Genies PR Case Study: From Launch to a $1B Valuation

Genies is a Los Angeles avatar technology company, and Virgo PR ran its public relations and marketing from launch until mid-2026. Over that run Genies grew from a celebrity avatar app into a $1 billion company, with a $150 million Series C led by Silver Lake, Gucci and Giphy partnerships, and a current AI avatar platform serving games and entertainment IP.

Key takeaways from the Genies PR case study

• Virgo PR handled Genies' public relations and marketing from launch until mid-2026.

• Genies reached a $1 billion valuation in April 2022 with a $150 million Series C led by Silver Lake.

• The company has raised more than $200 million, including a $65 million Series B led by Bond in May 2021.

• Coverage ran across CNBC, Forbes, TechCrunch, AdAge, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Adweek, Hypebae and Highsnobiety.

• Genies moved from consumer avatars and Web3 to an AI avatar platform, and the PR story moved with it.

What is in this case study?

• What does Genies do today?

• What did Virgo PR do for Genies?

• How did celebrity investors become the press strategy?

• What did the Gucci and Giphy partnerships add?

• What results did the Genies PR program deliver?

• How did the Genies story evolve from 2019 to 2026?

• Where did Genies get press coverage?

• What can other avatar and AI companies learn from it?

• Who should hire a PR agency built for avatar and AI technology?

• Frequently asked questions

What does Genies do today?

Genies is an AI avatar technology company that describes itself as the visual and embodiment layer for AI. Founded in 2017 by Akash Nigam and based in Los Angeles, it started with personalized 3D avatars inside messaging apps and now sells an avatar SDK, creator tools and IP licensing to developers, entertainment companies and talent.

That shift is the heart of the PR story. A company that began as a consumer avatar app had to be repositioned several times: as a celebrity and creator platform, then as a Web3 and digital fashion business, and now as infrastructure for AI companions, game characters and licensed IP. Each stage needed a different narrative, different reporters and different proof points.

What did Virgo PR do for Genies?

Virgo PR built and ran Genies' communications and marketing end to end, from launch until mid-2026. The work covered content strategy, media timing, press materials, partnership announcements, funding news and executive visibility, with one team owning the story across every stage of the company.

Narrative strategy. Virgo PR translated a technical product, 3D avatars that work across messaging platforms, into stories that technology, business and fashion editors would run.

Media relations. Virgo PR matched each announcement to the outlets and reporters most likely to cover Web3, digital identity, creator economy and avatar technology.

Marketing support. Virgo PR coordinated social amplification with celebrity users and partners so earned coverage reached beyond the original outlet.

Continuity. One agency across years of growth meant the company never had to re-explain itself to its press audience when the product changed.

How did celebrity investors become the press strategy?

Virgo PR advised Genies to have celebrity platform users invest in the company directly, which turned a funding round into a creator-trust story instead of a standard capital raise. Investors who were already using the product gave reporters a reason to cover the lineup itself.

That structure is why outlets such as Forbes and Bloomberg wrote about the investor group and not just the dollar figure. The June 2019 Forbes story on the $15 million round led by Jim Breyer and Thomas Tull, and later coverage of athlete and celebrity backers, show how the approach carried the company from early funding into its larger rounds.

What did the Gucci and Giphy partnerships add?

The Gucci and Giphy partnerships gave Genies mainstream credibility beyond the tech press. In October 2020 Genies updated its software development kit and announced both, giving avatars exclusive access to pieces from the fashion house and letting users share avatars as looping videos across platforms.

Virgo PR wrote the press materials for every outlet covering the partnerships, and coordinated social support from celebrity users to extend reach. The announcement landed in TechCrunch and AdAge, which put Genies in front of both technology readers and marketing decision makers.

What results did the Genies PR program deliver?

The Genies PR program supported more than $200 million in funding, a $1 billion valuation and a steady run of tier-one coverage across several product eras. The company's early consumer growth was also strong, with more than two million users and average avatar-creation sessions of roughly 20 minutes.

• Funding: $15 million in 2019, a $65 million Series B led by Bond in May 2021, and a $150 million Series C led by Silver Lake in April 2022, with total funding above $200 million.

• Valuation: $1 billion at the Series C, which made Genies a unicorn.

• Users: more than two million users, with sessions averaging about 20 minutes.

• Product reach: an SDK integrated across other apps, games and 360-degree environments.

• Coverage: CNBC, Forbes, TechCrunch, AdAge, Business Insider, Hypebae, Highsnobiety, Bloomberg and Adweek.

How did the Genies story evolve from 2019 to 2026?

