From TechCrunch · Aisha Malik · · 2m
Phota Labs turns snapshots into pro photos with AI
A new iOS app uses AI to automatically enhance everyday photos while preserving how people actually look, aiming to make professional-quality editing accessible to everyone.
In brief
A new iOS app uses AI to automatically enhance everyday photos while preserving how people actually look, aiming to make professional-quality editing accessible to everyone. Phota Labs, an a16z-backed startup, launched an iOS app that uses AI to transform everyday photos into professional-looking shots while…
New app automates photo editing
Phota Labs is an iOS app that uses AI to turn everyday snapshots into professional-looking images while preserving authenticity. It automates editing so anyone can access better photos without manual work.
Founders met at Adobe
Phota Labs was founded by Cecilia Zhang and Zach Xia, who met at Adobe while working on computational photography products including Project Indigo, Lightroom, and Photoshop.
Fixing photos, not just editing them
Zhang and Xia saw a gap in the market. Editing tools are powerful for enhancing photos but ineffective at fixing photos that weren't captured well. Phota Labs focuses on fixing the shot itself.
How the AI works
The app transforms photos by turning wide-angle group shots into tighter portraits or selfies into regular shots. Users choose from different photography styles ranging from subtle edits to dramatic transformations with effects like fish-eye lenses.
Preserving identity in transformations
Unlike generative AI tools that can alter appearance, Phota Labs built personalization technology that learns about people's identity and preserves it in any transformation. Edited images feature invisible watermarks identifying them as AI-altered.
“We built this personalization technology that actually learns about people's identity and is able to preserve them in any transformation we do to a photo.”
Obsession with authenticity
Xia said the company spends significant research understanding personal context and building identity models to ensure photos are authentic. Beta users saw results as photos of real memories rather than AI-generated images.
“We have this obsession with authenticity. I think there's so much value in connecting AI with real moments and making sure those photos are not perfect, in a sense.”
Target audience and vision
Phota Labs initially targets social media users who take many photos but dislike editing. The founders envision a broader audience including retirees creating photos for grandchildren and parents sharing family albums.
Funding and launch plans
The company raised a five point six million dollar seed round led by a16z last year.
What to remember
Phota Labs, an a16z-backed startup, launched an iOS app that uses AI to transform everyday photos into professional-looking shots while preserving authenticity and personal identity.
