Some companies show up loud. Others show up inevitable. Katalist is the second kind. Founded June 2023 and headquartered at 548 Market St in San Francisco, this is what happens when people who actually shipped creative automation get tired of watching professional video production waste time, budget, and talent like it is a hobby. Andraz Zvonar and Blaž Blokar did not wander into this space. They met years ago at Celtra, lived inside the complexity, and decided the industry deserved something tighter, smarter, and built by people who know the grind.
Katalist is a unified AI platform that takes a script and escorts it all the way to a finished video without juggling 10 different tools or sacrificing creative control. Shotlists, storyboards, character consistency, voice, music, lipsync, editing timelines, and generative video live in one workflow. This is not novelty AI or creator bait. This is industrial-grade production infrastructure aimed at filmmakers, agencies, production companies, and enterprise teams who already know what quality looks like and need to deliver it faster without excuses.
That clarity just unlocked a $1.5M seed round led by South Central Ventures, the longest-standing VC firm in Southeast Europe, with continued backing from 500 Global via its 500 Eurasia fund. No valuation flex, no theatrics, just capital aligned with execution. It also marks Katalist’s first institutional round, which matters when you look at what is already happening inside the platform.
250k+ professionals actively use Katalist. Since launch, users have created millions of projects and generated tens of million images and videos. Content produced with Katalist has already reached millions of viewers across TV, social, and streaming platforms. Over 50k filmmakers used the platform in 2024 alone, spanning independent films to major production partnerships, including work connected to Red Bull. That is not early traction. That is demand showing up on schedule.
The takeaway is simple and uncomfortable. Solve a real workflow, not a demo. Respect the craft instead of replacing it. Build character consistency while everyone else ships chaos. Deliver enterprise-grade output at pricing creators can actually justify. South Central Ventures and 500 Global are not betting on a concept. They are backing momentum that already understands scale, speed, and standards.
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