Beyond Presence, a Munich-based startup founded by Awais Shafique, has raised $3.1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by HV Capital. The startup aims to develop hyper-realistic avatars capable of real-time, unscripted conversations, leveraging advancements in computer vision and AI. With over 300 companies on the waitlist, the public beta is expected by the end of October. Shafique, previously co-founder of Presize, has opted to bypass Y Combinator to maintain equity and focus on core technology. The funding will support ongoing model development and product launch efforts.