Temasek leads $40m round for virtual human startup Soul Machines

Soul Machines, an AI research company, today announced that it has raised US$40 million in a series B financing round led by Singapore’s Temasek.

Lakestar and Salesforce Ventures, along with existing investors Horizons Ventures and University of Auckland Inventors Fund, also participated in the round.

Photo credit: Soul Machines

Founded in 2016, Soul Machines combines AI, computational brain models, and experiential learning to develop its autonomous animation platform. It can create lifelike, emotionally responsive “digital heroes,” or virtual humans, with personality and character that allow machines to talk to humans face to face.

The market for artificial general intelligence – which focuses on enabling machines to perform any task that a human can – is expected to be valued at around US$144.2 billion globally, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 41.6% from 2016 to 2026.

Soul Machines said it plans to use its new capital to continue expanding and increasing its operating footprint globally, with a specific focus on research and development.

The startup has deployed its HumanOS platform and created digital heroes for some global brands in retail, automotive, banking and finance, software and technology, healthcare, energy, and education industries.

Businesses can use the platform to create a digital version of their ambassadors or an entirely digital employee, like a service agent, to interact with fans or customers.

New Zealand-based Soul Machines has over 120 employees, with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Auckland.

The company secured US$7.5 million in a series A funding round led by Horizons Ventures in 2016.