Genies creates an investment arm for companies using its digital avatars

Genies has built technology for creating expressive digital avatars for everyone from rockstars who want to give online concerts to influencers who can’t go to in-person meet-and-greets anymore. Now the company is launching Humans, an investment arm that will back projects using the company’s avatars.

Genies will target companies that benefit directly from its avatars — animated characters whose actions mirror those of a human — to foster connections even when physical interaction is limited. Genie’s cartoon-style technology comes from the avatars you see in games, but they’re being used for mostly non-game applications.