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KINO, based in San Francisco, CA, develops an AI-powered media manager and web-native video editor that organizes unstructured footage into searchable libraries using conversational language. This platform is engineered to streamline complex video production workflows by enabling seamless collaboration between human teams and AI agents. It automates critical aspects of media management while simultaneously enhancing human creativity for professionals across the filmmaking and video production industry, including editors, producers, and executives working on various Hollywood projects. The company, which maintains a focused operation with 4 employees, aims to redefine efficiency in post-production. KINO was founded in 2022 by Luke Igel and Wesley Block. Its business model centers on not specified in available sources. The firm focuses on filmmaking and video production industry, including editors, producers, executives, and Hollywood shows.
KINO has raised $6.3M across 2 funding rounds.
KINO has raised $6.3M in total across 2 funding rounds.
KINO has raised $6.3M in total across 2 funding rounds.
KINO's investors include Catherine Wood, Hyperithm, Lightning Capital, Mindfulness, Previusly, Sequoia Capital, Slow Ventures, WAGMI Ventures, 11 Tribes Ventures, Blockchain Founders Fund, LOI Venture, Forest Baskett.
KINO is a technology company building AI-powered tools for the film and video production industry, addressing inefficiencies in media management, secure distribution, and content discovery. It offers products like an AI media asset manager that organizes unstructured footage via automated metadata extraction (using computer vision and NLP for transcription in multiple languages), a secure streaming platform called ScreenKey to prevent piracy during pre-distribution, and a consumer app for interactive premieres with AI-driven recommendations.[1][2][3] KINO serves filmmakers, editors, producers, studios, distributors, and fans, solving problems like manual logging drudgery, piracy risks (costing billions annually), and poor content discoverability. The company shows growth momentum through YC Summer 2023 acceptance, seed funding from Pioneer Fund and YC, and a shift to full-time development in San Francisco, while operating as a distributed team across the US and Canada.[1][2]
KINO emerged from distinct but converging paths in filmmaking and tech. One thread traces to co-founders Luke Igel and another (likely Alex Block), who developed the AI media manager post a documentary project; they joined Harvard/MIT’s Prod Program in late 2022, then YC Summer 2023, raising seed funding and going full-time in San Francisco.[1] Separately, founder David Fannin launched a secure streaming arm after selling his home for startup capital; his brother's film industry ties (working with Jimmy Kimmel, Matt Damon, Peter Berg) exposed outdated practices like cash envelopes and piracy vulnerabilities in pre-release sharing with buyers.[2] KINO Tech Inc. was formally founded in 2022 by Austin (last name unspecified), blending these efforts into a broader platform from script to screen.[4] Early traction included enterprise studio contracts alongside indie tools, with AI aiding internal processes like user research summarization.[2]
KINO stands out in video production tech through targeted AI and security innovations:
KINO rides the AI democratization of creative workflows trend, where generative tools meet legacy media industries resistant to change—like Hollywood's "super backwards" practices of poor accounting and manual processes.[1][2] Timing aligns with exploding video content (aspirational yet inefficient field) and rising piracy threats amid streaming wars, positioning KINO to modernize pre-distribution (hundreds/thousands of secure shares) and post-production logging.[1][2][3] Market forces favoring it include AI's maturation in computer vision/NLP for nuanced footage analysis and demand for trust-building tech among skeptical creatives; it influences the ecosystem by enabling smaller filmmakers via affordable tools while securing majors, potentially accelerating industry adoption of AI as a "creative partner" rather than replacer.[1][2]
KINO's multi-product trajectory—from AI logging to secure streaming and fan apps—poises it to capture value across film production stages, with expansion into white-label OTT signaling scalable B2B growth. Upcoming trends like multimodal AI (deeper visual/audio integration) and blockchain-secured distribution will amplify its edge, while global content boom (e.g., non-English markets via multi-language support) drives momentum. Its influence may evolve from niche solver to ecosystem enabler, bridging indies and studios—if it sustains trust amid AI skepticism—ultimately transforming unstructured media chaos into efficient, secure creative flow.[1][2][3]
KINO has raised $6.3M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.4M Seed Extension in May 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2024 | $2.4M Seed Plus | Catherine Wood | Hyperithm, Lightning Capital, Mindfulness, Previusly, Sequoia Capital, Slow Ventures, WAGMI Ventures | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2023 | $4M Seed | — | 11 Tribes Ventures, Blockchain Founders Fund, LOI Venture, Forest Baskett, Sunset Ventures, Techstars, Bill Ackman, Charlie Songhurst, Genius Ventures, Metaweb Ventures, NEAR, Sequoia Capital, Slow Ventures | Announced |
