Person AI Image Startup Taking · Wired
The 70-Person AI Image Startup Taking on Silicon Valley's Giants
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But a 70-person startup headquartered 5,000 miles away in Germany’s Black Forest—a region famous for its ham—has become a top competitor to Silicon Valley’s leading labs in AI image generation.
Key facts
- In September, Black Forest Labs struck a $140 million multiyear deal to give Meta access to its AI image-generation technology
- But a 70-person startup headquartered 5,000 miles away in Germany’s Black Forest—a region famous for its ham—has become a top competitor to Silicon Valley’s leading labs in AI image generation
- In December, Black Forest Labs raised funds at a $3.25 billion valuation, after signing deals to power AI image-generation features in Adobe and the graphic design platform Canva
- Blattmann and his cofounders, Robin Rombach and Patrick Esser, made a name for themselves publishing some groundbreaking research on AI image models in 2021
Summary
Standing inside the HumanX conference in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, it’s hard not to feel like you’re at the center of the AI universe. In December, Black Forest Labs raised funds at a $3.25 billion valuation, after signing deals to power AI image-generation features in Adobe and the graphic design platform Canva. Nearly two years after launch, Black Forest Labs can afford to be picky about who it works with. In recent months, xAI approached Black Forest Labs about licensing the startup's technology again, tell WIRED. In September, Black Forest Labs struck a $140 million multiyear deal to give Meta access to its AI image-generation technology.