Mumbai: NeuralGarage, a Mumbai-based GenAI startup, has achieved a landmark victory at the prestigious SXSW Pitch Competition, becoming the first Indian company to win the coveted award. The win, announced at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival in Austin, Texas, marks a significant milestone for the Indian tech industry on the global stage.
NeuralGarage triumphed in the “Entertainment, Media, Sports & Content” category with its innovative technology, “VisualDub.” This technology addresses the long-standing challenge of visual discord in dubbed content by seamlessly synchronizing actors’ lip movements and expressions with the dubbed audio, creating a more authentic and immersive viewing experience.
SXSW, a globally recognized event celebrating the intersection of technology, film, music, education, and culture, attracts thousands of startups worldwide. NeuralGarage’s victory is particularly noteworthy, given the competition’s rigorous selection process and the impressive track record of past winners, who have collectively raised over $23 billion in investments.
The jury, comprised of venture capital and entertainment industry experts, recognized the potential of VisualDub to revolutionize content localization. This technology offers a crucial solution for the entertainment industry, which has long sought to bridge the gap between language and visual authenticity.
This year’s SXSW festival featured a star-studded lineup, including Hollywood luminaries such as Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, and many others, showcasing their latest projects. Notably, Michelle Obama held a special fireside chat, and Michael Bay premiered his documentary, “We Are Storror.”
“Winning at SXSW validates our technology, VisualDub, which is designed for the global entertainment industry,” said Mandar Natekar, Co-Founder and CEO of NeuralGarage. “Pitching our tech on this influential platform to a global community of the brightest minds in entertainment was thrilling, and this win is a stepping stone for us to bring this technology to the world.”
Founded in 2021, NeuralGarage is developing proprietary AI models to meet the exacting standards of the entertainment industry, aiming to transform content creation, distribution, and consumption across theatrical releases, streaming platforms, and broadcast networks.
