Pocket Worlds acquires AI-based UGC team Infinite Canvas

Pocket Worlds, maker of the popular social gaming app Highrise has acquired Infinite Canvas, an AI-driven user-generated content (UGC) development team.

Infinite Canvas has created AI-powered experiences across UGC platforms like Roblox and Discord, reaching a peak of 19 million monthly active users. This acquisition positions Pocket Worlds to beef up its creator tools, enabling more tailored, dynamic experiences for its diverse Highrise community.

Highrise has generated more than $250 million in revenue and 40 million players (as of June 2024). And those Highrise users are predominantly women in their 20s. 

Infinite Canvas developed its own proprietary AI technology to create accessible, never before possible gaming experiences that resonate with diverse players and audiences. The accomplished Infinite Canvas team joins Pocket Worlds to focus on game, world, and tool innovation in Highrise, Pocket Worlds’ flagship platform. 

Highrise is a creative virtual world uniquely designed for young adults looking for community and creative self-expression. It empowers users to make avatars, express themselves, engage in shared experiences, and build deep friendships.

Pocket Worlds said its Highrise marketplaces have been successful thanks to most accessible creator tools and design submission programs. It launched Highrise Studio, a suite of development tools for creating and publishing games and experiences on the platform via Unity.

“No one understands this generation of gamers and user-generated content better than Infinite Canvas,” said Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds, the maker of Highrise, in a staement. “Their team has a proven track record of building on leading platforms, combining extreme creativity, expertise, and efficiency to deliver highly tailored experiences that stand out in a competitive sea of options. Highrise is a thriving world of players who are from all walks of life and entering their twenties, and this acquisition is part of our pledge to continue to serve this extremely distinct community and their interests worldwide.”

Highrise also caters to an audience that has aged out of platforms like Roblox, providing a space where young adults can continue to explore creativity and connection. By integrating Infinite Canvas team’s expertise in crafting high-quality content and proprietary AI tooling, Pocket Worlds will expand Highrise’s library of games while continuing to serve its distinct and highly engaged audience.

“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built at Infinite Canvas—a library of over 100 games tailored to create engaging experiences across platforms, from mobile to Discord,” said Sebastian Park, cofounder of Infinite Canvas, in a statement. “With our proprietary technology, we’ve developed new AI driven formats that unleash user creativity, all powered by a custom engine that enhances how AI models like LLMs interact with players to deliver tailored, consistent, and delightful experiences.”

Park added, “When we began building in Highrise, it became clear that this platform embodies the same innovation and tools that empower creativity and connection. Highrise’s developer tools are some of the best we’ve seen in the space and  give the team more flexibility and efficiency in bringing ideas to life. Joining Highrise is a natural next step that enables our team to deliver even more meaningful and personalized experiences to a growing community and help Highrise reach diverse audiences at scale.”

Pocket Worlds is a Y Combinator-backed company with over 50 million users and 10,000 creators. Currently, the company has two platforms: Highrise, the leading mobile platform that enables anyone to easily create immersive worlds and captivating games, and Everskies, the leading pixel doll community where users dress up avatars and chat with friends. Pocket Worlds is building bleeding-edge technology for developers and amateurs to create immersive experiences and worlds inside our virtual universe.

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