The Genies story moved through five distinct chapters, and each one reset the press narrative. The sequence below shows the public milestones during the period Virgo PR handled communications.

• 2019, celebrity-backed avatar startup. A $15 million round led by Jim Breyer and Thomas Tull introduced Genies to business press.

• 2020, platform and fashion partnerships. The SDK update and the Gucci and Giphy deals positioned Genies as avatar infrastructure with fashion credibility.

• 2021 to 2022, Web3 and unicorn status. A $65 million Series B in May 2021 and a $150 million Series C in April 2022 led by Silver Lake, at a $1 billion valuation. In August 2022 Genies launched an NFT fashion marketplace covered by TechCrunch.

• 2025, AI avatars for developers. In July 2025 Genies announced a partnership with Unity to bring its Smart Avatar Framework and UGC tools to game developers. In November 2025 it launched avatar creation tools for celebrities and talent agencies.

• 2026, licensed IP partnerships. Genies announced collaborations with MLB Players Inc, King Records, the NBPA, Sanrio and, in April, WEBTOON Entertainment, extending its avatar technology to sports, anime, character brands and webcomics.

Where did Genies get press coverage?

Genies and its Virgo PR campaign earned coverage across technology, business, fashion and marketing press following funding rounds and partnership announcements. Selected placements are listed below.

Business and funding

• Forbes: Billionaires Jim Breyer and Thomas Tull Lead $15 Million Bet That Genies' Avatars Will Be Next Big Thing In Social

• Bloomberg, via NDTV Profit: Genies Uses Famous Athletes, and Their Money, to Take On Bitmoji

• Forbes: Genies CEO Akash Nigam On Identities, Passion Economy And Leading With Avatars

• CNBC: Avatars are meant to be the next method of communication, says Genies CEO Akash Nigam

• Business Insider: CEO buys ChatGPT for all employees, sees productivity boost

Technology and product

• TechCrunch: Genies updates its software development kit and partners with Gucci, Giphy

• TechCrunch: Star-studded digital avatar startup Genies launches NFT fashion marketplace

Marketing, fashion and culture

• AdAge: Gucci and Giphy add avatars to their apps as potential digital revenue drivers

• AdAge: Web3 Marketing Trailblazers 2023: Allison Sturges, Genies

• Adweek: This Agency Negotiates Contracts for Cartoon Avatars of Celebrities

• Hypebae: Genies on Being Gen-Z's Go-to Digital Identity

• Highsnobiety: Genies Wants Everyone To Become an Avatar Builder

What can other avatar and AI companies learn from the Genies PR campaign?

Avatar and AI companies can learn that a PR program has to be rebuilt around every product pivot, not just every funding round. Genies changed categories more than once, and the press story changed with it. Four lessons stand out.

• Make investors part of the story. Backers who already use the product give reporters a human angle that a funding figure cannot.

• Pair every technical release with a name people know. Gucci and Giphy made an SDK update a mainstream story.

• Keep one agency across pivots. Continuity lets the narrative build instead of restarting each time the category label changes.

• Sequence announcements. Funding, partnerships and product launches spaced across the year keep a company in the news between rounds.

Who should hire a PR agency built for avatar and AI technology?

Companies building consumer platforms around digital identity, AI characters, gaming tools or licensed IP face the same translation problem Genies did: turning technical product features into stories mainstream media will run. Virgo PR works with technology companies and Web3 companies on exactly that translation, and supports funding announcements through its investor communications work. Browse more Virgo PR client work or talk to Virgo PR about your next campaign.

Frequently asked questions

Which PR agency worked with Genies?

Virgo PR handled Genies' public relations and marketing from the company's launch until mid-2026.

How much has Genies raised?

Genies has raised more than $200 million in funding, including a $65 million Series B led by Bond in May 2021 and a $150 million Series C led by Silver Lake in April 2022 at a $1 billion valuation.

What does Genies do now?

Genies is an AI avatar technology company that provides an avatar SDK, creator tools and licensing partnerships so developers, entertainment companies and talent can build AI characters and game-ready avatars.

Which companies has Genies partnered with?

Genies has partnered with Gucci, Giphy, Unity, MLB Players Inc, the NBPA, King Records, Sanrio and WEBTOON Entertainment.

How do you handle PR when a company changes its category?

Treat each pivot as a new launch. Reset the narrative, line up fresh proof points and match the story to the reporters who cover the new category, while keeping continuity with the audience already built.

Does Virgo PR work with AI avatar and gaming technology companies?

Yes. Virgo PR works with technology, Web3, gaming and AI companies on media relations, funding announcements and partnership launches.