Video-generation startup PixVerse raises $439M, valuation soars past $2B

Singapore-based video-generation startup PixVerse announced today that it has completed a Series C extension round, raising $439 million in total. The latest funding brings the company's valuation beyond $2 billion, marking a major milestone in the rapidly evolving field of AI-driven video creation. PixVerse, which was founded in 2023 by Wang Changhu and Jaden Xie, has positioned itself as a leader in developing advanced video-generation tools capable of producing high-resolution content with integrated audio. PixVerse initially closed its Series C round in March, with funding estimated at around $300 million, according to Bloomberg. The current extension round saw participation from several prominent investors, including Alibaba, Lollapalooza Capital, Ivy Capital, Grand Mount Capital, Eastern Bell Capital, Mirae Asset, BlueFocus, and CloudAlpha. Returning backers such as iGlobe Partners and OCBC’s Lion X Ventures also joined the round. The company’s leadership team includes Changhu, who previously worked at ByteDance on computer vision projects, and Xie, who served as an executive director at investment firm Lighthouse Capital. PixVerse offers a suite of video-generation models tailored to different user segments. Its V-Series model targets consumers and developers, enabling the creation of videos in up to 4K resolution with embedded audio. The C-Series model is designed for professional applications, such as filmmaking and commercial production, while the R-Series world models cater to game development and immersive environment creation. The R-Series was recently launched, showcasing the company’s commitment to expanding its capabilities in virtual world-building. According to the company, its consumer-facing product has attracted over 150 million registered users, with more than 15 million active users each month. Although the exact number of paying users was not disclosed, the startup charges $4.80 per minute for generating image-to-video content. Xie emphasized that while the potential for video generation is vast, only a handful of companies have achieved meaningful progress in delivering high-quality outputs. “OpenAI exited the business after shutting down Sora 2. Companies like Meta and Tencent struggle to produce high-quality video models. Only a few firms can meet the quality standard,” Xie explained. He noted that both consumer and enterprise markets present equal opportunities, as users engage with AI-generated content for entertainment and businesses leverage it for creative, educational, and marketing purposes. Xie highlighted that the company’s core advantage lies in its approach to data labeling rather than raw data availability. Drawing from his previous work at ByteDance, where he contributed to TikTok’s AI-powered recommendation system, he described how accurate labeling enhances the effectiveness of video-generation platforms. “Data is abundant, but how you label it determines the outcome,” he said. Looking ahead, PixVerse aims to strengthen its presence in the enterprise sector globally. The company has already secured a partnership with Alibaba to integrate its video-generation features into broader business solutions. It also plans to launch a new V-Series model and update its world model lineup throughout the year. With 150 employees operating from offices in Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai, the startup intends to increase hiring in research and go-to-market roles to support these expansion efforts. The video-generation landscape is intensifying, with competitors like ByteDance’s Seedance model, Dr. Wei Liu’s Video Rebirth, and Kling AI emerging in Asia. In the West, firms such as Midjourney, Runway, and Luma are also vying for dominance. Additionally, startups backed by leading figures like Yann LeCun and Fei-Fei Li are advancing their own world-model initiatives, further underscoring the competitive nature of the space.