TechStars Company Upends Animation and Photo/Video Sharing With Social-Mobile App YAKiT and Picks Up Funding
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) January 23, 2014 -- Freak’n Genius has combined art and technology to transform one of the most difficult methods of creation, animation, into a quick, simple, fun, and social experience where users can animate just by speaking into their mobile device. YAKiT 3.0 is a free iOS app that now includes an in-app social feed where users can share their creations. YAKiT Kids, also a free iOS app, is a kid-safe version for children, families and for use in the classroom. Windforce Ventures brings their deep experience in social media, content distribution, entertainment, and brand network to the YAKiT platform, along with a $275,000 investment.
Mobile users can bring any photo to life as a 15-second animation, simply by speaking. The app allows a user to get a photo from a variety of sources, and then can customize the photo with sets of animated sticker overlays - facial features, props, special effects or characters. To have even more control, the user can highlight the mouth to make anything talk. Hitting record allows for a short message or story to bring the photo to life, and can even add multiple scenes to create the perfect punch line or story arc. The user also can change the pitch with 5 different voice-options, then can immediately share to the in-app YAKiT feed, Facebook, Twitter, or save to the camera roll to upload to Instagram, Youtube, iMovie, Reddit and many more.
YAKiT Kids allows for the simple and fun animation creation, but is completely kid-safe and COPPA compliant.
"We've already seen over half a million animations created by 3 - 70 yr olds and everyone in between, making everything from talking pets, commercials, and music videos that have almost a million views, to holiday and birthday greetings, taunting sports fans, talking selfies and more," CEO, Kyle Kesterson said. "It's been used as a communication tool to help share more than what text and emoticons convey, as an education tool to engage students in learning and as a live performance tool. People discover new uses every day because It really is that quick, easy, and fun."
New Funding for Freak'n Genius
Freak'n Genius also picked up another $275,000 as a strategic investment from Windforce Ventures. Partners from the fund include the Founder & President of 24/7 Laundry Service, and the CEO of MovieLoft, social media agencies that can have YAKiT power some of their brand's "snackable content" for social media and audience reach into the tens of millions.
"People and brands are creating an insane amount of snackable content everyday. It started with photos and moved into video. Now YAKiT's impressive technology is allowing anyone with a smartphone to animate their content, taking a previously very complex process and mobilizing it. There is great consumer and enterprise potential for YAKiT and its tech." - Jason Stein, Windforce Ventures Managing Partner and 24/7 Laundry Service Founder/President.
iPhone users interested in seeing how quick and fun it is can download YAKiT and YAKiT Kids in the iTunes App Store, or learn more at http://www.freakngenius.com. For all other questions or inquiries, contact Kyle Kesterson at 425-301-4258.
About Freak’n Genius
Freak’n Genius captures and unleashes humor and the imagination in fun and interesting ways that have never before been possible.
YAKiT and YAKiT Kids make it so you can bring any photo to life in seconds. Just speak to animate, all from the pocket. Free download in the Apple iTunes App Store.
Kyle Kesterson, Freak'n Genius, +1 425-301-4258, [email protected]
Share this article