Paris-based startup Presti has raised $3.5 million in seed funding to revolutionize product photography for the furniture industry using generative AI. The round was led by global tech investment firm Partech, with contributions from several business angels, including Maxime Brousse, Thibaud Elzière, Julien Hirth, Abou Laraki, and Rémi Lemonnier. Presti’s technology generates high-quality, tailored imagery, reducing production time and costs compared to traditional methods like physical photo shoots and computer-generated imagery.
The company’s focus on the furniture industry allows for tailored solutions that enhance the effectiveness and speed of its proprietary models. Co-founder and CEO Nabil Toumi shared the startup’s journey and goals. “Very quickly, we picked up the phone and talked with 50 potential users,” Toumi said.
“Everyone said the same thing: creating product visuals took a very long time, cost a lot of money, and they didn’t have a simple solution for these photos.”
At the core of Presti’s solution is Stable Diffusion XL, a generative AI model retrained specifically for furniture product imagery. We initially tried a vanilla version of Stable Diffusion XL, but it produced distorted results. To address this, we meticulously trained our model with over 75,000 high-quality images of furniture,” Toumi explained.
Presti’s technology goes beyond just generating backgrounds. Customers can add accessories like cushions that cast realistic shadows, ensuring they look naturally integrated rather than Photoshop additions.
Generative AI transforms furniture photography
The company is also working on allowing users to swap out materials and colors for different product variations, simplifying the product release process. While primarily collaborating with mid-sized furniture companies, Presti has partnered strategically with Maisons du Monde, one of France’s largest furniture retailers. “Right from the start, we have been impressed by the solution that Presti is offering.
It not only reduces the cost of marketing but also accelerates our product launch cycle. With Presti, we bring our products to market faster and with stunning, precise imagery. It’s a game-changer for our business,” said Constance Fouquet, Digital, IT & B2B Director at Maisons du Monde.
Boris Golden, General Partner at Partech, expressed confidence in Presti’s potential. “We’ve been truly blown away by how quickly Presti has built a technology making them a highly credible and differentiated player in this competitive space. We have a strong conviction that the Presti team has the talent, skills, and ambition to navigate this fast-moving space and become a leader of verticalized high-end product imagery for commerce, powered by generative AI, and we’re excited to back this exceptional team,” Golden said.
The fresh funding will enable Presti to expand its reach and continuously improve its technology. Since its launch in February, the company has consistently doubled its revenue month over month. With this new round of funding, Presti is set to develop its technology further and expand its market presence, helping brands create compelling visual content that drives digital marketing efforts.
