Dear investor

Marko here from Luccid, Berlin-based B2B SaaS building the ultimate AI architect to help us, real architects, with tons of building regulations. Our end goal? You upload your drawings, and Luccid instantly verifies compliance with the latest regulations.

Today’s stories: Paraplegics & Robots, AI Talking Heads, Studio-quality AI Voice Enhancement, More Sugar-free days

1. Extremist Brands

I stumbled upon a wild story and Marcus Pinson, who took a bullet for his wife 2 years ago and became paraplegic. Being an engineer and designer, Marcus started noticing the shortcomings of mobility technology that is currently available.

Why are they interesting?

The current solutions for mobility platforms have several key issues:

• Most require hand input to operate, so you can't use them while holding something with both hands.

• There aren’t any affordable all-terrain options available.

• You won’t find budget-friendly options that can transition smoothly from indoor to outdoor settings, especially over uneven ground.

• Many designs turn your legs into obstacles, hampering your ability to perform everyday tasks.

• The existing models aren’t very DIY-friendly, limiting personal customization.

Marcus used to teach blacksmithing and handled all the forest management on his family's farm. Faced with challenges that prevented him from continuing these passions, he saw a need for a better solution. Motivated to regain his capabilities, he decided to create a solution designed by a paraplegic for paraplegics. To make this vision a reality, he assembled a dedicated team.

The Team

Kyle Hoover: Known as the go-to guru at Makerspace Charlotte, Kyle is a wizard with 3D modeling and CNC machining. If there’s a tech problem, Kyle can solve it.

Jay: A hardware specialist who designs and builds scooters and other electric devices that will take you from point A to B.

Adrienne: With a spirit as dynamic as her software development skills, she was quick to join the team. Just a hint that the project would help people was enough to get her on board.

They are working together from the Charlotte Makerspace (📍Charlotte, North Carolina) where they have access to 3d Printing and CNC machines.

The mantra "the best part is no part" really resonates here.

The ask

They're currently raising a small angel round to complete the prototype, secure patents, and begin selling build kits. The market potential is enormous! In the U.S. alone, over 5 million paraplegics could benefit from this technology—and they are eager for solutions. This isn't just a nice-to-have; it's an absolute must-have!

If you know a paraplegic, ask them if they face these challenges. If it resonates, consider opening your heart—and your wallet—to help build the first edition of this much-needed tool. Your support could make a real difference.

Reach out directly to Marcus for more details: [email protected]

2. AI|Coustics

Ever struggled to hear someone on a Zoom call because the sound was muddy? Or tried to make out a WhatsApp voice message but couldn't because of wind noise? Maybe you've cringed at a podcast or YouTube video that echoed as if it was recorded in their mom’s basement. Even worse when someone's using bad headphones or a cheap mic. Annoying, right?

What if everything sounded as if it were recorded in a professional, perfectly acoustical studio? Berlin-based startup ai-coustics is tackling exactly these problems and building a new standard of speech quality across all devices and applications.

Why are they interesting?

Ai-coustics is changing the game for content creators, media platforms, broadcasters, and production studios. Now, anyone can upgrade their audio and video recordings to professional quality—no need for pricey mics, deep audio expertise, or fancy studios. It's all automated and accessible through a web app or an API.

Another cool possibility? Audio tech companies could integrate Ai-coustics' SDK right into their products—think soundbars, TVs, headphones. This move could massively boost user experience by delivering clearer, superior sound quality.

The Team

The startup kicked off in 2021 by Fabian Seipel and Corvin Jaedicke, both audio tech pros from Technical University Berlin. These guys aren’t newbies—they've done their time as ML engineers in the industry and even teach a course called "Deep Learning for Audio Data" at TU Berlin.

They've just stepped out of stealth mode and dropped some big news: a €1.6 million seed funding round. The round was led by UK's Connect Ventures, with Inovia Capital and FOV Ventures jumping in too. Plus, they've got some heavy hitters on board as angel investors—Michael Schmitt from Earlybird-X, Jan Bohl who’s the CFO at Ableton, and Nigel Toon, the co-founder and CEO of the British unicorn, Graphcore.

Next time you're on your yacht making calls, give ai-coustics a try. It'll filter out those annoying background noises—wind, sea, and even that seagull trying to steal your nutty pudding. Ideal for sealing fundraising deals without any interruptions.

3. Infinity AI

This startup is both thrilling and a bit daunting, and that's exactly why it's so compelling. Infinity has developed a foundation model that turns scripts into movies. Their MVP lets you create talking-head videos with ease. Their vision: you type up a script, and bam—you get a movie. How cool is that?

Why are they interesting?

They made history with the first completely AI-generated YC demo day presentation. This AI video tool is a game changer. Just type in a script and it spits out a video. Picture this: in just minutes, you could create a math class taught by Kim Kardashian—or even poke fun at your heroes from the All In Podcast. And here we were, thinking the future was all about flying cars!

The Team

Lina Colucci brings over a decade of expertise in AI/ML and synthetic media. Not only is she a seasoned founder, but she also holds a PhD from MIT and Harvard, where she developed a groundbreaking portable MRI sensor.

Sidney Primas leads the charge in ML Engineering and Product. He started a PhD at MIT, focusing on ML algorithms for medical imaging, but decided to drop out and channel his energy into building companies instead.

Andrew Weitz brings over a decade of experience in AI/ML and synthetic media to the table. He earned a PhD in Bioengineering from Stanford University, where he focused his research on medical imaging and computational neuroscience.

Andrew, Sidney, and Lina have been teaming up to build companies for the past five years—Infinity is their second venture together. But their teamwork stretches back over a decade. A powerhouse trio!

They just finished with Y Combinator, but haven't revealed whether they've secured any funding yet. This might be something to keep an eye on. Interested?

I have so many questions. How does Infinity.ai manage the use of famous personalities in their AI-generated videos? Do these celebrities consent to their likenesses being used? Are there agreements in place? And what cut does a celebrity get from the videos they appear in? With the EU's tight regulations, these issues could indeed stir up significant legal challenges. What's your take on this potential regulatory pushback?

Personal news

For everyone curious about my no-processed sugar challenge—I am still crushing it! I've been using Atoms, a free app by James Clear, the author of the NYT bestseller 'Atomic Habits.' It's simple to use and focuses on small, incremental steps that can lead to huge improvements. Try it on your next investment. 😉 

P.S. Have you seen the new Atlas Robot? We are fucked!

That wraps up this newsletter!

I’d love to know if this brings any value to you. It’s a work in progress, so I greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions you have. I'm looking forward to making it even better!

Please share this with your colleagues—let's grow together!🙂 

Cheers!

Marko