Giant has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered storytelling app for children, as the company moves to scale its platform following early user growth.
The San Francisco-based startup said the round was led by Matrix, Decasonic, and Griffin Gaming Partners, with additional participation from Perceptive Ventures, Flex Capital, Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Unpopular Ventures, and LightShed Ventures.
Since launching in May 2025, Giant reports more than one million minutes of user interaction on the platform and over 200,000 personalized episodes generated. The app allows children to create stories, interact with AI-driven characters, and appear as cartoon versions of themselves inside custom-built narratives.
John Kobs, CEO and Co-Founder of Giant, says: “The internet is optimized for attention, while kids need imagination. Storytelling shapes who kids become. We turn kids from consumers into creators, building what we want our own kids to grow up with.”
The product is structured around three functions: children can create storylines, watch personalized animated episodes featuring their name and interests, and talk with AI characters designed to remember previous interactions.
The company states that the app contains no ads, tracking, or data collection and was developed with input from child development experts.
Investor confidence in AI storytelling
Dana Stalder, General Partner at Matrix, says: “I’ve been investing in John since 2013. Giant is the most ambitious expression of his long-term vision, building a category-defining product that combines creativity, emotional intelligence, and AI at scale.”
Rick Johanson, Partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, adds: “Giant’s approach combines emotional intelligence, personalization, and AI designed with parents’ trust in mind to create an experience kids genuinely want to engage with. John and the Giant team bring rare depth of experience, paired with strong early validation. We believe Giant has the potential to define a new category that resonates with kids and parents alike, and we’re excited to support them as they scale.”
Kobs previously founded Apartment List, which he led for 14 years. As AI tools continue to move into family-facing products, Giant’s funding round signals investor appetite for child-centered creative platforms. Whether sustained usage follows early engagement will likely determine how durable this new category proves to be.
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