-- At the recently concluded a16z Speedrun Demo Day, one company stood out among the next generation of AI innovators: Daedalia, an AI technology studio fusing AAA game technology with emotional AI to create lifelike virtual companions. Its debut product, SoulLink, drew widespread attention from investors and industry veterans for its cinematic realism and emotionally resonant interaction.
In recent months, AI Companions have emerged as one of the most transformative frontiers in artificial intelligence. From Elon Musk’s Grok 4 to the viral phenomenon Whispers from the Star, the world’s top technology and creative companies are racing to build emotionally intelligent AI capable of genuine human connection. This movement represents more than just technological innovation—it signals a cultural shift toward redefining how people experience companionship in the digital age. Within this new revolution, Daedalia stands out for its fusion of art and AI, positioning itself at the forefront of crafting companions that not only think, but feel alive.
Daedalia’s mission is clear and ambitious: “Virtual friends are the next social revolution, and we’re making it real.” The company envisions a future where digital companions provide authentic emotional presence and human-like relationships, powered by cutting-edge AI and next-gen rendering technology. This year, Daedalia was selected for Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) prestigious Speedrun accelerator, a program designed to identify and propel the most promising startups in gaming and AI. During Demo Day, SoulLink earned enthusiastic praise for its stunning visual fidelity and its potential to redefine how humans emotionally engage with artificial intelligence. On the official a16z Speedrun page, Daedalia is described as “a high-speed team fusing AAA game tech with emotional AI to craft next-gen companions that look cinematic, act human, and feel alive.”
At the creative heart of Daedalia is Art Director and Character Artist Xinhao Zhou, whose vision has been instrumental in shaping SoulLink’s visual identity and emotional tone. Zhou defined the project’s art direction—balancing realism, cinematic beauty, and emotional depth—and led the studio’s art team to achieve AAA-quality visuals on mobile, setting a new benchmark for digital companion design. Under his leadership, SoulLink’s characters convey genuine warmth and humanity through subtle details in expression, motion, and performance. Demo Day investors described the work as “This is the future”, praising Zhou’s ability to seamlessly merge artistic sensitivity with technical mastery.
As Daedalia continues to build upon its Speedrun success, the company stands at the forefront of the emotional AI revolution—bridging human creativity and artificial intelligence to bring presence, empathy, and connection into the digital era.
Contact Info:
Name: Michael Shang
Email: Send Email
Organization: Daedalia, Inc
Website: https://soullink.cc/
Release ID: 89173595
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