London-based Latent Technology, a company developing AI-based physical animation tools for virtual environments, has secured $8M (nearly €6.99M) in a seed funding round.
The investment was co-led by AlbionVC and Spark Capital. Root Ventures and Alumni Ventures also participated. The funding will support scaling efforts and further development of its animation technology.
Sebastian Hunte, Investor at AlbionVC, says, “Latent’s technology positions it to become core infrastructure for the future of game development—powering next-gen interactive experiences through real-time, generative animation.”
“Just as LLMs have revolutionised content creation, Latent is laying the foundation for a similar leap in animation. With strong early traction and a deeply technical team, we’re thrilled to support their journey.”
Building the next generation of animation technology
Founded in 2022 by Jack Harmer and Jorge del Val, Latent Technology has introduced a new animation workflow for game developers that enables real-time character movement with minimal input.
Its Generative Physics Animation system uses neural networks and physics to replace pre-defined sequences with dynamic responses. This approach addresses current limitations in game animation as studios face rising development costs.
AAA game budgets are projected to grow at an 8 per cent CAGR through 2028, increasing pressure on developers to find more efficient production methods.
Latent Technology is developing a system called ‘Phoenix’, a proprietary model that uses generative physics for animation. Instead of relying on pre-made or pre-recorded animations, Phoenix allows game characters and environments to act independently and adjust to changes in real time.
This approach supports interactions that change based on player actions and in-game events, rather than following fixed animation patterns.
Jorge del Val, co-founder and CEO of Latent Technology, says, “AI gives us the opportunity to transform not only how developers create games, but also how players experience them. While many companies are using AI to optimise existing workflows, we’re focused on enabling something fundamentally new – emergent, interactive animation that reacts in real time.”
“Our aim is to evolve the animation paradigm towards emergent physical behaviours, opening up new, creative possibilities for developers and dynamic experiences for players.”
Capital utilisation
Latent Technology will use its new funding to continue developing its tools, with a focus on the ‘Latent Behaviour Engine’. This product allows developers to implement emergent behaviours based on generative physics in games.
The company is running a closed beta with selected studios and plans to release two tech demos later this year to demonstrate the system and improve its features.
Co-founder Jorge del Val says, “Our technology allows us to prototype rapidly while delivering experiences that were not possible before. We aim to stay close to the development workflow by shipping real, playable demos that showcase our technology in action.”
Founding team
Latent Technology was founded by Jorge del Val and Jack Harmer, who bring years of experience in deep learning across gaming, enterprise, and academia. The team played a role in early reinforcement learning-based locomotion in games.
Jorge del Val, CEO of Latent Technology, has spent a decade working as a research engineer in deep learning across video games, enterprise, and academic sectors. He has also contributed as a lecturer in various programmes. His work focuses on applying emerging technologies to drive change in different industries.
Jack Harmer, CTO of Latent Technology, holds a PhD in Physics and has dedicated his career to deep learning. He has worked as a research engineer at multiple video game studios, focusing on reinforcement learning, development workflows, and AI tools. His work aims to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve in interactive environments.
