Clouted raises $7M to automate viral short video creation

Clouted, a startup that originated from a16z's Speedrun accelerator in 2024, has successfully secured $7 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Slow Ventures, alongside contributions from Gold House Ventures, Weekend Fund, and Peak XV's Surge. This platform specializes in automating the extraction of short video clips from longer content for social media distribution. It utilizes a network of over 100,000 gig creators for editing and employs AI to determine the optimal platform and target audience. Co-founder and CEO Justin Banusing initially implemented this technology to promote &Friends, an electronic dance music festival in Manila, which now attracts over 20,000 attendees. Clouted's AI engages in ongoing testing to refine formats and channel strategies, akin to penetration testing in cybersecurity. While it competes with Overlap AI, it considers larger marketing infrastructure companies like CreatorIQ and Hightouch as its main rivals.