Coplay raises $1.2 million to create an AI co-pilot for game developers

Joint playAI game developer Copilot announced today that it has raised $1.2 million in seed funding to accelerate its mission to simplify game development.

The goal is to automate repetitive tasks in game engines that bog down developers. The funding round was led by Failup Ventures, with participation from Tower Research Ventures and Founders Inc. The Sequoia Scouts and other investors.

Coplay, currently in closed beta, saves developers up to five hours per week, reducing repetitive tasks in game engines, and unleashing creativity, the company said.

Coplay said that, as a game developer, you spend 50% of your time programming and 50% inside the game engine. The problem with game engines is that the overly clunky point-and-click interface leads to tedious repetitive tasks. After seeing the power of large language models (LLMs) for AI and agents, the team realized it could eliminate all the tedium of the game engine and automate it with AI, the company said in an email to GamesBeat.

While the code copilot space includes notable products like Cursor, Codeium, and Bolt, Coplay takes a unique approach by providing a natural language interface to traditionally complex software. Coplay offers a groundbreaking chat interface that enables game developers to control the Unity game engine, replacing cumbersome cross-click interfaces and automating tedious tasks. With Coplay, developers can easily create, map, optimize, and debug any objects, assets, and properties in their project — all through natural language commands.

Additionally, Coplay integrates with popular 3D visualization tools, enabling rapid iteration directly within the game engine.

One of its notable features is the “record and replay” capability, which repeats repetitive operations to greatly enhance repetition speed. For larger projects with hundreds of assets and tens of thousands of files, Coplay’s automation capabilities streamline workflow, manage live updates, and reduce errors, allowing teams to focus on creativity and delivering exceptional gaming experiences.

Coplay has attracted more than 400 developers across 22 studios in its waitlist, and plans to expand integrations to additional game engines.

“Our vision is to empower game developers by automating tedious tasks, allowing them to focus on crafting amazing experiences,” Jos van der Westhuizen, CEO of Coplay, said in a statement. “With this funding, we are not just building a tool, we are creating a partner for intelligence.” Coplay is radically transforming how games are made. We believe this innovative approach positions Coplay as more than just a developer’s co-pilot; it’s a pioneering step toward redefining the future interface of all software.

Coplay’s founding team brings a wealth of experience to their mission. Jos van der Westhuizen, who holds a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Cambridge, has scaled his tech startup to 1.5 million users.

Coplay founders Junaid Sarwar (co-founder of AI analytics startup Alchera) and Marcus Sanatan (organizer of the largest gaming gathering in the Caribbean), together have over a decade of experience building scalable systems and developing over 30 games. Their combined experience uniquely qualifies them to tackle the biggest challenges in game development.

“Many AI solutions in the gaming space are like assets,” Jesse Heikkila of Failup Ventures said in a statement
Generators, or NPC boosts, feel like point solutions rather than comprehensive conversions. What interests me about Coplay is its overall approach, a new take on the game engine itself. I believe the gaming industry will be democratized by a technology company that can make the entire game development process accessible through natural language. When I met Coplay, it was clear that their vision aligned perfectly with this thesis.

“The video game market is growing rapidly,” Jared Young of Tower Research Ventures said in a statement
All over the world, however, game development has been long overdue due to disruption. Coplay’s AI solution addresses a universal pain point for developers, offering a transformative tool that has the potential to become essential for studios. With a team with deep experience and a truly innovative approach, Coplay is well positioned to capitalize on this significant growth opportunity in the industry.

Game developers are invited to join Coplay’s closed beta waitlist to be among the first to experience the future of game development.

The San Francisco-based team, founded by Jos van der Westhuizen, Junaid Sarwar and Marcus Sanatan, has more than a decade of experience in scalable systems and game development. There are four people in the company.

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