GOSU.AI Raises $2.8M in Funding Round Led by Brighteye Ventures

GOSU.AI, the company behind an AI-driven video coach, has announced its most recent funding round of $2.8 million led by Brighteye Ventures, the leading European ed-tech VC. Skype co-founder Toivo Annus and GOSU’s existing investors also participated in the round.

Image credit: Gosu Data Lab

GOSU.AI provides its users personalized, AI-driven tools and guidance, enabling them to improve their competitive gaming skills through detailed analyses of matches. Recently, the platform introduced a desktop voice assistant to further improve users’ skills in real time by proactively offering strategy, tactics, and feedback to gamers as they play. The assistant knows users’ data, assigns tasks, congratulates achievements, and offers motivation, in addition to telling the gamer how to progress and where to focus improvement.

The company was founded by Alisa Chumachenko, one of the world’s top gaming experts. She is also the creator and former CEO of Game Insight, one of the largest mobile game developing companies, which she grew to over $100 million in revenues. Game Insights employed 900 developers across 14 studios; 350 million people have played games developed by the company.

Alex Spiro

Partner at Brighteye Ventures

“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. 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.”

“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. 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.

Through this financing round, Toivo Annus joins Brighteye and GOSU’s existing investors as well. Annus oversaw Skype’s engineering team from inception until the company’s acquisition by eBay. Since then, he has moved to the other side of the table; he was instrumental in the development of Ambient Sound Investments, a private asset management partnership, before focusing on his personal investments.

“The esports market continues to expand at an impressive clip, and GOSU.AI is well-positioned in particularly lucrative segment,” Annus said. “Competitive gamers must be able to study, train, and improve their play. GOSU 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 new capital follows a $1.9 million round from Sistema_VC, Runa Capital, and Ventech last March, and backing from Gagarin Capital.

“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”.