This AI Startup Creates Professional Photos & Videos in Minutes – Assembo.ai Startup Review

When it comes to e-commerce, creating striking product photos and videos can feel like an uphill battle. Many sellers and marketers find themselves drowning in timelines and budgets, often dedicating months and thousands of dollars to capture that perfect shot. The result? Frustration and missed opportunities to connect with customers.

What if, instead of spending weeks stuck in production, you could generate eye-catching visuals in just one minute? That’s exactly what Assembo.ai brings to the table—an innovative platform designed for e-commerce sellers, designers, and marketing agencies who need professional visuals without the hassle.

The team behind Assembo, with experience from DJI and the tech industry, recognised the shockingly resource-heavy process of product photography. They transformed this challenge into a streamlined solution using cutting-edge technology that produces custom images and short videos effortlessly.

Curious about how their vision came to life? We did an interview to find out more about Assembo.ai and how they plan to revolutionise product visuals in the e-commerce landscape.

What is Assembo.ai

Assembo.ai is an advanced platform designed specifically for e-commerce, allowing sellers, designers, and marketing agencies to create professional product photos and videos in under a minute.

This innovative solution targets individuals and businesses usually overwhelmed by the time and financial demands of conventional product photography.

The platform addresses a crucial pain point: the lengthy and expensive process typically involved in producing visual content for promotional activities. By using the power of artificial intelligence, Assembo allows you to customise backgrounds and create visually appealing short videos in mere moments. This capability not only saves you valuable time but also reduces overall costs, making it accessible for brands of all sizes.

What sets Assembo apart from its competitors is its user-friendly design, which simplifies the content creation process for those less familiar with design principles.

You can simply upload a reference image to prompt the AI rather than struggling with complex instructions or technicalities. In a landscape where high-quality visuals are vital, Assembo.ai stands out as a game-changer, enabling businesses to thrive through effective visual storytelling.

Assembo.ai Founders

Lan Li is the visionary founder of Assembo.ai, an advanced platform that is reshaping the landscape of product photography and video for e-commerce. With a background as a product manager at DJI, she played a pivotal role in the launch of the company’s best-selling products, DJI OM3 and OM4.

This experience uncovered the complexities and frustrations surrounding traditional product photography, an epiphany that sparked her quest to simplify and expedite the process.

Alongside Lan, the founding team comprises seasoned professionals with diverse expertise. Yumo Chi, the project lead, brings a wealth of experience as a full-stack engineer, having previously worked on intricate web applications at Hyperloop One. His technical acumen, paired with a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been crucial in developing Assembo.ai’s user-friendly interface.

Kelong Wu, serving as the tech lead, contributes his specialist skills in creating progressive web apps optimised for mobile devices. Also a graduate from UIUC, he has a deep understanding of system architecture that strengthens the platform’s capabilities.

Meanwhile, Shiqi Xian, the product lead, leverages his background in psychology from the University of Washington to drive impactful marketing campaigns that resonate with users.

The early days of Assembo.ai were anything but straightforward. Achieving their first 500 paid users posed significant challenges. The team embarked on a rigorous journey of experimentation, meticulously testing various marketing channels. Their persistence paid off as they learnt to automate the most effective strategies, ultimately paving the way for a solid user base. This determination is a testament to the founders’ resilience and belief in their product’s potential to streamline a burdensome industry.

The inception of Assembo.ai emerged from Lan’s firsthand experience at DJI. Witnessing the extensive time and resources that went into preparing product visuals for marketing campaigns, she realised there was a substantial gap in the market. With a budget often nearing $100,000 and months of labour, Lan believed that e-commerce sellers needed a more efficient solution. Armed with this insight and a team of experts at her side, she set out to create a platform that would not only alleviate these pain points but also empower brands of all sizes to craft stunning visuals in a fraction of the time. This moment of clarity propelled the founders toward transforming their concept into a viable startup, laying the groundwork for Assembo.ai’s impressive trajector

Interview with Lan Li, Founder of Assembo.ai

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Lan Li, the driving force behind Assembo.ai. She shared fascinating insights about the startup, its journey, and its future plans.

Q: What sparked your interest in creating Assembo.ai?
A: I used to work at DJI as a Product Manager. During my time there, I was deeply involved in launching products, specifically the DJI OM3 and OM4, which included extensive work on product visuals. I noticed the process was incredibly time-consuming and costly, taking nearly three months and a significant budget. I saw a clear market need for a more efficient solution, and that’s what inspired me to create Assembo.ai.

Q: Can you tell us more about your founding team and their roles?
A: Sure. Alongside me, we have Yumo Chi, who is our Project Lead. Yumo is a full-stack engineer with experience in developing complex web applications at Hyperloop One. His technical skills have been invaluable. Our Tech Lead, Kelong Wu, specialises in progressive web apps and has a strong background in system architecture. Shiqi Xian, our Product Lead, uses his knowledge in psychology from the University of Washington to craft impactful marketing campaigns.

Q: What were some of the challenges you faced in the early days of Assembo.ai?
A: Getting the first 500 paid users was quite a struggle. We had to explore and test various marketing channels rigorously. Through trial and error, we automated the most effective strategies, which eventually helped us build a solid user base. It was a tough journey, but our persistence paid off.

Q: How would you say Assembo.ai stands out from its competitors?
A: Assembo.ai is designed to be user-friendly, especially for those who may not be well-versed in design principles. Instead of using complex instructions, users can simply upload a reference image to prompt the AI. This feature makes it significantly easier to create high-quality visuals compared to other platforms.

Q: What kind of feedback have you received from your users so far?
A: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Users appreciate how quickly and effortlessly they can generate professional-looking photos and videos. Many have also highlighted how the platform has helped them save both time and money, which is exactly what we aimed for.

Q: Could you share details about your recent funding and future plans?
A: Our recent funding round increased our valuation to $4.3 million. It took a lot of perseverance, as we had to pitch to over a hundred VCs before securing funding. As for future plans, we’ve recently launched a fashion app and a video app. The fashion app creates realistic AI human models showcasing clothing and accessories. The video app generates short animated videos from static product images. We’re now looking to expand our AI video capabilities to include longer-form educational content tailored for small business owners, such as product tutorials and brand storytelling videos.

Q: How much revenue does Assembo.ai generate per month and how many customers do you serve?
A: Currently, we generate around $2,000 per month and serve approximately 1,500 customers.

Q: Lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Absolutely. I failed at two startups before succeeding with this one. The key is to keep surviving and trying. Persistence is crucial.

Lan’s journey with Assembo.ai underscores the importance of resilience and innovation in tackling industry challenges. As the platform continues to evolve, it’s set to redefine how e-commerce sellers and marketers approach product visuals.

Feedough’s Take on Assembo.ai

Assembo.ai’s impact on the e-commerce sector is notably positive. This platform brilliantly addresses the traditional pain points of time and cost in product photography, presenting a disruptive simplicity that could reshape the industry’s future. Its use of AI to streamline content creation signals a potential for broad adoption, especially among smaller businesses that need to maintain a competitive edge with professional visuals.

Looking ahead, Assembo.ai is poised for growth but must navigate challenges like rapidly changing AI technology and increasing competition. I recommend enhancing user engagement through continuous feature upgrades and possibly expanding market niches to include unique sectors. Expect Assembo.ai to be a major player if these strategies are pursued, offering more inclusive and innovative solutions that cater to evolving market needs.