MOTHER.tech, a creative studio based in Brooklyn, has raised $15 million in seed funding. Investors include GV, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, BoxGroup, and Shine Capital.
The startup, founded in 2023 by Kelsey Falter and Raissa Chagas, uses a multi-model AI render pipeline to power modular creative tools called “gens.” Artists, photographers, or designers create each generator by turning their visual style into a one-tap tool. Users pick a generator, add their own photos, references, or text, and get publish-ready results in seconds.
Street photographer Brian Alcazar, known for capturing car culture, has created a series of generators, including Gassed Up, that showcase his style with a one-tap tool. Every time someone uses a generator, its creator earns a share of the revenue. The creator program is being tested now and will open to everyone after launch.
“We spent years inside the biggest platforms and saw how the systems actually work — quietly taking more from users than they give back. Degen is the app we wanted to exist. Growing up, the internet felt like a creative playground with less pressure. This app opens that experience again. I’m having fun regenerating myself by degenerating,” says Chagas.
Most AI creative tools, like Adobe Firefly and Canva’s AI suite, focus on polished results, but Degen puts speed, specificity, and what the founders describe as the unfiltered, participatory side of internet culture first.
Content is private by default and organised into channels, so users can share with people who have similar interests rather than posting to an algorithm-driven feed.
New generators are released every day, reflecting emerging aesthetics and subcultures almost in real time. Users can remix and combine generators from different creators, layer edits, and download or publish their results. Each generation uses a token, which users can buy or earn through referrals.
The company plans to use the funding to launch Degen. The app is currently available on iOS and Android by invite code, with wider access coming soon.
