Gosu.ai, the AI-driven video game coach, has raised $2.8 million for its AI-based video coach that helps players get better at playing League of Legends.
The news comes after the company last week unveiled its plans for a desktop voice assistant that proactively offers strategy, tactics, and feedback to gamers as they play League of Legends.
Gosu.ai’s virtual assistant uses machine learning to offer detailed post-match analysis with recommendations regarding training matches, weapons, and strategies. The desktop assistant, now with emotive voice and chat features, uses the same sophisticated machine learning to offer such advice in real-time.
It is currently in open beta and will be developed further with the help of community feedback. The Vilnius, Lithuania-based startup was founded by Alisa Chumachenko, the founder of Game Insight.
Brighteye Ventures led the latest funding round, with participation from Skype cofounder Toivo Annus and Gosu’s existing investors. The new round follows a $1.9 million funding round last March that included Sistema VC, Runa Capital, Ventech, and Gagarin Capital.
Gosu’s assistant predicts questions based on context and proactively provides tips and strategies in-game. The tips — like what items to buy or what abilities to learn — are often familiar, but it’s not easy to recall them and use them during speedy game sessions.
Above: League of Legends players have to remember a lot of things during real-time matches.
Gosu.ai’s voice assistant changes that. It’s seamless training and far more appealing than traditional methods, the company said. Educational videos last 30 minutes, and guides contain tens of thousands of symbols. The number of potential item and skill builds for all champions is huge.
But Gosu.ai said its voice assistant makes this information available during gameplay at the right moments, and it is tailored to an individual gamer’s data. The company said the assistant is friendly and entertaining, but it sounds fairly robotic to me in the video.
Brighteye’s lead investor Alex Spiro explained GOSU’s natural fit for their portfolio.
Above: Alisa Chumachenko is CEO of Gosu.ai.
“Part of Brighteye’s core thesis is to invest in companies leveraging cutting-edge technologies (AI and machine learning) to improve coaching and training across disciplines via real-time feedback,” Spiro said in a statement. “Gosu.ai does exactly that, targeting the burgeoning sector of competitive gaming and esports through a live AI-powered coach. We are excited to help Gosu.ai continue to support more enthusiastic gamers and to develop just-in-time learning at a massive scale.”
Brighteye Ventures closed a €50 million first fund in late 2017. Spiro and partner Benoit Wirz, working out of Paris and London, support companies at the leading edge of learning tech. Existing investments include Unistellar, Epic! and Surrogate, among others. As with Gosu.ai, these companies combine creativity and entertainment to enhance the learning experience in the classroom and beyond.
“The esports market continues to expand at an impressive clip, and Gosu.ai is well-positioned in the particularly lucrative segment,” Annus said, in a statement. “Competitive gamers must be able to study, train, and improve their play. Gosu.ai uses sophisticated technology to offer customized feedback in real-time. The company also boasts a highly qualified and trustworthy core team, whom I am happy to be backing.”
The company has raised $5.6 million to date, and it has 30 employees.
Author: Dean Takahashi
Source: Venturebeat
