Cultural AI platform Qloo secures $25 million in Series C funding

New York-based cultural AI platform Qloo announced that it has raised $25 million in a Series C funding round led by AI Ventures, with participation from AXA Venture Partners, Eldridge, and Moderne Ventures.

Founded in 2012, Qloo has amassed a total funding of over $56 million through this latest round, emphasizing its sustained commitment to advancing AI applications and foundational models centered around consumer taste. The latest funding round will play a pivotal role in consolidating Qloo’s leadership position in the commercialization of innovative AI applications, said the company in a blog post. 

At the core of Qloo’s operations lies a sophisticated AI-powered insights engine, crafted to harness highly accurate behavioral data from consumers globally. Boasting over half a billion attributes encompassing consumer brands, music, film, TV, podcasts, dining, travel, and more, Qloo’s proprietary AI models excel in identifying trillions of connections between these entities. This capability proves instrumental for major brands such as Netflix, Michelin, Samsung, and JCDecaux, enabling them to comprehend and respond to customers’ tastes and preferences effectively.

“Qloo has always been at the forefront of merging cultural knowledge with advanced AI to create a reliable source of truth for insights into consumer tastes and our world,” said Alex Elias, Founder and CEO of Qloo.”For over a decade, we have been committed to refining our cultural data science, and we are now entering an exhilarating phase of expansion fueled by the growing importance of privacy and the democratization of AI technology.”

A distinctive facet of Qloo’s approach lies in its commitment to privacy. Without leveraging any personally identifiable information, Qloo allows brands to drive revenue through product innovation and heightened customer engagement. This privacy-friendly approach assumes increasing significance in sectors like financial services, media and publishing, technology, and automotive, where the demand for AI-powered solutions that adhere to truthfulness and privacy compliance is witnessing a surge.

Qloo’s expansive reach extends to TasteDive, a cultural recommendation engine and social community that operates under its umbrella. TasteDive provides users with a platform to discover recommendations for what to watch, read, listen to, and play, all tailored to their unique preferences.