The rise of 3D-native AI is reshaping industries—from gaming and robotics to eCommerce and AR/VR. As spatial data becomes critical for simulations, automation, and digital twins, the global demand for intelligent 3D infrastructure is exploding. The gaming market alone is projected to reach $655.77 billion by 2030, while the digital twin market in industrial robotics is expected to top $219.6 billion by 2033. Yet, 3D content creation remains frustratingly slow, complex, and inaccessible to non-experts. That’s where SpAItial comes in.
The Paris-based startup has just emerged from stealth with a $13 million seed round, led by Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from Speedinvest and several renowned angel investors. Their mission? To revolutionize how AI understands and creates 3D environments—by building foundational models specifically for the spatial world.
Building the Future of Spatial Intelligence
Founded in 2024 by Matthias Niessner, Luke Rogers, Ricardo Martin-Brualla, and David Novotny, SpAItial is developing a new class of AI technology called Spatial Foundation Models (SFMs). These models don’t just generate 3D visuals—they reason about space, time, and physics to build entire worlds from minimal input. The result: faster, more accessible, and more immersive 3D content creation for industries that depend on realism and simulation accuracy.
What sets SpAItial apart is its approach to the challenge. Traditional tools require intensive labor and technical know-how. Even today’s generative models, which work well for text or 2D images, struggle to capture the spatial coherence needed for interactive or physical environments. SpAItial’s SFM technology skips the pixel-by-pixel rendering in favor of direct manipulation of 3D structures, enabling photorealistic and physically consistent outputs.
The founding team combines cutting-edge research with real-world product experience. Niessner, a professor at TU Munich and co-founder of Synthesia, brings deep academic insight. Rogers brings strategic expertise from McKinsey and Cazoo, while Martin-Brualla and Novotny—formerly with Google and Meta—add technical firepower from world-class AI and 3D teams.
With this funding, SpAItial is scaling its team to build out the next generation of 3D-native infrastructure, aiming to support use cases across entertainment, robotics, urban planning, and digital twins. The startup plans to embed physics, lighting, and material realism directly into its models—turning prototypes into scalable, production-ready solutions.
From Snapshots to Simulated Realities
“Today’s AI is great at creating flat snapshots,” said co-founder Matthias Niessner, “but building immersive, functional environments requires models that understand space, motion, and physical laws. That’s the leap SpAItial is making—turning AI into a true spatial engine.”
SpAItial’s early demos are already generating buzz. Their model can generate interactive 3D worlds from a single image, enabling applications like:
- Instant AR/VR scene creation
- Autonomous robot training in photorealistic environments
- Digital twins for simulation-heavy industries
- Immersive online shopping and architectural walkthroughs
Unlike existing tools such as Spline, Odyssey, or Decart, SpAItial’s tech handles time and space as native concepts. That means greater realism, continuity, and utility—especially for applications where simulation and interaction matter most.
Backing SpAItial’s vision are prominent angel investors, including:
- Robin Rombach (Black Forest Labs)
- Victor Riparbelli and Steffen Tjerrild (Synthesia)
- Maximilian Odendahl (ex-Silexica),
- Jon Barron, Rahul Garg, and Paul Whitehead (Zoopla)
- Cybersecurity leaders like Sergej Epp and AI innovators like Edward Grefenstette
Earlybird’s Dr. Andre Retterath shared why they’re all-in on this team:
“While we’ve seen generative AI transform text, images, and video, 3D remains stuck in the pre-AI era. SpAItial’s depth in both academic research and product development is exactly what the industry needs to unlock the next wave of spatial computing.”
With this momentum, SpAItial is positioning itself to become the backbone of 3D-native AI applications. Their ultimate goal: to make the creation of interactive, immersive environments as seamless as editing a photo or writing a prompt.
As demand grows for spatial intelligence across sectors, SpAItial’s bold approach could reshape how the world builds—and interacts with—digital and physical spaces.
