Moonvalley, an AI research company that says it is developing “ethical” foundational AI video models trained exclusively on licensed content, announced $84 million in additional funding led by existing investor General Catalyst.

The round includes strategic investments from CAA and Comcast Ventures, as well as AI cloud company CoreWeave. Existing investors Khosla Ventures and YCombinator also participated in the round, which brings Moonvalley’s total funding to $154 million.

Moonvalley last week publicly launched its AI video model, Marey, which the company claims is the industry’s “first production-grade AI generative videography platform built for professional filmmakers and visionary brands.” According to Moonvalley, the company works with its filmmaking arm, Asteria — led by Bryn Mooser — to develop tools tailored for filmmakers and Hollywood studios that deliver “cinematic quality, creative control and commercial-ready outputs.”

Moonvalley said the new funding will help it scale the Marey system; expand its licensed content library; develop API access for developers and internal platform teams; and build features that studio and enterprise partners have requested.

Moonvalley’s employees hail from companies including Google’s DeepMind, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Disney and DreamWorks. For its next phase, the company said, it is hiring engineering and support teams needed for enterprise-scale deployments.

“This funding proves you don’t have to choose between powerful technology and responsible development,” Moonvalley CEO and co-founder Naeem Talukdar said in a statement. “We’re building world-class models while respecting the creative community, and these partners will help us give studios and creators a real alternative to unlicensed models.”

Allison Goldberg, managing partner of Comcast Ventures, commented: “We have the exciting opportunity to strategically partner with companies like Moonvalley, who are developing breakthrough advancements in media and technology. Moonvalley’s approach to generative videography combining technical excellence with respect for content creators aligns with how we think about innovation in our industry.”

CAA head of strategic development Alexandra Shannon said in a statement, “Ethically led and talent-friendly applications of AI are a top priority for CAA. We see an opportunity with these emerging tools and technologies, and having a set of partners who are aligned in the ethics behind AI is critical,” said . “Moonvalley understands that AI should empower artists, not undermine them, and we are excited to help bring this new technology to our clients and the entertainment community at large.”

Pictured above (l. to r.): Moonvalley executives Mikołaj Bińkowski, VP of research; Bryn Mooser, CEO of Asteria; Mateusz Malinowski, chief scientific officer; COO John Thomas; CEO Naeem Talukdar