Recently, the German startup Mirelo announced a $41 million seed round led by Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Mirelo focuses on developing artificial intelligence technology to add synchronized sound effects to video content, addressing the lack of audio support in current AI video creation tools.

Sound Audio

Image source note: The image is AI-generated, and the image licensing service is Midjourney.

Earlier this year, Mirelo released its AI model Mirelo SFX v1.5, which can analyze video content and add matching sound effects. This innovation has attracted the attention of venture investors who are preparing for the upcoming generative AI revolution. Although Mirelo remains under wraps with limited resources, many large companies such as Sony and Tencent have also launched video-to-sound-effect models.

CJ Simon-Gabriel, CEO and co-founder of Mirelo, said that with the new funding in place, Mirelo plans to expand its team from 10 to 20 or even 30 people within the next year to enhance its R&D capabilities and marketing strategies. To stand out in the competition, Mirelo has released its model on Fal.ai and Replicate and hopes to generate most of its revenue through API usage in the short term. Meanwhile, Mirelo is also developing a workspace for creators called Mirelo Studio, which may support professional use in the future.

While preparing for expansion, Mirelo and its investors have also noticed training data issues faced by other generative AI companies. Georgia Stevenson, an investment lead at Index Ventures, said that Mirelo develops its model using publicly available and purchased sound effect libraries and is signing revenue-sharing agreements that respect artists' rights.

Mirelo's target users are amateur creators and professionals who want to add sound effects to AI-generated videos. Mirelo uses a freemium business model, with recommended plans for creators costing around 20 euros (approximately 23.5 dollars) per month. Simon-Gabriel emphasized that the importance of sound effects in video creation is self-evident, citing George Lucas's words: "Sound is 50% of the movie experience," and noted that sound effects can shape different atmospheres for videos.

In addition, Mirelo's founding team includes several AI researchers and musicians, who plan to develop AI music generation technology in the future. However, Simon-Gabriel said that the current market demand for sound effects is stronger, so they hope to build a unique competitive advantage in this area.

Key points:

🎉 Mirelo secured $41 million in funding and will expand its team and R&D capabilities.

🔊 The new model can add synchronized sound effects to videos, enhancing the creative experience.

🤝 Mirelo pays attention to artists' rights and ensures legal use of sound effects through revenue-sharing agreements.