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May 28, 2025 – Rumi Labs, a visionary Web3 company, today announced it has successfully raised $4.7 million in an oversubscribed Pre-Seed funding round. This significant investment will fuel Rumi Labs' mission to revolutionize entertainment by transforming passive media consumption into interactive, AI-powered experiences, empowering users to watch, earn, and help build the future of AI-powered entertainment.
The funding round was co-led by prominent Web3 investors a16z crypto CSX and EV3, signaling strong confidence in Rumi Labs' innovative approach. Additional investors include leading figures in the Web3 space. This capital infusion will support Rumi Labs' ambitious plans to build the first decentralized AI infrastructure for media, combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with user-powered indexing.
Redefining Entertainment: From Passive Viewing to Active Participation
In an era where individuals spend over five hours daily consuming media, often disengaged and multitasking, Rumi Labs is addressing a critical need for more interactive and rewarding experiences. "AI can make storytelling truly immersive — but it first needs to understand the world’s content and culture to do so," said Niko Cunningham, CEO of Rumi Labs. "Rumi is building that infrastructure and giving users a way to be part of it from day one."
Rumi Labs' core innovation lies in its browser extension, which allows users to earn rewards simply by watching their favorite streaming content. As the extension quietly runs in the background, Rumi’s AI analyzes videos in real-time to generate insights and analytics. This data feeds into a decentralized infrastructure (DePIN), enabling the development of contextually-aware AI agents that enhance storytelling and viewer engagement.
How Rumi Works: Watch, Earn, and Build
Rumi Labs operates on a "watch-to-earn" model, incentivizing users to contribute their spare compute power to build the world’s richest knowledge base on video content. This decentralized indexing system helps AI agents deliver smarter insights and personalized features.
Here's how it works:
- Download Rumi: Users download the Rumi Chrome extension.
- Create Account: Sign up with email and a referral code.
- Watch & Index: Watch content on supported streaming platforms and hit "start indexing" to earn points.
The data collected through this process is invaluable. It empowers a new generation of AI agents that can deeply understand and augment media, transforming passive content into interactive experiences. Imagine chatting with characters, identifying actors' outfits on screen, or receiving real-time fact checks during a political debate – all powered by Rumi's AI.
Business Model and Future Vision
Rumi Labs' business model extends beyond user rewards. The company plans to license its infrastructure to third-party AI agents, developers, and creators, providing them with new functionality and monetization opportunities. This includes contextual ads seamlessly integrated into conversations with AI agents, such as recipe cards during cooking shows or fashion links tied to on-screen attire.
Furthermore, Rumi Labs is building a "decentralized Nielsen," offering real-time analytics and audience insights to media companies and advertisers. Early partnerships with Virtuals.io, TVision, and Story Protocol underscore the potential of Rumi's technology to revolutionize media analytics and audience engagement.
Rumi Labs emphasizes its commitment to user privacy and content IP. The network indexes content without storing, rebroadcasting, or exposing any actual IP-protected material. The company's protocol only exposes APIs for AI Agents to interact with transcripts and content fingerprints, ensuring fair use and benefiting IP owners by creating new direct channels of communication with their audiences.
"People spend 5h+ a day consuming media. Disengaged, passively staring at the screen... and second-screening: 80% of GenZs are constantly on their phones while watching TV," stated Rumi Labs on X. "Rumi aims to change media, transforming passive content into interactive experiences."
Rumi Labs is now welcoming early users to its invite-only beta app, offering them the chance to be part of building the first intelligent, user-powered media ecosystem.
About Rumi Labs
Rumi Labs is a Web3 company revolutionizing entertainment by transforming passive media consumption into interactive, AI-powered experiences. Through a browser extension, users can earn rewards while watching streaming content, as Rumi’s AI analyzes videos in real-time to generate insights and analytics. This data feeds into a decentralized infrastructure (DePIN), enabling the development of contextually-aware AI agents that enhance storytelling and viewer engagement. Backed by leading Web3 investors, Rumi empowers users to actively participate in shaping the future of media.
For more information and to join the beta, visit [rumilabs.io].
Compiled by CMO Intern team
