Snap Spins Off Gen AI Video Team Into Standalone Company Dotmo

Snap Creates Independent AI Entity

Snap is separating its generative AI video team into a new standalone company called Dotmo, a strategic restructuring aimed at reducing the high costs of developing AI models and immersive gaming experiences internally.

According to details first reported by TechCrunch, Dotmo will operate independently from Snap's core social media business while holding a license to adapt Snap's proprietary technology for gaming and interactive entertainment platforms. The generative AI video team currently at Snap will transition to Dotmo to work on projects outside the social media platform's immediate scope.

Financial Structure and Leadership

Snap will retain a substantial equity stake in the new entity, positioning itself to benefit from Dotmo's potential success without bearing the full weight of development costs. Bobby Murphy, Snap's Chief Technology Officer, will serve as the lead investor in Dotmo and hold a significant ownership position in the new firm.

Murphy will continue his full-time role as Snap's CTO through a financial arrangement with a backer, allowing him to maintain leadership over Snap's generative AI research and development initiatives while supporting the spinoff.

Dotmo may pursue additional funding beyond Murphy's investment as it scales operations, though specific funding plans have not been disclosed.

Why It Matters

This restructuring reveals the mounting pressure on social media companies to contain AI development costs while remaining competitive in generative AI capabilities. By spinning off expensive AI work into a separate entity that can seek outside capital, Snap creates a model for managing innovation investments without directly impacting its path to profitability—a challenge that has intensified as the company's stock declined following its latest Spectacles hardware unveiling.

Business Context

Despite maintaining 950 million daily active users and achieving revenue growth across all markets in the first quarter of 2025, Snap continues to face challenges establishing consistent net-income profitability. The company's stock price dropped this week after unveiling a new generation of its Spectacles augmented reality glasses, adding uncertainty to long-term revenue projections.

A Snap representative told TechCrunch that while Dotmo's planned digital experiences will exist separately from the social media platform, future partnerships between the two companies remain possible if strategic alignment emerges.

If Dotmo succeeds in developing commercially viable AI models and gaming experiences, the arrangement could reduce Snap's AI investment burden while expanding its creative portfolio through a related but independent entity.

These details were first reported by TechCrunch.