Visual Electric, a company backed by Sequoia Capital, has unveiled its generative AI-based image-generation tool targeted at designers. Founded in November 2022 by CEO Colin Dunn, Chief Product Officer Adam Menges, and Chief Technology Officer Zach Stiggelbout, Visual Electric aims to address the shortcomings of existing generative AI tools, which often neglect the specific workflows of designers.

Dunn, a former executive at Universe, emphasized the non-linear nature of creativity and explained that their product is designed around the messy and spatial creative process. The company launched its beta in February, catering to graphic designers, ad creatives, and concept artists from prominent companies like Stripe, Affirm, Riot Games, Instrument, and Manual. According to Dunn, AI-based image generation is still in a "pre-ChatGPT era," highlighting the lack of mass appeal in existing solutions. Visual Electric's platform allows users to easily create, modify, and iterate images until they achieve a satisfactory result.

The platform's interface is user-friendly: users input a prompt to receive four options based on an infinite canvas. The tool, which is free to use with a daily limit of 40 image generations, offers a premium plan starting at $16 per month for enhanced generation speeds, unlimited image creation, and commercial licensing. Users can also opt for a top-tier $48 per month plan for private image generation and faster speeds.

Visual Electric's tool includes features such as "touch" for modifying parts of a generated picture, upscaling for premium users, background removal, creativity sliders for variations, and a "remix" feature for image makeovers. The company employs Stable Diffusion and GPT-3.5 Turbo for auto-generated prompt suggestions, while GPT-4 is used to generate prompts from imported images.

While Visual Electric is yet to release a mobile app, it has raised $2.5 million in funding from Sequoia, BoxGroup, and Designer Fund. The company distinguishes itself by focusing on a specific user base, believing this targeted approach gives them a competitive edge amidst other image-generation tools introduced by major players like Google, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, and Getty Images.

In the past year, various companies, including Google, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, and Getty Images, have launched image-generation tools. Chatbot platforms such as ChatGPT and Poe have also integrated image generation for user convenience. Visual Electric acknowledges this competitive landscape but asserts that its focus on a specific set of users sets it apart.

Other tools, such as Vercel and TLDraw, have also experimented with interface-generating features. Visual Electric, looking ahead, contemplates the development of a mobile app in the coming year. The company is confident that its tailored approach will continue to resonate with its target audience despite the evolving and competitive landscape in the image-generation space.