seattle-based general partner
Andreessen Horowitz has hired Seattle gaming veteran James Gwertzman as its first general partner based in the Seattle region to join the firm’s consumer investing team focused on gaming. Gwertzman, who sold PlayFab to Microsoft in 2018 and will leave Microsoft later this month, joins a16z as it doubles down on gaming alongside hires like Riot’s Jon Lai and investments such as a $5 million round in Seattle-based Irreverent Labs.
Andreessen Horowitz leads $5M round for Rahul Sood’s Irreverent Labs to build NFT, blockchain and AI-powered metaverse game
Seattle startup Irreverent Labs, led by entrepreneur Rahul Sood, raised $5 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz to build an NFT- and blockchain-based metaverse game that uses AI-powered, ownable characters and will debut its first game next month.
Rahul Sood
Rahul Sood started his first company when he was just 17 years old. VoodooPC went on to sell to HP in 2006, where he spent four years as their CTO. Rahul then spent a few years at Microsoft, where he says he “learned everything and got a crash course in how the best leaders are created.” In 2014, he started his current company, Unikrn, an esports betting and news company that’s backed by big names like Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, Elisabeth Murdoch, Shari Redstone and many others. Unikrn has received over 10 million in funding and is on the front…
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Rahul Sood Founder, Founder & CEO
