Napkin Transforms Text into Visual Content Using Generative AI Technology

Converting ideas into compelling arguments is a monumental challenge, especially in today’s fast-paced world full of distractions. What strategies can be employed to capture and maintain attention?

For Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the answer lies in their creation: Napkin. This innovative “visual AI” platform, which they co-developed, is debuting today, backed by a $10 million investment from Accel and CRV.

The concept for Napkin emerged from Sharma’s and Scholler’s dissatisfaction with the overwhelming reliance on documents and slideshows in business communication. Before Napkin, Sharma co-created Osmo, a company specializing in educational games, after his tenure at Google. Scholler helped launch Osmo and has past experience at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and Google.

Sharma explains that Napkin is designed for marketers, content creators, engineers, and professionals who specialize in ideation and content creation. Its aim is to simplify and expedite the design process by adopting a primarily generative approach.

The term “generative” pertains to generative AI, positioning Napkin among the myriad of firms exploring this technology’s capabilities. However, Napkin distinguishes itself through its web-based interface and unique functionality.

Napkin enables users to start with either their text — such as a presentation or draft — or use the app to generate text based on a prompt. It then lays out this text on a virtual canvas similar to Notion and adds a “spark icon” to text paragraphs. Clicking this icon transforms text into customizable visuals.

These visuals range from flowcharts and graphs to infographics and decision trees. Users can personalize these visuals by swapping icons, linking concepts visually, and adjusting colors and fonts. Napkin also offers embellishments like highlights and underlines to enhance visual elements.

Upon completion, these visuals can be exported in various formats or as a URL linking back to the original canvas.

“Our approach prioritizes generative experiences, with editing tools designed to complement and enhance these, reversing the traditional model,” Sharma explained.

An exploratory trial of Napkin revealed its strengths in processing straightforward descriptions and narratives, adeptly converting them into visual elements. However, it sometimes struggled with more abstract content, resulting in visuals that might not align closely with the intended message.

Napkin also proved capable of generating unexpected visuals not directly referenced in the provided text, highlighting the imaginative capacity of its AI.

In regards to copyright concerns for generated images, Sharma reassures that Napkin’s visuals are created internally without using public or copyrighted data, ensuring users have full rights over the content produced.

Despite its early stage, there is room for Napkin to refine and expand its offerings, with plans for paid subscriptions in the future. Currently, the Napkin team is relatively small, but there are plans for expansion.

Wong from Accel, who had previously invested in Sharma and Scholler’s first venture, Osmo, praises their technical expertise and user-friendly innovations. He anticipates similar success with Napkin in transforming business storytelling through visual AI.

Funds from the recent investment round will be directed towards enhancing the product, including further development and expanding the team with AI engineers and graphic designers, aiming to improve the AI’s ability to produce relevant and impactful visuals from textual content.