MidReal

MidReal is an AI-powered interactive story platform founded in 2023 by Chen Kaijie, a Duke University graduate and serial entrepreneur who previously worked on smart home robots and an open-world AI demo inspired by *Westworld* . The platform lets users co-create stories with AI through two modes: a tool mode that generates content from prompts, and an interactive mode where the AI acts as a screenwriter, sentence by sentence . Users can branch and rewrite any sentence to redirect plotlines, or build alternate universes off others' stories—a feature Chen compares to commenting on a video, but with narrative control .

The product targets primarily English-speaking users aged 20–35, many with web fiction interests, and emphasizes community over pure utility: Chen has argued that tool-only products "aren't a good business" because they must extract revenue from others' income, whereas MidReal aims to be a content platform where authors feel they co-created with AI and publish for readership . The founding inspiration traces to FireAct, a research paper on extending AI reasoning for longer-form generation . Linear Capital's Bolt vehicle invested in MidReal during the first half of 2024, alongside other AI application bets like Final Round and Cathoven .