Controversy persists within the realm of AI-generated visuals, with AI-generated images utilized in elections raising concerns at the recent World Economic Forum. Despite this, startups are forging ahead in developing AI tools for creators.
Recraft, the latest entrant in this field, is an AI graphic design generator tailored for professionals. The startup recently secured a $12 million Series A funding round led by Khosla Ventures in Silicon Valley, with participation from former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, RTP Global, Abstract VC, Basis Set Ventures, Elad Gil, and various angel investors.
In a market saturated with Generative AI design tools like Jasper, Adobe Sensei, and Let’s Enhance, Recraft distinguishes itself by positioning as a ‘foundational’ tool. It is in the process of constructing its Foundation Model, a pre-trained deep learning algorithm that produces consistent design elements such as icons and images. Since its launch eight months ago, Recraft has garnered over 300,000 users.
Unlike platforms focused on whimsical outputs, Recraft emphasizes the creation of both ‘raster images’ and vector images, which are infinitely scalable and cater to professional graphic design needs, ensuring superior image quality.
Founder Anna Veronika Dorogush, known for creating CatBoost, an open-source library for gradient boosting on decision trees, leads a 13-member team based in London. Dorogush highlighted the importance of offering users control over the output styles, brand colors, level of detail, and iterative capabilities.
Addressing concerns about potential copyright issues, Dorogush clarified that Recraft does not utilize artists’ uploaded images for training its model. Instead, users provide a style reference, enabling the generation of images based on the specified style.
Recraft’s focus on empowering professionals to create unique styles sets it apart in the market. Dorogush emphasized that the platform not only generates images but also enables style control, crucial for brand development, marketing materials, and consistent advertising.
While Recraft competes in a crowded space, CEO Nicolas Heymann of Kittl, a Berlin-based design platform, acknowledged the potential for platforms like Recraft to revolutionize design asset creation, offering viable alternatives to traditional stock imagery.
Investors, recognizing the potential of AI tools tailored for business needs, are optimistic about the prospects of platforms like Recraft. Nikita Shamgunov, Partner at Khosla Ventures, highlighted the significance of Recraft’s professional-grade workflows, style controls, and content production capabilities driven by internally developed foundation models.
