Clout Kitchen raises $4.45M for AI gaming pal that mimics content creators

Clout Kitchen announced today that it has raised $4.45 million in its seed funding round, which it plans to put towards its new creator-powered products and experiences. The first of these is Backseat AI, an AI-powered buddy for League of Legends that the company created with Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp — an AI buddy that can take on the aspect of popular gaming content creators. Clout Kitchen plans to use its funding to expand its team and build out its shared internal tech stack.

Backseat AI is a guide, built to be compliant with Riot Games’ in-game API, that gives players helpful tips on how to better play the game, all spoken by an AI voice twin of a content creator. The product launched for early access testing in June, and the full release costs players $4.99 a month for each creator-specific “buddy” they choose. At present, those buddies include Tyler1 himself, as well as cosplayer and streamer Emily “Emiru” Schunk and professional esports player Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski. It’s aimed at entry-to-mid-level players.