Genies is an American AI
avatar
Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
games technology company founded by Akash Nigam and Evan Rosenbaum in 2017. Genies' original consumer app allowed users to create fully personalized avatars to be used in apps such as
Giphy,
iMessage, and
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
.
Genies also offers a
software development kit (SDK) enabling brands to create a branded avatar experience and online marketplace directly in their apps. The company also consists of an Avatar Agency that creates digital versions of its clients.
In 2024, Genies unveiled it
Avatar Framework leveraging machine learning and advanced computer graphics to support highly customizable and compatible avatars, fashion, and props. By utilizing proprietary AutoRigging technology, the framework enables effortless avatar integration across games and Parties, creating a seamless user experience and fueling a thriving UGC ecosystem.
History
Nigam and Evan Rosenbaum co-founded a company called Blend, which made a mobile app for college students that gifted items in exchange for sharing photos.
The co-founders received an acquisition offer but declined. Shortly after, the pair began using much of Blend's proprietary technology to build Genies.
In 2021, Genies started offering
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in partnership with celebrities such as musician Shawn Mendes.
In March 2022, then-former Disney CEO
Bob Iger joined the board of the company.
In August 2022, the company released its NFT storefront, “The Warehouse.” The storefront will be open on Dapper Labs’ Flow blockchain and allows users to download the Genies Studio app to create their own avatars and buy digital fashion items to dress them. Because each item is an NFT, the original creator gets a cut of the revenue each time that item is resold and owns the intellectual property behind the design.
In 2023, Genies created a
software development kit aimed at gamers.
Genies have been adopted by celebrities such as
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
Russell Westbrook, and
Shawn Mendes.
Funding
The company has raised $250 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture capitalists such as Breyer Capital,
Bond Capital, and
Bob Iger. Genies has also received funding from other sources, such as entrepreneurs, talent agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Genies currently employs over 100 people and the company is valued at over $1 billion.
In November 2020, Japanese multinational video game developer and publisher
Bandai Namco Entertainment
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game video game publisher, publisher, and the video game branch of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. Founded in 2006 as it is the successor to Namco's home and arcade video game ...
announced a $3 million investment in Genies including an expansion in Asia.
References
External links
*{{Official website, https://genies.com/
2017 establishments in the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles
Virtual avatars