Genies is an American AI

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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,

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, and

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. Genies also offers a

software development kit A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific t ...

(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 token A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that is recorded on a blockchain and is used to certify ownership and authenticity. It cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchai ...

s (NFTs) in partnership with celebrities such as musician Shawn Mendes. In March 2022, then-former Disney CEO

Bob Iger Robert Alan Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American media executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company. He previously was the president of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and p ...

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

aimed at gamers. Genies have been adopted by celebrities such as

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Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member o ...

, and

Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes ( , ; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013 when he posted song covers on the video-sharing platform Vine (software), Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manage ...

Funding

The company has raised $250 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture capitalists such as Breyer Capital, Bond Capital, and

. 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