Artificial Technology Annouces Eki One, New Funding

German company Artificial Technology has announced that its new modular AI middleware, Eki One, will be released in spring 2008, also noting that German investors Bayern Kapial and Falk Strascheg Holding have invested €720,000 ($1m) in the company. The company's three founders -- Frank Gwosdz, Serein Pfeiffer and Daniel Renner -- started the company in May 2005 as students, and soon received support through the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology's Exist Seed sponsorship for start-ups, allowing them space and technical support at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. Shortly thereafter, the FLÜGGE funding program of the Bavarian Ministry of Science, Research and Arts also approved financial support. Eki One has been awarded at the Munich Business Plan Contest 2007, as well as at the multimedia start-up competition “Gründerwettbewerb Multimedia 2006,” and finished third at the Hamburg@work-Games-Award 2006. Said Gwosdz, "We have already found a reputable partner, but are still looking for further interested game developers and studios that want to make a title with a highly vivid world. This middleware helps game producers not only to take advantage of the technology edge, but also to reduce development time and costs.”