Plask Plask
BusinessTechTools

Plask, Whose AI-Based Tech Converts Video Into Animation, Raises $2.6M

| | Be the First to Comment!

South Korean tech startup Plask has raised US$2.56 million in pre-Series A funding, as it prepares to bring its automated animation tool to the market.

The technology eliminates the necessity for motion capture by creating animation directly from video motion.

Here are the details:

  • The funding round was led by Smilegate Investment, which was joined by existing investor Naver, as well as new investors KT Investment and Timewise Investment.
  • The company’s web-based Shoot tool automatically converts live-action footage into animation, using deep learning to refine accuracy. Keyframes can then be manually touched up.

  • Founder and CEO Junho Lee told the Maeil Business Newspaper that a three-minute clip of animation with ten characters, done manually, costs around 45 million won (USD$40,268). He claims Shoot brings the cost down to between 30,000 and one million won (USD$25-850).
  • Central to Plask’s pitch is that Shoot can meet growing demand for characters in the metaverse — a cross-platform digital space users inhabit in avatar form — and “interactive virtual entertainment.”
  • Plask’s software is currently in beta-testing mode at animation studios, game developers, and other companies. It is due to launch by the end of the year.
  • Lee said in a statement, “We plan to use our pre-Series A investment to aggressively recruit key talent. Just as the design tool Figma became a standard tool for UI/UX design in just five years, Plask plans to disrupt the global content industry by providing an excellent user experience and solid AI technology.”

Latest News from Cartoon Brew