AI Entertainment Studio Promise Inks Deal With Google, Raises Investment from Michael Ovitz’s Crossbeam

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AI entertainment studio Promise recently received investments from prominent investors such as Google, Michael Ovitz’s Crossbeam Venture Partners, Kivu Ventures, and Saga Ventures.

George Strompolos, along with Jamie Byrne and Dave Clark, established Promise last year, receiving support from Peter Chernin’s North Road and Andreessen Horowitz. Known for being the CEO and founder of Fullscreen, a company focused on creators, Strompolos leads this venture. Byrne previously handled creator partnerships at YouTube, while Clark is a filmmaker who employs AI in his work.

Strompolos holds the position of CEO at the studio, whose aim is to establish a fresh studio model utilizing cutting-edge AI technology for content creation and distribution by creators themselves. It’s worth noting that North Road was among the investors in this recent funding round.

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but feel exhilarated by the recent inclusion of Ovitz’s firm in our gaming world. This move highlights just how deeply our industry, similar to Hollywood, is pondering over the transformative impact AI will have on our daily operations. However, in a statement, the CAA co-founder made it clear that the delicate balance between human ingenuity and technological advancement is crucial for our future success.

In the realm of cinematic storytelling, it is those who value filmmaking as an art form and innovatively utilize tools to push boundaries on screen that will shape the future. The team at Promise embodies this mindset, which is why I am thrilled about George, Dave, and Jamie and their endeavor.

Strompolos, co-founder and CEO of Promise, mentioned that since our debut a year ago, we’ve made significant strides in creating an environment where creativity, skill, and GenAI technology converge. We’re lucky to have backers who trust the direction we’re taking and are excited about the prospects of this innovative period.

This year, Promise took over Curious Refuge, a technology-focused film school that offers both online classes and real-world events like workshops and gatherings. Their mission is to inspire and educate filmmakers on the application of AI within their creative projects.

Beyond this, the organization has announced they’ve established a strategic alliance with Google. This relationship entails joint technical work, preliminary product testing, joint marketing initiatives, along with collaborating with Google DeepMind and their AI departments, in order to optimally employ AI to boost creativity.

Jonathan Silber, co-founder & director of the AI Futures Fund at Google, described ‘Promise’ as an innovative studio pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with generative AI. He noted that their projects involving models like Gemini and Veo are showing how this technology can elevate storytelling in cinema and open up fresh creative territories, making this collaboration a potent illustration of what can be achieved.

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2025-05-20 16:37