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Circle Labs, operating corporately as Shapes Inc., is a privately held, venture-backed software technology startup that develops general-purpose artificial intelligence agents designed to facilitate seamless social interactions. The organization builds proprietary AI-driven entities, marketed as Shapes, which are specifically engineered to integrate directly into the daily social lives and digital messaging environments of their active users. Operating within the rapidly expanding social technology and artificial general intelligence sectors, the firm primarily targets individual consumers seeking highly interactive, conversational digital companions for everyday online engagement. To support its ongoing research and product development initiatives, the enterprise successfully secured initial seed-stage funding in 2022 from lead investor Lightspeed Venture Partners, alongside strategic involvement from notable venture capitalists Michael Mignano and Semil Shah. Circle Labs was officially founded in 2021 by technology entrepreneurs Anushk Mittal and Noorie Dhingra.
circle labs has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round.
circle labs has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
circle labs has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in November 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2022 | $4M Seed | — | 10100, 20VC, Addition, Amplo, Andreessen Horowitz, BoxGroup, C2 Investment, Caffeinated Capital, Citi Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Eniac Ventures, Founder Collective, M.g. Siegler, Heretic Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Oren Yunger, Preface Ventures, SciFi VC, Seven Seven SIX, Staircase Ventures, Weekend Fund, Worklife Ventures, XFactor Ventures, Y Combinator, ADE Olonoh, Anthony Pompliano, Baron Davis, Deepak Jeevan Kumar, Fidji Simo, Jeremy YAP, John Collison, Kevin LIN, Louis Beryl, Matt Carbonara, MG Siegler, Mike Krieger, Scott Belsky, Steve Chen | Announced |
circle labs has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
circle labs's investors include 10100, 20VC, Addition, Amplo, Andreessen Horowitz, BoxGroup, C2 Investment, Caffeinated Capital, Citi Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, ENIAC Ventures, Founder Collective.
Circle Labs is a technology company that develops Shapes, an AI-driven platform for creating and deploying artificial intelligence non-player characters (NPCs) as social agents in digital communication.[2][3] It serves creators, developers, and users on platforms like Discord and Twitter, enabling them to generate customizable AI "friends" or characters that engage in natural conversations, solving the limitation of single-interface AI interactions by integrating into everyday social spaces.[2] With founding in 2021, the company has raised $7.32M total, including a $3M round about a year ago, and maintains an "Alive" status with strong market potential indicated by a high Mosaic Score.[2] This positions Circle Labs amid rising demand for interactive AI companions, distinct from the unrelated Indonesian BI software firm of the same name.[1]
Circle Labs was founded in 2021, emerging from the growing interest in expanding AI communication beyond basic chat interfaces.[2] The core idea stemmed from recognizing user excitement for AI "fictional friends" in familiar environments, leading to a creator platform where anyone can build and deploy AI-powered "shapes" (custom characters) to apps like Discord and Twitter, resulting in millions of user messages exchanged.[2] A pivotal moment includes securing convertible note funding totaling $7.32M, with the latest $3M raise about a year prior, fueling platform growth; it's backed by investors like Lightspeed, highlighting early traction in the AI social agent space.[2] Key details on specific founders remain limited in available data, but the focus has evolved toward scalable, user-generated AI NPCs competing with entities like Character.AI.[2][3]
Circle Labs stands out in the AI companion market through these key strengths:
Circle Labs rides the AI social agent trend, capitalizing on the shift toward immersive, always-on virtual companions amid explosive growth in generative AI and social platforms.[2] Timing aligns with post-2021 AI hype, where users demand personalized interactions beyond text boxes—fueled by market forces like Discord's 150M+ users and Twitter's conversational scale, plus investor enthusiasm (e.g., $7.32M raised).[2] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing AI NPC creation, lowering barriers for creators versus enterprise-focused rivals, and accelerating adoption in gaming, entertainment, and social tech, much like how Character.AI popularized chatbots.[2][3]
Circle Labs is poised for expansion as AI agents proliferate in social and gaming ecosystems, potentially scaling Shapes through deeper integrations with Meta, Snapchat, or Web3 platforms. Trends like multimodal AI (voice/video) and enterprise NPC use cases will shape its path, amplifying its edge in user-generated content. Influence may evolve from niche creator tool to mainstream social infrastructure, especially if funding momentum continues—watch for product launches or acquisitions amid 2025's AI consolidation, building on its proven traction in redefining digital friendships.[2]
