Abstract is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco with $1.5 billion in assets under management. We are sector-agnostic, focused on seed and early stage founders. Our reputation among founders is built on fierce loyalty, unparalleled connections, and a relentless drive to help them win.

Abstract

A* Capital

AI practitioners investing in AI, deeptech, robotics, future of work

Outset Capital

Tako

Tako is an AI search engine that embed intelligence.

Tako is an AI search engine platform focused on visualizing and sharing knowledge. The platform creates interactive and shareable knowledge cards using authoritative data sources, enabling knowledge workers to access and share factual information. Tako's technology integrates with real-time data providers like S&amp;P and Stats Perform to ensure the delivery of reliable information. The platform's core functionality transforms authoritative data into visual representations of knowledge, making complex information more accessible and understandable.

Exploring the limitless possibilities of AI

Generative AI Applications

Tako: AI-Based Search Company Raises $5.75 Million Seed

Liner

To enable users access and visualize structured data through an embeddable knowledge graph.

Companies that offer solutions to generate contextually relevant text responses across multiple conversational exchanges, such as natural language chatbots

Tako is an AI search engine platform focused on visualizing and sharing knowledge. The platform creates interactive and shareable knowledge cards using authoritative data sources, enabling knowledge workers to access and share factual information. Tako's technology integrates with real-time data providers like S&amp;P and Stats Perform to ensure the delivery of reliable information. The platform's core functionality transforms authoritative data into visual representations of knowledge, making complex information more accessible and understandable.Key customers and partnershipsTako partnered with Perplexity in May 2024 to integrate its search and visualization tools into Perplexity's answer engine. The company also established a partnership with Polymarket (through Perplexity) to enable visual display of dynamic data, such as election trends. In October 2024, Tako partnered with&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/619331">Liner</a> to integrate Tako's authoritative knowledge cards into Liner's AI-powered research platform.&nbsp;&nbsp;Key competitors: None comparable&nbsp;(Tako is the only company in coverage to offer an AI search engine that offers shareable knowledge cards.)

DeckRobot is a platform compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint that leverages AI to transform raw slides into enterprise-ready presentations. DeckRobot AI transforms draft slides into professional, on-brand slides by adapting graphics from a vast library of slide examples. Users can apply an unlimited number of styles to any slide deck, including old documents, client materials, or web-sourced slides.DeckRobot offers enhancements for individual slides, such as adding approved icons and images, object alignment, slide resizing, and text validation through AI checks. DeckRobot's plugin acts as a time-saving tool for PowerPoint users, reducing manual work and potentially saving up to 80% of working time. The plugin emphasizes creating visually appealing presentations that adhere to company brand guidelines while maintaining content quality.Key customers and partnershipsAs of April 2024, the company reportedly worked with 70% of the largest consulting and audit companies.

DeckRobot

Based in Italy, Contents.com is a generative AI-powered multimedia creation tool directed at marketing teams, bloggers, publishers, web agencies, ecommerce sites, and large corporations looking to scale content output. The company operates as a SaaS platform that provides tools to support the entire content creation workflow, combining AI-generated output with manual finishing. Contents.com’s features include:1) Industry trends: Uses AI to provide an overview of popular content trends during a specified time period2) AI Chat: A natural language chatbot that can answer questions on any topic or be used to generate content ideas3) AI Writer: Generates content based on a selected template, including blog posts, social media posts, product descriptions, marketing emails, search engine optimized content, and summarized and rephrased content4) AI Art: Generates images based on text inputs, a selected style, and destination content type5) Text to Audio: Converts text documents into audio, with several AI voices available for selection and generates text transcripts from audio input6) AI Translation: Translates content into 25+ languages (January 2024) and offers human translation7) Professional writing services: Completion and review of AI-generated content or fully outsourced content creation by human writersContents.com also offers a customizable enterprise solution, enabling large organizations to automate their content creation processes.The firm claims that its solution can generate content 10x faster.In April 2023, Contents.com acquired Scribeur, its main French competitor, expanding its customer base to include major French and European brands. In the same month, the firm also acquired translation company Traduzione.it. In addition, in May 2023, the company acquired Scribox, an Italian content marketing marketplace, to leverage Scribox's expertise in custom content creation, SEO, and social media marketing.Key customers and partnershipsAs of May 2023, Contents.com’s users included Allianz, Billboard, IKEA, Oppo, and Accenture.

