‘Napkin’ Uses Visual AI to Automate Business Storytelling

Napkin, a new AI-powered tool, aims to revolutionize business storytelling by automating the creation of visual elements for presentations, pitches, and reports.

The big picture: Napkin leverages generative AI to transform text inputs into customizable visuals, charts, and diagrams, streamlining the process of creating compelling business presentations.

• Founded by Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the creators of the educational technology Osmo, Napkin addresses the challenge of efficiently producing visual content for business communications.
• The tool integrates with popular platforms like Google Docs, Slides, and Canva, enhancing its versatility and ease of use for professionals.
• Napkin’s Visual AI technology quickly converts text into a wide array of visual formats, including mind maps, flow charts, and Venn diagrams.

Key features and capabilities: Napkin offers a comprehensive solution for professionals seeking to enhance their visual storytelling without extensive design skills.

• The platform boasts over 30 visual design categories, providing users with a diverse range of options to suit various presentation needs.
• Napkin’s AI-driven approach allows for rapid generation of visuals, significantly reducing the time and effort required in traditional design processes.
• Users can easily customize and edit the generated visuals, ensuring that the final product aligns with their specific requirements and brand guidelines.

Founders’ background and motivation: The creation of Napkin stems from the founders’ previous success and their recognition of a gap in the market for efficient visual content creation.

• Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler previously founded Osmo, an educational technology company they sold to Byju’s for $120 million in 2019.
• Their experience with Osmo likely informed their approach to developing user-friendly, innovative technology solutions.
• The founders identified a need for a tool that could streamline the visual aspect of business communication, leading to the development of Napkin.

Development and current status: Napkin represents a significant investment of time and resources, reflecting the founders’ commitment to addressing a pressing need in business communication.

• An 11-person team spent 1.5 years developing Napkin, indicating the complexity and sophistication of the underlying technology.
• The tool is currently in beta, suggesting that the company is gathering user feedback and potentially refining features before a full launch.
• Napkin has secured backing from prominent investors Accel and CRV, demonstrating confidence in the product’s potential and the team’s ability to execute.

Target audience and use cases: Napkin is positioned to serve a wide range of professionals who regularly need to create visually engaging content.

• The tool is particularly useful for those preparing presentations, pitches, reports, and other business documents that benefit from visual elements.
• By automating the visual design process, Napkin aims to empower users who may lack advanced design skills but need to produce professional-looking content.
• The integration with existing tools suggests that Napkin is designed to complement rather than replace current workflow solutions, potentially easing adoption for users.

Potential impact on business communication: Napkin’s approach to visual content creation could significantly alter how professionals prepare and deliver information in business settings.

• By reducing the time and skill barriers associated with creating visual content, Napkin may encourage more frequent and effective use of visuals in business communications.
• The tool’s AI-driven approach could lead to more consistent and higher-quality visual presentations across organizations, potentially raising the overall standard of business storytelling.
• As AI continues to evolve, tools like Napkin may become increasingly sophisticated, further blurring the lines between human-created and AI-generated content in professional settings.

Looking ahead: Challenges and opportunities: While Napkin presents an innovative solution, its success will depend on various factors in the rapidly evolving AI and business communication landscape.

• The tool’s ability to produce truly unique and brand-specific visuals will be crucial in distinguishing it from potential competitors and ensuring long-term adoption.
• As more AI-powered tools enter the market, Napkin will need to continuously innovate and improve its offerings to maintain its competitive edge.
• The ongoing development of AI technology may present both opportunities for enhancement and challenges in terms of user trust and content authenticity, which Napkin will need to navigate carefully.