Exactly.ai Raises $4M to Empower Artists in Leveraging AI for Enhanced Creative Output

Amid the rising controversy of visual artists being exploited by artificial intelligence, it's a challenging time for creators. However, a London-based startup, Exactly.ai, aims to empower artists by leveraging AI technology to reclaim their creative control.

Exactly.ai utilizes generative AI to help artists maintain legal ownership of their work while enabling them to produce their designs more efficiently and at scale. The startup has successfully secured $4.3 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Speedinvest, with participation from InReach Ventures, Cornerstone VC, GuruDev Capital, and several angel investors. Currently, Exactly.ai boasts a growing community of 40,000 registered users.

Founded in 2022 by Tonia Samsonova, a former journalist who previously sold the Q&A platform The Question to Russia's Yandex, Exactly.ai is on a mission to support artists. "We empower artists, illustrators, and those with a talent for drawing to train AI models based on their artwork," explained Samsonova. "This process results in an algorithm that generates images in their unique style, which they own along with all derived inferences."

The platform allows artists to expand their reach, enabling them to sell or license their creations to clients, including media organizations and advertising agencies. The potential is significant: Fortune Business Insights predicts that the global generative AI market could reach $668 billion by 2030, with a portion dedicated to artistic needs.

Samsonova developed the concept out of personal frustration. "In my experience as a client, there was always a demand for top-tier images, but the best creators were often unavailable. Exactly.ai bridges that gap, allowing clients to access exceptional talent," she noted.

The startup faces competition from platforms like Upwork and Fiverr that artists frequently use to enhance their output. "We generate revenue by enabling illustrators with commercial practices to meet increasing demand. They pay us a subscription fee and often see a fourfold increase in their income," Samsonova stated.

Exactly.ai combines the foundational model provided by Picsart with its unique algorithm that understands individual artistic styles to deliver tailored images. "Our most valuable training data comes from our robust community of 40,000 artists who have shared millions of images on our platform," the founder added. "With this collective input, we continuously refine styles and genres. Our technology collaborates with artists to enhance their earning potential rather than compete with them. Additionally, we incorporate over a million pieces of open art from museums, all fully licensed as CC0."

Julian Blessin, a partner at Speedinvest, expressed enthusiasm about the startup's potential. "Exactly.ai marks a significant advancement for the creative arts industry. Tonia and her team have crafted a platform that allows artists to utilize generative AI as a collaborative tool in their creative journey."

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