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NAVER D2SF Invests in Two North American AI Technology Startups

- Claythis, a generative AI–based 3D content creation solution, attracts interest from game studios with its outstanding quality

- YesPlz AI, a multimodal AI solution optimized for fashion product search and recommendation, boosts customer sales growth by accurately interpreting user intent to provide product recommendations

- Implementing cutting-edge AI technologies such as 3D generation and multimodal AI as competitive products ... Expected to grow into market-leading companies

September 3, 2024

NAVER D2SF (D2 Startup Factory) has made new investments in two North America–based AI startups. The two investment recipients are Claythis, a generative AI–based 3D content creation startup, and YesPlz AI, a fashion-specialized multimodal AI development startup. Both teams have implemented the latest AI technologies as competitive products and are preparing for full-scale business operations.

Claythis (CEO Ahn Sung-ho) has developed an AI solution that generates high-quality 3D characters and motions. Their end-to-end solution automates the entire creation process, from “3D modeling” to “posing,” “rigging” (which creates the skeleton), and “motion” generation (which animates 3D characters). Notably, the company achieved undoubtedly superior 3D quality compared to North American competitors, creating 3D models at 4K resolution.

Currently, Claythis is preparing to officially launch its solution within the year, targeting small and medium-sized game studios. Several game studios have already shown their interest, and the company plans to expand its customer base in earnest starting in 2025. Claythis’s cofounders include CEO Ahn Sung-ho, who has experience with two exits (investment recoveries), CTO Roger Hagen from Roblox, and a chief scientist with 15 years of research experience in the 3D field.

YesPlz AI (CEO Hong Ji-won) has developed a multimodal AI model optimized for fashion product search and recommendation. Unlike most existing product recommendation AI solutions that are text-based, YesPlz AI has achieved significantly higher matching accuracy compared to competitors with its multimodal AI that learns text, images, and styles. They target global fashion platforms with Software as a Service (SaaS) product tagging, widgets, and analysis tools.

YesPlz has already secured several clients, including W Concept, Kolon Mall, and The Handsome, through beta testing. In particular, by recommending products that align with user intent, YesPlz AI significantly boosts its clients' key sales metrics including cart conversion rates, purchase conversion rates, and cost reduction. YesPlz AI is a team with diverse experience, from AI engineering to product development, and CEO Hong Ji-won has built up global project manager (PM) capabilities through experiences at Samsung Electronics and Sony Music.

Yang Sanghwan, Leader of NAVER D2SF, said, “In the rapidly changing AI industry, it is essential to identify market needs early and quickly turn those insights into products with firm and timely execution. Claythis and YesPlz AI have leading technological competitiveness in their respective fields of 3D content and fashion commerce, and we expect them to grow their presence in the global market.”

Meanwhile, NAVER D2SF has continued to discover and invest in startups, focusing on the value of technology regardless of whether it is domestic or international. Notable examples include sleep tech startup “PranaQ” and marketing automation AI startup “Adriel,” which are actively continuing their business globally. In addition, despite the recent conservative domestic and international investment environment, NAVER D2SF has been actively seeking new investment teams, reviewing over 1,500 startups this year. Furthermore, they have been engaging with various startups through “Monthly Office Hours” for pre-startup teams and the “Campus Technology Startup Competition” to discover university student startup teams. In September, they also plan to conduct open recruitment for new investment teams through their website.