The Kenmare-based company has developed animated avatars that can be used in the metaverse and during online video conferencing calls
Xavatar, a Co Kerry-based start-up which has developed real-time customisable avatars to be used in the metaverse and other settings, has signed a deal valued at $5 million with a US broadcaster for a show it has developed. The company, which is intending to create 50 jobs locally by the end of 2023, is in the process of raising €12 million from investors. Based in Kenmare, Xavatar is led by Jason P Rothberg, a film producer, music supervisor and former label executive. It has agreed a partnership with Ovation for 14 episodes of an animated version of the Sync Report. This is a show that started as a weekly gathering on the Clubhouse app before morphing into a podcast, and now into an animated metaverse-based experience. The entertainment-focused programme will have the hosts and guests appearing as “Xavatars”, animated avatars that exist in their own “Xataverse”. The animated show includes interviews with well-known musicians, with viewers able to step into the Xataverse to look around different environments, be that rock musician Steve Vai’s recording studio, or opera star Charlotte Church’s wellness centre. Xavatar also allows individuals to take their own animated avatars into real life for when they don’t want to appear in person. So, for example, individuals can choose to have their Xavatars represent them in meetings on video conferencing platforms such as Zoom. Using artificial intelligence-powered facial and audio recognition, Xavatar follows users’ movements in real-time, perfecting an individual’s mannerisms and gestures. There is the potential for the avatars to become autonomous, Rothberg said. Currently based in the RDI hub in Killorglin, Xavatar is aiming to create 20 jobs this year to coincide with the Ovation deal, with a further 30 roles expected next year. Ovation is available to more than 50 million subscribers across North America, primarily via cable and satellite. Xavatar said it is also currently in talks with TV networks in other regions, including Europe, to syndicate the Sync Report. Full story here
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