Iconic disclosed that it has raised a $13 million seed financing round to advance its on-device AI technology for what it calls a new category of interactive entertainment. The round was co-led by Kindred Ventures and Northzone, with participation from Google AI Futures Fund, Conviction, Deepwater Asset Management, Sequoia Capital scouts, and a group of angel investors.
The company said it is developing interactive worlds that respond in real time, with behavior intended to feel authored and coherent rather than scripted. Iconic framed its work as sitting at the intersection of frontier AI research and game creation, emphasizing enabling player agency and expressive interaction within complex game environments.
Iconic noted that it has already released its first public experience, The Oversight Bureau, and that the team has since been focused on research and development to advance the underlying systems and push the technical limits of voice-driven, interactive experiences. The company said the new funding will be used to accelerate research and broaden the scope of its efforts as it continues to define what it sees as the next generation of interactive entertainment.
Iconic (Iconic Interactive) is building on-device AI tools and infrastructure that let creators craft “intelligent, living worlds” where characters and environments can listen, react, and evolve alongside the player, rather than relying on heavily scripted interactions. The company has also released an early public experience, The Oversight Bureau, which showcases its voice-driven interactive approach.
The company was launched by John Lusty and Junaid Hussain, with Andrew Bowell serving as CEO. The founding team blends AI research and AAA game development experience, including backgrounds tied to Meta AI Research and Sony AI, and works across major game franchises.
