In a bold move to merge cutting-edge artificial intelligence with the art of filmmaking, Moonvalley, an AI startup founded by DeepMind alumni, has raised $84 million in Series B funding to accelerate development of its flagship product, AI video tool Marey.
The round was co-led by Accel and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from prominent Hollywood insiders and technology-focused angels. The funding underscores growing industry demand for AI-powered creative tools that can enhance, rather than replace, human artistry.
Bringing AI to the Silver Screen
Moonvalley’s core mission is to empower filmmakers and video creators with AI tools that streamline post-production, enhance creative control, and open up new storytelling possibilities.
Its flagship product, Marey, is an AI video editing and enhancement platform designed to automate labor-intensive tasks — such as rotoscoping, scene background generation, lighting corrections, and even synthetic scene creation — while leaving final creative decisions to the artist.
“We see Marey as a creative collaborator, not a replacement,” said co-founder and CEO Julia Wu. “It augments the filmmaker’s vision by handling the technical drudgery and freeing up more time for creativity.”
The Hollywood Context
Over the past two years, Hollywood has seen increasing pressure to cut costs without sacrificing production quality. Blockbusters have faced delays and ballooning budgets due to rising labor costs, complex VFX demands, and tighter timelines.
AI video tools have emerged as a promising solution. Studios can now complete weeks’ worth of post-production tasks in days — all while maintaining creative fidelity.
Moonvalley’s Marey stands out in this competitive space thanks to its licensed, ethically sourced training data, developed in close consultation with industry guilds to avoid the controversy that has dogged other generative AI tools accused of scraping copyrighted material.
How Marey Works
Marey is a cloud-based suite that integrates with leading video editing software. Its core features include:
- AI-generated background plates and set extensions
- Automated rotoscoping and object removal
- Smart lighting and color grading suggestions
- AI-assisted storyboard-to-scene creation
- High-resolution upscaling for archival footage
These tools can cut post-production costs by as much as 50%, according to early adopters.
“Marey saved us weeks on our last production,” said one VFX supervisor at a major studio. “It’s like having an extra team of highly skilled artists at your fingertips — except it never sleeps.”
The Funding & Investors’ View
Accel’s principal investor, Raj Patel, described Moonvalley as “a rare blend of AI excellence and respect for creative craft.”
Lightspeed’s Megan Chen added: “Marey doesn’t just automate; it inspires. We believe it will become indispensable to the next generation of filmmakers.”
The company plans to use the $84M to expand its engineering team, develop additional features requested by studios, and scale its infrastructure to handle higher demand.
Competition & Challenges
Marey competes with other AI creative tools like Runway, Pika Labs, and Adobe Firefly. Its unique selling proposition lies in:
- Partnerships with studios to license training data
- Compliance with union and guild guidelines
- Fine-tuned models specifically for high-end cinematic production
Still, challenges remain — including winning over skeptical artists, navigating intellectual property concerns, and ensuring consistent quality across diverse genres.
The Road Ahead
Moonvalley plans to launch an upgraded version of Marey later this year, with advanced real-time rendering capabilities and deeper integration into virtual production pipelines.
Wu concluded: “This funding accelerates our mission to make AI a trusted creative ally for filmmakers everywhere.”
