Crit Ventures USA, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korea–based Crit Ventures, has made a strategic investment in Habitus Associates, the operator of AI-driven art platform Artue, becoming the company’s second-largest shareholder by assets under management. The investment underscores growing venture interest in technologies that merge artificial intelligence with cultural and creative sectors.
Founded in 2023, Artue seeks to establish itself as an operating system for the global art market in the AI era. The platform uses multimodal and emotion-based AI systems to analyze user preferences and recommend artworks through conversational interaction, a model the company argues can broaden access to fine art and improve price discovery. The service currently lists more than 4,000 works from over 540 artists, with both artist participation and inventory expanding steadily over the past year.
Artue has filed what it describes as the world’s first patent for AI-based art recommendation and discovery technology, a milestone the company says positions it at the forefront of standardizing digital art engagement. The platform also incorporates blockchain infrastructure for copyright protection, authentication and digital ownership, and is preparing initiatives for tokenized securities tied to physical artworks, as well as a global art investment fund.
To support its blockchain-based financial infrastructure, Artue has formed a technical partnership with CONX (XPLA), a tokenized-asset platform backed by Com2uS Holdings. The collaboration aims to integrate AI, blockchain and digital asset capabilities to build what the companies describe as a next-generation ArtTech ecosystem.
Crit Ventures USA said the investment reflects a shift in AI development toward domain-specialized applications in content and creative industries, noting Artue’s potential to modernize art transaction markets and expand participation among global collectors. Habitus Associates CEO Bo Young Song said the company plans to establish a global user-experience standard for technology-enabled art markets, highlighting growing institutional interest in digital art infrastructure.
The transaction follows Crit Ventures USA’s recent expansion in the United States, including the opening of a Palo Alto office to support Korean startups seeking entry into North American markets and international investor networks.
