GenAI startup NeuralGarage has made history as the first Indian startup to win the SXSW Pitch Competition at the globally renowned SXSW conference and festival. Held annually in Austin, Texas, this prestigious event celebrates the intersection of tech, film, music, education, and culture. Chosen from a global pool of thousands of startups, NeuralGarage secured victory in the “Entertainment, Media, Sports & Content” category for its innovative technology, “VisualDub.” This solution addresses visual discord in dubbed content by synchronizing actors’ expressions and lip movements with the dubbed audio, delivering a more authentic and immersive viewing experience.
The SXSW Pitch competition, which has been running continuously for over 17 years, has seen startups that won raise more than $23 billion in investments over the years. The jury, consisting of experts from venture capital, entertainment, and content industries, made this win even more significant, as “VisualDub” addresses the last-mile content localization challenge that the entertainment industry has been grappling with for years.
SXSW, a key event for creative professionals in the entertainment and content industries worldwide, features film and television screenings, world-class exhibitions, and award ceremonies. Over time, it has become a major platform showcasing the best in entertainment and content. This year, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage, Blake Lively, Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Paul, Pedro Pascal, Kevin Bacon, and more, presented their latest work. A key highlight of the event was a special fireside session with Michelle Obama and the screening of Michael Bay’s latest documentary, “We Are Storror.”
Speaking on the win, Mandar Natekar, NeuralGarage’s Co-Founder and CEO said, “The win is special because to win at SXSW means validation for our technology “VisualDub” that has been built for the global entertainment industry. To be able to pitch our tech on this influential platform in front of a global community of the brightest minds in the entertainment & content business was a thrilling experience and this is a stepping stone for us to bring this technology to the world shortly.”
NeuralGarage, founded in 2021 by Mandar Natekar, Anjan Banerjee, Subhabrata Debnath, and Subhashish Saha, is developing proprietary AI models tailored to meet the high standards of the global entertainment industry. These models are set to revolutionize the way content is created, distributed, and consumed across theatrical releases, streaming platforms, and broadcast networks.
