Next time you apply for a job, your initial interview and training sessions might be with a talking bot.
That's the vision of Synthesia, an artificial intelligence startup in London that creates digital humans for businesses. Synthesia's software lets clients turn written scripts into presentations that feature realistic-looking video avatars. Now the company plans to offer interactive audio-visual "agents" - avatars that can go beyond a script to carry on conversations in specific topics, starting with sales training before expanding into recruiting and other corporate communication.
To fund that technology, Synthesia has raised $200 million in financing at a $4 billion valuation, the company said on Monday. Earlier backer GV, Alphabet Inc.'s fund, led the round, which includes a tender offer for employees and participation from existing investors Nvidia Corp. and Accel. New investors Hedosophia and Evantic Capital also joined the round. The funding nearly doubles Synthesia's valuation from a year ago.
Victor Riparbelli, Synthesia's chief executive, described the new product as a way to meet the demand from companies to "upskill" employees using automation. "We're providing one part of the solution today," he said in an interview. "The problem is that the other part - the role-playing, the coaching, the feedback - has to be done by humans."
Synthesia is one of the leading startups that will serve as a test case of whether generative AI can successfully sell into enterprises, something public investors are watching closely as they judge the financial prospects of the sector. While the tech has captivated the corporate world, few AI firms have shown profits or significant traction in business sales. Video AI, in particular, is a costly, competitive field that's drawing increasing interest from larger tech companies.
In October, The Information reported that Adobe Inc. held talks with Synthesia about a $3 billion acquisition. Riparbelli declined to comment on those discussions. The publication also reported earlier on parts of Synthesia's fundraising plans.
Formed in 2017 by Riparbelli and three researchers, Synthesia searched for a steady business model until the arrival of ChatGPT. The startup has since used that product and other chatbots to develop avatars that can speak in multiple languages for human resources training, marketing pitches or other workplace programs.
That's the vision of Synthesia, an artificial intelligence startup in London that creates digital humans for businesses. Synthesia's software lets clients turn written scripts into presentations that feature realistic-looking video avatars. Now the company plans to offer interactive audio-visual "agents" - avatars that can go beyond a script to carry on conversations in specific topics, starting with sales training before expanding into recruiting and other corporate communication.
To fund that technology, Synthesia has raised $200 million in financing at a $4 billion valuation, the company said on Monday. Earlier backer GV, Alphabet Inc.'s fund, led the round, which includes a tender offer for employees and participation from existing investors Nvidia Corp. and Accel. New investors Hedosophia and Evantic Capital also joined the round. The funding nearly doubles Synthesia's valuation from a year ago.
Victor Riparbelli, Synthesia's chief executive, described the new product as a way to meet the demand from companies to "upskill" employees using automation. "We're providing one part of the solution today," he said in an interview. "The problem is that the other part - the role-playing, the coaching, the feedback - has to be done by humans."
Synthesia is one of the leading startups that will serve as a test case of whether generative AI can successfully sell into enterprises, something public investors are watching closely as they judge the financial prospects of the sector. While the tech has captivated the corporate world, few AI firms have shown profits or significant traction in business sales. Video AI, in particular, is a costly, competitive field that's drawing increasing interest from larger tech companies.
In October, The Information reported that Adobe Inc. held talks with Synthesia about a $3 billion acquisition. Riparbelli declined to comment on those discussions. The publication also reported earlier on parts of Synthesia's fundraising plans.
Formed in 2017 by Riparbelli and three researchers, Synthesia searched for a steady business model until the arrival of ChatGPT. The startup has since used that product and other chatbots to develop avatars that can speak in multiple languages for human resources training, marketing pitches or other workplace programs.
