Los Angeles-based AI video startup Moonvalley just pulled in another $43 million in venture capital, according to a newly disclosed SEC filing. As someone closely following the generative AI space, I find this particularly interesting given the timing—just a week after Moonvalley publicly introduced Marey, its first AI video generation model.
The $43 million funding round is noteworthy not just because of the number, but because it follows a hefty $70 million seed round from major players like General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Bessemer Venture Partners. The recent SEC filing names 11 investors, though their identities haven’t been revealed yet. According to Moonvalley, this filing isn’t the final word—the total amount could grow, with a formal announcement expected soon.
What Makes Moonvalley's Marey Model Different?
With so many startups flooding the generative video scene—Runway, Luma, and even tech giants like Google and OpenAI—I initially wondered how Moonvalley would differentiate itself. But Marey, developed in collaboration with new animation studio Asteria, seems to offer something fresh.
The model allows for:
- Custom camera angles
- Advanced motion controls
- Generation of 30-second HD video clips
What’s more, Moonvalley claims Marey is legally safer than competitors by relying on licensed datasets instead of potentially copyrighted public content.
Tackling Legal Risk with Licensed Video Training Data
One of the major issues in AI video generation is the use of copyrighted materials. Many companies argue fair use protects them, but rights holders are pushing back. What I appreciate about Moonvalley’s approach is their Adobe-like model: they license and package datasets, working directly with content creators. This reduces the risk of copyright infringement and might help them build more trust among creators.
Creators Still Cautious, But Moonvalley Is Listening
As someone who talks to creatives regularly, I can confirm there’s a lot of anxiety about AI upending jobs in the film and TV industry. A 2024 study from the Animation Guild suggests that over 100,000 U.S. media jobs could be disrupted by AI by 2026. That’s no small number.
Moonvalley seems aware of this. They’ve promised to:
- Let creators opt out of model training
- Allow users to delete personal data
- Offer indemnity policies for customers facing copyright claims
- This shows some real thoughtfulness—something we need more of in the generative AI race.
Building Guardrails in a Wild West Landscape
Unlike some models that let users generate videos with deepfake likenesses, Moonvalley is building safety measures into its tools. Similar to OpenAI’s Sora, Moonvalley’s system blocks:
- NSFW prompts
- Requests to depict real people or celebrities
- To me, this commitment to ethical deployment sets them apart in a space that often feels like the wild west.
Moonvalley is positioning itself not just as a video generator, but as a responsible innovator in the AI space. Their focus on legal safety, ethical content controls, and creator protections makes this $43 million raise feel like a vote of confidence from the investment community.
As the competition in generative video continues to heat up, I’ll be watching closely to see if Moonvalley becomes one of the leaders—or gets lost in the flood of AI startups. So far, though, they’re doing a lot of things right.
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