Self-described ‘crazy creative software factory’ Psykosoft has raised $500,000 (£321,000) in a seed round from London-based Balderton Capital and US-based Atlas Venture, as well as executives from Guitar Hero creator Harmonix and video hosting platform Brightcove.

The company created Psykopaint, an app which Balderton says is attracting more than a million unique visitors a month. It allows users to create images in the style of famous painters such as Renoir, Monet or Van Gogh.

Mathieu Gosselin, chief executive of Psykosoft, will use the investment to recruit top technical talent for the company. ‘If you are in Beijing, Belarus, Beirut or Bellevue but share our vision, love to create stuff and have talent doing so, I don’t care where you are, I want you!’ he enthuses.

Psykosoft was created last year after attracting investment at London’s Seedcamp event. It was then selected for inclusion in a US accelerator programme, TechStars Boston.

Gosselin adds, ‘At Psykosoft we’re crazy. We believe in originality, we believe in personality, we believe in emotions… Things that are not usually associated with software.’

Balderton is an investor in loan provider Wonga and also backed DVD rental business Lovefilm before its sale to Amazon. It recently invested in Archify, a tool which archives internet content for later viewing.