Sekai

Sekai is a generative AI-powered social entertainment platform that allows users to create, share, and experience immersive, interactive stories. The company was founded in 2024 by CEO Ziang “Lucky” Zhang and co-founder Arthur Cheung. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Zhang is a serial entrepreneur with previous ventures acquired by Apple and TikTok, while Cheung was a founding member of TikTok. Their backgrounds include experience at companies like Google, Mobike, and leading a major competitor to TikTok in Latin America.

The platform, currently in its alpha phase, enables users to design anime-style characters, generate stories with AI, and roleplay as various characters. It focuses on what the company calls a "what you imagine is what you get" experience, empowering users who may not consider themselves creators to build and interact with endless worlds. Key features include custom character creation, automated story generation, voice cloning for characters, and the ability to turn images into avatars. The application is geared towards fans of anime, gaming, and fanfiction, offering templates for genres like adventure, romance, and fantasy. Users can share their creations as videos and connect with a community of other creators.

Sekai operates on a free-to-use model, aiming to build a user-centric platform that encourages content generation and social interaction. While currently free with minimal ads, the business model may evolve to include premium services for enterprises, such as analytics and customized experiences, potentially on a subscription basis. The company has received backing from prominent venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Mayfield, and A*. Sekai was part of the a16z SPEEDRUN accelerator and has raised $9.2M in funding.

Keywords: Generative AI, social entertainment, interactive storytelling, fanfiction, anime, roleplaying game, character creation, AI story generation, voice cloning, content creation platform, user-generated content, immersive experiences, Andreessen Horowitz, a16z, Mayfield, serial entrepreneur, TikTok, Apple