London-Based Iconic Raises €11 Million To Develop On-Device AI Platform For Next-Gen Gaming

The round was co-led by Kindred and Northzone, with support from the Google AI Futures Fund and advisers from Google, Meta, Disney, DeepMind, and OpenAI.

Founded by John Lusty and Junaid Hussain Iconic began as small technical team exploring AI to enhance creativity and transform player interactions.

The company aims to reduce game development costs and complexity while expanding creative possibilities attracting Andrew Bowell former Unity Product Head as CEO.

Iconic’s platform uses on device AI to bring intelligence, agency and personalization directly into gameplay. By running models locally it delivers immersive, interactive experiences while lowering development costs and avoiding connectivity, privacy and infrastructure constraints.

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Earlier this year, Iconic showcased The Oversight Bureau, a voice-driven narrative puzzle game built on its ACT-1 AI platform. The modular, on-device engine allows spoken player input to influence the game world in real time without an internet connection. Debuting with NVIDIA at Gamescom the demo received acclaim for its immersion and responsiveness.

After early technical validation, Iconic formally launched its platform in 2024 expanding its team with experts from Unity, Meta, Sony, Microsoft and Cambridge University, as well as contributors with experience on franchises like GTA and Star Wars. The company is supported by advisers from DeepMind, NBCUniversal, and Embracer Group.

Andrew Bowell, CEO of Iconic, said, “Our voice-driven gameplay experience is transforming traditional entertainment, utilising novel technology and innovative digital systems to enhance creativity, revolutionise the player experience, and redefine the boundaries of gaming.

We are excited to announce our successful seed round led by Kindred and Northzone with further support from leading industry players including Google, a testimony to Iconic building the next iteration of interactive entertainment.”

Iconic will use the funding to enhance its on-device AI systems and strengthen collaborations with game studios, supporting the development of interactive experiences featuring intelligent characters and dynamic, emergent game worlds.

About Iconic

Founded in 2023 Iconic develops engines and tools for the next frontier of interactive entertainment. The company creates intelligent systems that give game worlds emotion, agency, and intent, enabling them to listen, react, and evolve alongside players.