- AI video startup Moonvalley secures $84M in funding, led by General Catalyst
- Its Marey tool focuses on transparency and licensed media in AI training
What happened: $84M raised to grow ethical AI
AI research company Moonvalley has raised $84 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from Comcast Ventures, CoreWeave, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator and others—bringing its total funding to $154 million—just a week after launching its professional AI video model, Marey.
Marey stands out because it was trained exclusively on licensed or proprietary content,deliberate choice to avoid copyright issues facing other AI video tools. According to TechCrunch, it offers granular control over object movement, camera dynamics, and scene editing, explicitly positioning itself for professional production workflows.
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Why it’s important
This round reflects a growing interest in AI models that respect copyright laws and creators’ rights. Moonvalley’s commitment to licensed data positions it as a potential ethical alternative in a crowded AI video space often criticised for scraping unlicensed materials. However, its strict data sourcing may limit Marey’s flexibility, with Talukdar acknowledging current model gaps in animation and certain genres.
The funding also comes as industry scrutiny intensifies. In Hollywood and beyond, studios are demanding AI models that provide transparency, consent, and compensation for original content. Moonvalley’s challenge now is to scale Marey without compromising its ethical stance—or falling behind technically.
With AI-generated video accelerating across platforms—from OpenAI’s Sora to Google’s Veo—Moonvalley’s model could appeal to partners seeking clear licensing structures and reputational safety. But questions remain around studio adoption, long-term performance, and competitive viability. Whether ethical sourcing can match mass-market innovation will likely define Moonvalley’s future.