Naver's venture capital arm D2SF announced Monday that it has made new investments in two artificial intelligence startups, Bandal AI and Synapse AI.
"These two startups, both founded last year, have presented new standards in content licensing and AI workflow respectively," Naver D2SF said, explaining the investment rationale. "We focused on the changes they will bring to the market."
Bandal AI is the developer of "Cashmere," a licensing platform that connects premium content creators with AI companies. The platform protects creators' intellectual property rights while diversifying their revenue streams and helps AI companies enhance their service quality. The company currently maintains partnerships with global publishers.
Synapse AI is a startup that has built a studio to accelerate product development by connecting AI models suited for specific purposes. The company targets industries including e-commerce, entertainment, and content. Its team comprises talent from Nvidia, Google Research, and global gaming companies.
This marks the first institutional investment round since Naver D2SF's launch. Bluepoint, Laguna Investment, and Pebbles Fund participated alongside D2SF.
"We will continue to discover and invest in bold entrepreneurs who present and attempt new standards in the changing AI environment, and support their growth," said Yang Sang-hwan, head of Naver D2SF Center.