Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the buzz in the past months. With ChatGPT and generative AI being the center of this conversation, people are questioning the possibilities and capabilities of AI and its impact on our future.
Difference between AI and Generative AI
As tennis is to sports, generative AI is a sub-category of AI.
AI (Artificial Technology) refers to a broad range of intelligent behaviour by machines that mimic human-like thought processes.
Generative AI is a specific type that focuses on generating new content, such as text, code, images, simulations, music, and videos. It uses machine learning algorithms to make new content, similar to the large datasets they feed on.
The topical example of Generative AI is ChatGPT, which is eyeing a $10 billion investment from Microsoft. Recently, ChatGPT passed the medical licensing exam and the bar, proving the greatness of a technology that is still in its infancy.
Generative AI has the potential to disrupt how we deliver and create designs and models across all industries.
Some use cases include data augmentation, neural network design, data synthesis, text generation, image generation, music generation, and artificial creativity.
French Start-ups
Explore French start-ups (IMKI, Veesual, Aive, ClipDrop, and PhotoRoom) that use generative AI to create content and learn more about their value propositions and funding rounds.
IMKI
Created in Strasbourg in 2020 by founder Frédéric Rose, IMKI develops tailor-made generative artificial intelligence that creates immersive and spectacular audiovisual experiences.
Their goal is to provide creative and cultural industries with new tools to develop innovative media and experiences for broadcasts and events.
They provide their clients with complete software solutions, such as autonomous content generators, or by integrating them into a production chain, such as for special effects in the cinema (Deepfake, lip sync, etc.).
They are currently incubated in the SEMIA association (Sciences, Enterprise and Market, Incubator of Alsace).
Veesual
Created in 2020 by founders Maxime Patte and Damien Meurisse, Veesual is building the future of the fashion e-commerce experience with the next-gen Virtual Try-On solution.
Their goal is to bring solutions that leverage the power of images to create inclusive experiences that engage everyone.
Convinced by the potential of generative AI for image creation, the founders decided to apply this disruptive technology to an industry with ever-growing needs in diverse imagery: fashion.
Their latest funding round was a pre-seed investment of an undisclosed amount by Techstars in October 2020.
Aive
Created in 2019 by founders Olivier Reynaud and Rudy Lellouche, Aive is an easy-to-use Generative AI Video Platform. Aive helps brands and creatives to improve creative processes, and gives the freedom to create, iterate, and generate a multitude of video variations online in minutes.
Aive is designed for large-scale video automation. We enable brands to enhance video post-production, distribution, and creative collaboration with all their teams from anywhere. Unleashing creativity through video automation.
Their latest funding round was a seed investment, and they raised a total of $4 M from 70+ business angels to date.1
ClipDrop
Created in 2020 by founders Cyril Diagne, Damien Henry, and Jonathan Blanchet, ClipDrop turns regular mobile photos into professional product visuals.
Their goal is to combine state-of-the-art artificial intelligence & network communication,
to provide a unique, continuous workflow that “just works” wherever you go.
Their latest funding round was a seed investment, where they raised an undisclosed amount from Y Combinator in 2022.1
PhotoRoom
Created in 2019 by founders Eliot Andres and Matthieu Rouif, PhotoRoom is an AI-enabled image-capturing app that lets users create studio-quality product pictures in seconds.
With PhotoRoom, you can take a photo of an object or a person and teleport them into a whole new scene like magic. Your images are created instantaneously and are further editable.
Their latest funding round was a Series A investment, where they raised a total of $19.12 M from Y Combinator; FJ Labs; Adjacent; Meta; Hugging Face.1
