Entertainment technology startup Invisible Universe has just closed a $12 million Series A funding round, led by Seven Seven Six — the private investment firm founded by Alexis Ohanian and former Pixar and Reddit executive Katelin Holloway. Invisible Universe’s CEO Tricia Biggio, formerly Senior VP of MGM, aims to “build the Pixar of the internet” by incubating internet-first IP and building fan communities for its characters across top platforms.
Emmy-winning actress Jennifer Aniston is also on board as an investor, as well as an advistor to the company and partner on the animated franchise Clydeo (@callmeclyde on Instagram and TikTok), about a CG animated dog/food blogger/aspiring chef living in Aniston’s L.A. home. Announced in December, the digital pup-personality is inspired by Aniston’s beloved Schauzer, Clyde.
“It’s just been so much fun to develop Clydeo with the Invisible Universe team, inspired by my own dog Clyde, who is such a character himself and has been making me and my friends laugh for almost 10 years now,” Aniston told Variety. “I am so happy his true potential has finally been tapped into for the whole world to enjoy. So much more fun is yet to come!”
Other major digital media investors on board include Dapper Labs, Cosmic Venture Partners, 75 and Sunny, Wheelhouse and Will Smith’s Dreamers VC.
As well as partnering with Aniston on Clydeo, Invisible Universe has teamed up with tennis great Serena Williams, who is married to Ohanian, to create an NFT-backed animated character franchise based on their young daughter Olympia Ohanian’s treasured doll, Qai Qai (@realqaiqai). Recently, the partners announced that 16-year-olf actress Taikirha Miller will voice the character in her new YouTube series. Williams is set to publish her first children’s book, The Adventures of Qai Qai, in September.
Invisible Universe’s IP portfolio further includes Squeaky & Roy (the long lost toys of the D’Amelio influencer family, reunited with them in Los Angeles), Kayda & Kai (Karlie Kloss’ TikTok famous robot and her docking station) and Crazynho (a happy-go-lucky monkey living with Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves).
The company is also developing a reality show spoof, The R3al Metaverse, featuring a mismatched household of NFT character archetypes drawn from the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club, World of Women, Doodles, Cool Cats and Robotos token worlds.
All of these properties will be built up by Invisible Universe’s internet-first strategy, which calls for dispersing content across popular social media platforms, YouTube, Discord, Twitch and other streaming hubs.
