Berlin-based AI gaming startup Born secured a $15 million Series A funding round to combat user isolation by expanding its collaborative, social AI companion platform globally.
Disrupting the One-on-One AI Companion Market
Fabian Kamberi, CEO and co-founder of Born, contends that mainstream AI chatbots isolate users by locking them into exclusive, one-on-one relationships designed for exploitation. Instead of worsening the loneliness epidemic, Kamberi believes the future of consumer AI relies on shared experiences that reinforce real-world human relationships.
How Pengu Turns Virtual Pets into Collaborative Projects
Born’s flagship product centers on Pengu, a generative AI virtual pet inspired by classic digital pets like Tamagotchi and Neopets. Unlike traditional single-player applications, Pengu requires two users—such as friends or romantic partners—to co-parent the character, play mini-games, and manage its development together.
The application operates on a freemium model, offering a “Pengu Pass” subscription for premium features. Born reports that the app has surpassed 15 million global users. While the startup has not publicly disclosed its paying subscriber metrics, the core framework uses the virtual pet as a joint project to encourage active engagement between users and their real-life contacts.
Capital Influx and U.S. Expansion Plans
Born’s thesis that consumer AI should incorporate social connectivity has gained significant investor support. Formerly operating under the name Slay, the startup closed its $15 million Series A round with backing from Accel, Tencent, and Laton Ventures, bringing its total capital raised to $25 million.
This strategy aligns with the team’s original business model as Slay, an app designed for teenagers to give and receive positive feedback. The transition to Born maintains this core philosophy of delivering positive, socially interactive digital experiences.
The company will use the funds to establish a New York office later this year focused on marketing and AI research. Led by Head of Finance Enrico Dal Re, the U.S. operation will focus on upgrading Born’s underlying character engine. The research aims to give AI companions persistent memory, consistent personalities, and the ability to grow alongside users.
Stealth Products and Educational Features in Development
Born is preparing to launch additional characters within the Pengu app, including a digital pet designed to act as an interactive learning companion. Simultaneously, the startup is developing a stealth product targeted at young users aged 16 to 21, though accessible to users as young as 13.
Built on OpenAI models with proprietary safety layers, this upcoming product enables users to create and interact with culturally fluent AI companions. These characters can integrate directly into modern social habits, such as sharing relevant TikTok videos or Instagram Reels based on individual user preferences.
Kamberi expects the platform to generate strong network effects as users share their custom companions across external social channels, arguing that text-only chatbots represent an outdated approach to consumer social software.
Investor Confidence in Emotionally Intelligent AI
Luca Bocchio, partner at Accel, highlighted Born’s focus on creating an entirely new consumer social category powered by emotionally intelligent characters. Bocchio cited the startup’s track record of building top-charting applications and clear product vision as key factors driving Accel’s continued investment as Born scales its operations worldwide.
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