London-based Oh has won the backing of less risk-averse investors
Meet the AI OnlyFans: How one startup raised millions to build an ‘erotic companions’ platform | Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Meet the AI OnlyFans: How one startup raised millions to build an ‘erotic companions’ platform --- When AI erotic companion startup Oh raised a $4.5m funding round in January, it had something few in the shadowy new sector could boast. A roster of named investors, publicly backing the company. VCs are often bound by “vice clauses”, which prohibit firms from investing in controversial products like pornography or weapons. As a result, startups working on ethically contentious products often rely on angel investors and family offices to stay afloat. But Oh, which generates NSFW adult content and conversations with both fictional characters as well as bots based on real people, has tapped into a group of seemingly less squeamish investors: crypto VCs. It’s drawn backing from the likes of Tangent, Kosmos Ventures, Big Brain Holdings, Bodhi Ventures and Tagus Capital. “Raising money for a business like this from non-crypto VCs is very difficult,” says Oh founder and CEO Nic Young, who positions the startup as a “decentralised platform” and offers payments via crypto. “A lot of crypto VCs don’t have vice clauses — it’s more liberal and free.” Oh wants to use those fresh funds to build the “AI OnlyFans”, with plans to roll out autonomous scantily clad bots that can market themselves on social media and direct message users with spicy conversation starters. The biggest challenge? Convincing enough users it’s not that weird turning to AI when you’re looking for romance. https://lnkd.in/eRF7a5Dn
Sidecar funds, corporate vehicles, club deals: how do startup studios get financed?
As explained in The Rise of Startup Studios, a white paper published by The Global Startup Studio Network in 2019, the term “startup…
‘She never sleeps’: This platform wants to be OnlyFans for the AI era | CNN Business
OhChat is an eight-month-old startup using artificial intelligence to build lifelike digital doubles of public figures, coming amid growing concerns around AI’s role in intimacy and labor.
‘She never sleeps’: This platform wants to be OnlyFans for the AI era | CNN Business
OhChat is an eight-month-old startup using artificial intelligence to build lifelike digital doubles of public figures, coming amid growing concerns around AI’s role in intimacy and labor.
Inside OnlyFans’ Limited Venture Capital Options — And How VC Would Handle An OnlyFans 2.0
Did the pursuit of venture capital millions lead to a shocking pivot by OnlyFans? The creator platform surprised the online world on Thursday when it announced that it would ban sexually explicit content from its site starting in October after such content propelled the site to cultural relevance — and runaway sales growth — during the pandemic. […]
UK Horizons: FRC — Renaissance Philanthropy – A brighter future for all through science, technology, and innovation
Successful coordinated research programmes, like those at ARPAs, have often resulted from exceptional contractors. Many of the best contractors leveraged organisational models uncommon in academia or VC-funded startups. They combined technical ambition, a willingness to build real technology for actual users, and flexible management structures all under one roof to tackle ambitious R&D problems which made the programs a success. These organisations were driven by the pursuit of an ambitious North Star technical vision, not revenue-maximisation. And they pursued this vision with a mix of contracts and grants. We call organisations that do this Frontier Research Contractors (FRCs). Two of ARPA’s most impactful programmes, the original internet and autonomous vehicle projects, were both led by FRCs. FRCs are also often referred to as 'BBNs' by researchers, inspired by the early internet (ARPAnet) contractor, Bolt, Beranek & Newman.
Startup Punditry’s 25 Years of Failure
Startup pundits sold us a failed science of entrepreneurship. The Red Queen offers something better.
NSFW AI chatbot startup Oh scores £3.7m - UKTN
Oh, a startup that allows users to chat with AI-generated model characters, has announced a $4.5m (£3.7m) seed funding round.
The Connections That Turned a Precocious Teen Into the Fallen ‘Nostradamus of AI’
A 24-year-old investor hailed as a visionary attracted billions—before turning into Wall Street’s latest cautionary tale.
These billion-dollar AI startups have no products, no revenue and eager investors
A new wave of startups some have dubbed “neolabs” are focusing on long-term research and developing new AI models over immediate profits.
These Billion-Dollar AI Startups Have No Products, No Revenue and Eager Investors
A new wave of startups some have dubbed “neolabs” are focusing on long-term research and developing new AI models over immediate profits.
Startups Target the Tricky Task of Making AI Seem More Human
Simulated human behavior companies raise millions
Vylit Raises $2.7 Million In Funding Led By Windmill Chain Fund With Investors Manifest Financial And Aaron Day
Vylit, a new AI-powered platform for the adult-friendly creator economy, has raised $2.7 million in funding led by Windmill Chain Fund, with participation from angel investors including Manifest Financial and Aaron Day, CEO and founder of Amaze. Founded by former OnlyFans CEO Amrapali (Ami) Gan and Kailey Magder, Vylit aims to make monetization more accessible for emerging creators by combining the discoverability of platforms like Instagram or TikTok with the creator tools of OnlyFans. The web-based platform, set to launch in December 2025, will allow adult-oriented but non-explicit content and use AI image generation to help creators engage with and grow their audiences. INVESTORS: Windmill Chain Fund, Manifest Financial & Aaron Day AMOUNT: $2,700,000 HQ: #NewYork #NY #NewYorkCity #NYC #VentureCapital #Vylit #AmrapaliAmiGan #KaileyMagder #WindmillChainFund #ManifestFinancial #AaronDay#TradedVC
HOME | A-Force Ventures
A-Force Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in female-led consumer, internet, and mobile startups.
Machines of Buying and Selling Grace - Adam Behrens, New Generation
Joseph Jacks bets on open source startups, a 'paradox of philanthropy and capitalism' | TechCrunch
Joseph Jacks and OSS Capital have sought some of the earliest stage open source startups, and funded them through their formative years.
