Dentu Group has made an equity investment in Mountainview, CA-based Theai, Inc. (AKA Inworld AI), which Dentsu describes as the leading Character Engine for games and interactive experiences.  

The amount of the investment was undisclosed, but the firm noted a handful of other companies have invested in the startup (founded in 2021) including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Stanford University, a Microsoft Venture Fund, Samsung Next, LG and First Spark Ventures. 
 

The InWorld AI platform is designed to help brands have more engaging and humanlike interactions with customers which in turn should lead to deeper insights for future product and marketing strategies. 
 
Dentsu said its investment “is a major pillar” in its AI strategy for clients, "driving AI-powered consumer-brand interactions across gaming, entertainment, sales, marketing, training & education and more.” 

Part of InWorld’s attraction is its development of so-called “non-playable characters” or characters in a game like environment that aren’t controlled by players. The tech firm is using AI to give such characters more lifelike looks, traits and “personalities” to better engage with consumers. 

Dentsu said they represent “a significant evolution in marketing. These virtual entities empower brands to provide personalized and immersive experiences, facilitating stronger connections with their audience by enhancing user interactions.” 

“Brands partner with Dentsu to define and articulate their personalities. Now we can, quite literally,” said Dan Holland, Executive Vice President, Solutions Development, Dentsu. “Inworld empowers us to be at the forefront of more engaging and empathetic next generation customer experiences in a 3D/spatial web.” 
 
Recent Dentsu programs, powered by Inworld AI technology, amplify assistance with AI-powered virtual brand ambassadors, virtual sales associates, customer service representatives, AI-powered product demonstrations and more -- all custom designed based on a brand’s fans and brand personality with humanlike interactions providing product advice, how-to's, and customer care.  

One example: The Dentsu NXT Space Experience unveiled earlier this year. It’s a metaverse lab designed to demonstrate marketing opportunities for brands in the Web3 space. The experience is guided by a virtual human, dubbed "Neva," which was created by Inworld AI.  

“At Inworld, our mission is to redefine how people interact with technology and brands in a way that feels human,” said Kylan Gibbs, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Inworld AI. “Our latest partnership with Dentsu is the first step to creating cutting-edge solutions that amplify consumer engagement with the brands they love.”