Clout Kitchen, a startup creating AI-powered tools for content creators, has raised US$4.45 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV's Surge, with contributions from Taiwan's AppWorks, Antler, Hustle Fund, and Founders Launchpad. Individual investors include Gabby Dizon (YGG), Kun Gao (Crunchyroll), and popular gaming figures such as Voyboy, Jankos, and Perkz.
Founded in 2024, Clout Kitchen focuses on enhancing how creators interact with fans through cutting-edge, AI-driven experiences. Their products cater to the gaming and pop culture sectors, providing creators with new ways to grow and engage their audiences.
Leadership with strong ties to gaming and the creator economy
Clout Kitchen's leadership team is deeply rooted in the gaming and creator industries. CEO Justin Gorriceta-Banusing previously founded AcadArena, a leading gaming platform in Southeast Asia and Latin America, which he scaled to a series A and eventual exit. While still in high school, he also created CONQuest Festival, which has become the largest creator event in Southeast Asia, attracting over 80,000 attendees.
Marcel Feldkamp, the company's Chief Business Officer, has a background as a professional League of Legends player and creator. He played in the 2013 World Championship and later founded Prime, a gaming talent agency that eventually merged with United Talent Agency.
Launch of Backseat AI
Clout Kitchen's first product, Backseat AI, is an in-game companion for League of Legends. It was co-developed with Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, one of the biggest gaming content creators, who has over 20 million followers. Backseat AI helps players improve their gameplay in real time by offering advice on which characters to choose, what items to purchase, and other game strategies. The advice is provided by the AI “twin” of their favourite creator.
Backseat AI has gained significant attention, with more than 45,000 people signing up for the waitlist since early testing began in June. The service costs US$4.99 per month, with creators earning a portion of every subscription. Currently, the AI “buddies” include streamer Emiru and professional player Jankos, with additional creators expected to join soon.
“Our thesis at Clout Kitchen is to build things that grow the pie and add value for fans, creators, and game developers alike,” said CEO Justin Banusing. “We grew up in this space, so it's our way of giving back.”
Future growth and expansion plans
With the fresh funding, Clout Kitchen plans to expand its team, establish a US office, and continue developing its technology for future projects. The company is building a shared internal tech platform for AI-powered companion apps, designed to help creators deepen engagement with their communities.
“As a creator myself, I know how difficult it is to keep your community and business growing,” said Marcel Feldkamp, CBO of Clout Kitchen. “It's easy when you're starting and have all the time in the world – but it gets harder to keep giving the same love to everyone as you scale. We want to solve that problem.”
Investors have expressed strong confidence in the company's future. Jamie Lin, Chairman & Partner at AppWorks, said: “As a gamer and a creator myself, I'm excited to support Justin and Team Clout Kitchen in their journey to unlock new frontiers for our community. Justin and the founding team showcased exceptional hearts, heads and hands from the moment we met them, the very traits we look for in founders.”
Jack Soslow, Investment Partner at A16Z Games, added: “At a16z, we believe in the transformative power of technology and games to reshape how we connect, create, and experience the world. Clout Kitchen embodies this vision wholly, and we are thrilled to support their journey as they pioneer new ways for fans to engage with the creators and games they love.”
