Generative AI is already looking like the major tech trend of 2023. The ability to generate fresh content via algorithms has been thrust into the public consciousness by the likes of ChatGPT, a chatbot-style technology trained on large language models (LLMs) capable of producing essays, poems, lyrics, news articles and even computer programs. Then there's DALL-E, from the same Microsoft-backed OpenAI that spawned ChatGPT, which serves a similar purpose but for visual creations instead.

While some have argued that ChatGPT signals AI’s arrival into the mainstream, the truth of the matter is that we're just at the start of a new era of AI-powered applications that will transform just about every facet of industry, from consumer search and stock photography to real estate and content marketing.

It's against that backdrop that a fledgling startup called Tavus is looking to make its mark by enabling companies to create "unique" videos tailored to a specific individual, but based entirely on a single initial recording.

The idea is that a sales and marketing team, for example, can issue an endless stream of video pitches to prospective customers, maybe based on textual data the prospect submitted through an online form. Or perhaps a headhunter will use the platform to send multiple personalized videos to potential candidates using data gleaned from their LinkedIn profiles.

Founded out of San Francisco in 2020 by CEO Hassaan Raza and Quinn Favret, Y Combinator (YC) alum Tavus today announced that it has raised $6.1 million in a seed round led by Silicon Valley investor Sequoia, with participation from a slew of high-profile backers, including Accel Partners, Index Ventures, Lightspeed Ventures and YC Continuity.

How it works

Any company looking to create multiple personalized videos will know that it's an incredibly time-consuming, repetitive process: recording the same message with substantively the same content, but tweaked for different clients or candidates. That is what Tavus is looking to address: allowing users to create their own AI video templates in minutes and then generate an unlimited number of versions of a video from that original source.