Coactive AI Inc.

Overview

Coactive AI develops the Multimodal Application Platform (MAP), described by the company as a contextual intelligence layer for enterprises managing large image and video libraries [1]. The platform enables semantic search, automated metadata generation, content moderation, contextual advertising packaging, and brand safety scoring across visual content—without requiring pre-tagged assets [2]. Coactive frames its core approach as a "load, search, tag" (LST) model, reversing the traditional "tag, load, search" workflow that relies on manual or machine-generated metadata before ingestion [3]. The company targets media and entertainment publishers, broadcasters, retail and e-commerce firms, and digital agencies [4]. Its product line includes Context Studio, an application built on top of MAP designed specifically to convert video libraries into contextual advertising inventory compatible with GARM and IAB standards [5].

History

Coactive AI was founded in 2021 by Cody Coleman and William Gaviria Rojas, both MIT alumni [1]. Coleman holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford and degrees from MIT, and is a co-creator of the MLPerf benchmark and a founding member of MLCommons; Gaviria Rojas is a co-founder of the Data-centric AI movement and co-creator of the DataPerf benchmarks [2]. The company raised a total of $44 million across three funding rounds [3]. A seed round was completed in 2022, followed by a $14 million Series A in March 2023 led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Exceptional Capital, and SV Angel [4]. In May 2024, the company closed a $30 million Series B at a reported valuation of $200 million, co-led by Emerson Collective and Cherryrock Capital, with additional participation from Greycroft and continuing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Exceptional Capital [5]. No acquisitions have been publicly reported.

Market Position

Coactive AI competes in the multimodal AI and visual content intelligence market, a segment that also draws interest from cloud platform providers and specialized AI startups [1]. Forbes included the company in its "Next Billion-Dollar Startups" and "AI 50" lists in 2025 [2]. Documented enterprise customers include NBCUniversal, Fandom, Reuters, and Emplifi, as listed in the company's Microsoft Azure Marketplace profile and trade press coverage [3]. The Fandom deployment automated moderation of 90% of uploads, reduced manual review by 74%, and cut costs by half, according to Coactive's own website [4]. NBCUniversal used the platform to build a sustainability-themed contextual advertising package that reportedly drove a 56% lift in search engagement and 7× more site visits for a luxury brand advertiser [5]. The platform is available on both the AWS Marketplace and the Microsoft Azure Marketplace [6].

Competition

PitchBook identifies Scale AI, Surge AI, and Snorkel AI as competitors of Coactive [1]. Crunchbase lists Hive, OpenText, and Tavus as alternatives [2]. Within the narrower video intelligence segment, Coactive is frequently grouped with TwelveLabs and Google Cloud Video AI in third-party comparative analyses of multimodal video search platforms [3]. One third-party review characterizes the distinction between Coactive and TwelveLabs as follows: TwelveLabs provides comparable video search and tagging capabilities but places less emphasis on fine-tuning and custom model creation, making it more suitable for organizations prioritizing semantic search over advanced customization [4]. The same source positions Clarifai as a more general-purpose visual AI alternative without specific optimization for media and entertainment workflows [5]. Coactive's CEO has stated publicly that the company differentiates by focusing on visual data, which he characterizes as significantly more technically complex than text-based data analysis [6].

Sources

1. Companies Are Drowning In Visual Data. Coactive AI Wants To Make Sense Of It. — Forbes, 2024-05-21
2. About Us | Coactive — Coactive AI (official)
3. Coactive AI – 2025 Funding Rounds & List of Investors — Tracxn, 2025-09-02
4. Coactive AI – Tech Company Profile — Gaebler.com / VentureDeal
5. Coactive Systems Raises $30M in Series B Funding — FinSMEs, 2024-05-22
6. Helping machines understand visual content with AI — MIT News, 2025-06-09
7. Coactive AI Series B Funding Round — Coactive AI (official blog)
8. Contact Us | Coactive — Coactive AI (official)
9. Coactive AI Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Deliver Image and Video Analytics Solution — Business Wire, 2024-11-13
10. Coactive 2026 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors — PitchBook
11. Coactive AI Context Studio – AWS Marketplace — AWS Marketplace
12. Coactive AI Review 2026 – Guide to Key Product Features — XYZEO, 2026-03-01
13. Best AI Video Search Tools 2026: 10+ Tested — FP8, 2026-03-12
14. Coactive AI Runs its Multimodal Platform on Anyscale — Anyscale
15. Coactive AI Company Profile: Financials, Valuation, and Growth — PrivCo
16. Coactive – Microsoft Azure Marketplace — Microsoft Azure Marketplace
17. Coactive – Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations — CB Insights
18. Coactive AI Company Overview, Contact Details & Competitors — LeadIQ