YZi Labs Invests in Funes to Preserve Humanity’s Physical Legacy with a Digital Ark for Global Architecture
On November 6, YZi Labs announced a strategic investment in Funes, a pioneering digital heritage platform dedicated to constructing a massive, open archive of high-fidelity 3D architectural models. This initiative aims to safeguard both crumbling monuments and modern landmarks by preserving them in exquisite 3D detail for future generations.
Advancing a Mission at the Intersection of AI, Culture, and Real-World Data
The investment aligns closely with YZi Labs’ core thesis of backing projects that merge artificial intelligence, culture, and real-world data infrastructure. Dana H., Investment Partner at YZi Labs, described the initiative as a “mission for humanity,” likening Funes to a “GitHub for the physical world.” According to Dana, this platform provides a space where a global community can preserve, study, and build upon detailed digital blueprints of culturally significant sites.
“These digital models preserve architectural heritage while providing a foundation for others to study, modify, and build upon. This crowd-sourced digital museum reimagines how we remember and reinvent the spaces that shape us,” Dana H. said.
How YZi Labs’ Funding Will Propel Funes Forward
The capital infusion from YZi Labs will be strategically allocated across three main pillars of Funes’ operation:
1. **Expanding Global 3D Modeling:** Accelerating the systematic capture of comprehensive 3D data for both historic and modern structures around the world.
2. **Enhancing the Online Platform:** Developing a more seamless and interactive digital environment that transforms the archive from a static repository into an explorable landscape.
3. **Integrating Advanced AI Technologies:** Merging the vast real-world dataset with cutting-edge tools such as 3D Gaussian Splatting and Radiance Fields for improved visualization and analysis.
Funes: Building the Largest Online Database of Architectural Models
Co-founder Hanyang Wang shared that Funes has already grown into the largest online database of real-world 3D architectural models. To date, the platform has digitized nearly 1,000 models, ranging from ancient temples and ruins to modern landmarks. Impressively, the team plans to add over 1,000 new structures to the archive each year, scaling the project ambitiously with support from YZi Labs.
About YZi Labs
YZi Labs is a global venture firm managing over $10 billion in assets, with a portfolio exceeding 300 projects. The firm prioritizes foundational impact, focusing on transformative sectors such as Web3 and artificial intelligence.
By investing in Funes, YZi Labs aims to safeguard humanity’s physical heritage while pushing the boundaries of how technology can preserve and reimagine our shared cultural spaces.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/yzi-labs-backs-funes-to-preserve-humanitys-physical-legacy/