Contents.com

Estonia-based Alpha3D utilizes GenAI technologies to allow users to automatically convert text prompts or 2D images of real-world objects into interactive 3D digital assets. The platform aims at simplifying the 3D model creation process, making it more accessible and scalable for users regardless of their 3D-modeling knowledge. Alpha3D's technology has potential applications in various domains, such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), virtual try-on (VTO), gaming, the metaverse, and even non-fungible tokens (NFTs), allowing a wide range of digital interactions and experiences​.The platform claims to automatically generate 3D content 10x faster and up to 100x cheaper than traditional methods, without requiring 3D modeling expertise.Key customers and partnershipsAs of September 2023, Alpha3D had managed to garner a user base of nearly 100,000 platform users, including Viva Technology, Threedium, Wanna, PwC, and FARFETCH.In June 2023, the company partnered with Tryme, a company specializing in custom software solutions, to advance the creation of AI-generated 3D models for eyewear by combining Alpha3D's rapid 2D-to-3D conversion with TRYME's virtual try-on platform.

Alpha3D

OASIS is a human-centric AI research lab that offers photorealistic AI avatars for remote work. Users can enter text, record audio, or write directly on the screen, and the AI will rewrite based on specified preferences or settings, allowing users to generate rewritten content for various purposes, such as improving clarity, style, or readability. The cross-platform app allows users to use the AI avatar when using a camera, including Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and WhatsApp.

OASIS

Canada-based Maket specializes in utilizing GenAI to automate the design of residential floor plans, aiding architects, designers, and developers in efficiently creating various design iterations​. Additionally, Maket offers a suite of tools, including a virtual assistant for informed desig-making, assistance with navigating zoning codes, and regulatory compliance checks. The platform is also integrated with Rhino, Autodesk Autocad, and Autodesk Revit.Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;In April 2022, Maket formed a strategic partnership with <a href="https://mila.quebec/en/mila-and-maket-announce-a-new-partnership-to-leverage-ai-for-generative-architecture/#:~:text=MONTREAL%20%E2%80%93%20April%2020%2C%202022,architecture%2C%20engineering%20and%20construction">Mila</a>, a deep-learning research institute, to advance AI-powered architectural planning​.Key competitors: None comparable (Maket is the only design startup we have identified that uses GenAI to automate the design of residential floor plans.)

Maket

Companies that offer solutions to generate text from a prompt, where output is independent of previous interactions, such as specialized content creation tools

Companies that offer solutions to create and edit images and GIFs, including techniques such as inpainting, outpainting, upscaling, and stylizing

Companies that generate or synthesize voice and audio, including voice cloning, text-to-speech, and language translation

Companies that specialize in generating 3D content, including the creation of game assets (virtual worlds, non-playable characters), product visualization, and other 3D models

Companies that offer solutions to create and edit video content, including scene generation, background replacement, stylizing, and frame interpolation

Generative AI applications are built on foundation models that are trained using advanced ML models

The technology allows the creation of digital avatars and virtual games

All companies within the space offer a product or service based on generative AI

The technology allows the creation of personalized content

Some applications leverage NLP to train models to process and respond to language-based prompts

Generative AI applications are built on in-house or third-party foundation models

<div>
 AI search engine company, Tako, secured USD 5.75 million in a seed funding round. Notable investors who led the round include Kevin Hartz at A* and Ramtin Naimi at Abstract Ventures. Other investors comprised Stanley Druckenmiller, Kevin Warsh, Gokul Rajaram, and Naval Ravikant.
 The fresh capital will be directed towards Tako's expansion, including enhancing the platform's user interface and user experience, increasing its knowledge graph, growing its partnerships, and attracting talent. These initiatives are set to expand the capabilities of the platform.
 Tako provides innovative solutions like shareable knowledge cards that are built using authoritative data sources and are kept up-to-date. The company has inked a partnership with Perplexity to integrate its advanced search and visualization tools into Perplexity's answer engine. An added capability of Tako is the visual display of dynamic data, made possible through a tie-up with Polymarket.
 
</div>

Tako

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless