Colossyan: Explained

Welcome to ‘Portfolio: Explained,’ a series dedicated to exploring the dynamic world of startups within our portfolio. Our goal is to unravel the complexities of these innovative companies, offering easy-to-understand, clear, and concise explanations of their advanced technologies and solutions.

In this edition, we’re focusing on Colossyan, the AI video platform for workplace learning.

Origin Story:

Colossyan is a generative AI startup that specializes in creating AI-driven videos from text inputs, mainly for workplace learning and training purposes. The company was founded in 2021 by a 23-year-old Dominik Mate Kovacs under the name “Defudger” to detect AI-generated content. Throughout the development, however, the team realized their potential of directly enhancing AI-generated content quality and fully moved to content creation.

Colossyan’s platform allows users to easily create videos using AI, which can be particularly useful for training or internal communications . The software enables the transformation of presentations, documents, or audio into videos, making it easier and more cost-effective compared to traditional video production methods.

The core functionality of Colossyan’s product includes creating learning videos from text, localizing content in over 70 languages, and offering a variety of AI avatars that users can choose from for their videos. These avatars can replace human presenters in training videos, providing a more engaging learning experience. The platform is also capable of turning PDFs and PPTs into videos and is designed for scenario-based learning​​​​​​​​.

How did you come up with the idea and what is your personal relationship with the industry?

Dominik: I always thought AI would be one of the major technological directions for our society, so I decided to study mathematics and machine learning. As a huge fan of cinematography at the same time, as soon as I encountered what we call today Generative AI, I knew this was the immediate future. This was back in 2018, way before the AI hype we live in today. Additionally, I’m from a family of teachers, therefore education was always really close to my heart. Applying our product for such use cases fueled my ambitions further.

Colossyan Explained

1. The Core Technology: AI-Driven Video Generation

What it does: Colossyan’s platform uses artificial intelligence to create videos from text inputs. This means you can write a script or provide text, and the AI will convert this into a video.

How it works: The AI analyzes the text and generates a video that includes an AI avatar (a computer-generated presenter) who speaks the text. This process involves sophisticated algorithms that understand the text and translate it into spoken words with appropriate animations and lip-syncing.

2. Creating Learning and Training Videos

Application: Primarily, Colossyan focuses on workplace learning and training. Companies can use this tool to create instructional or informational videos without needing a real person to present or film the content.

Process: You input your training material in text form — this could be anything from a detailed training guide to a simple list of points you want to cover. The AI then turns this text into a video featuring an AI presenter.

One of the standout features is the ability to simultaneously feature conversations between two or more individuals in the same video.

3. Customization Options

AI avatars: Users can choose from a range of AI avatars to be the ‘face’ of their video or create their personal avatars from their own pictures. This includes different looks, styles, and even …wait for it….different accents and tone of voice!

Language localization: The platform can auto-translate videos into over 70 languages, making it easier to create training materials for a global audience.

4. Converting Documents to Videos

Beyond text input: Colossyan also allows users to upload documents like PDFs or PowerPoint presentations. The AI can then transform these documents into engaging video content.

Case Study

The case study of Sonesta International Hotels using Colossyan’s AI video technology showcases the transformative impact of AI in addressing key challenges in the hospitality industry.

Sonesta, a leader in global hospitality, faced the challenge of efficiently creating and updating their diverse, multilingual training content. In an industry characterized by rapid changes, the company needed a streamlined and cost-effective approach for multilingual training creation to ensure high employee engagement. They grappled with adapting to a multilingual workforce, requiring training materials in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi. Traditional video production methods were proving costly and time-consuming, especially considering the high turnover rate in the hospitality sector. Additionally, the industry’s evolving standards and procedures necessitated the ability to swiftly update training content.

In response to these challenges, Sonesta started using Colossyan, leveraging its AI video technology for efficient and versatile training content creation. This decision led to significant improvements. Colossyan’s automatic translation feature drastically reduced the time and costs involved in creating multilingual training videos. The AI-driven approach eliminated the need for film crews and actors, resulting in substantial cost savings of around 80%. Moreover, updates to training materials became straightforward, addressing changes quickly without the need for extensive reshoots.

The results were substantial. Sonesta experienced a reduction in costs by 80% and time savings of about 50% in content production. There was also improved engagement, with higher completion rates in courses featuring AI avatars compared to traditional methods. The company benefited from enhanced flexibility, with effortless updates to training content, even for minor changes.

The collaboration with Colossyan marked a transformative phase for Sonesta, optimizing their training efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and engagement levels. This effort demonstrates how AI-driven solutions like Colossyan can revolutionize traditional processes, providing significant advantages in terms of cost, time, and adaptability in dynamic industries such as hospitality.

Colossyan has attracted significant investment and interest. The company raised $5 million in its last funding round, led by us, LAUNCHub Ventures and Emerge Education, with a focus on expanding its engineering and AI research teams and extending its services in London and New York​​, where Dominik is located at the moment.

Earlier, Colossyan had raised $1 million in a pre-seed round from Dayone Capital and this funding was intended to improve the quality of the generated videos and introduce new features, which are already on the platform.

​​Launched in 2022, the solution already serves 2000 clients in 46 countries, including BASF, Paramount, BMW, and HPE. The company attracts clients due to its particular focus on corporate training, recording a 650% growth in recurring-annual revenue in 2023. The AI startup offers a unique solution for creating engaging and informative videos for training and learning purposes using AI. Its platform’s ability to generate videos from text and other media, coupled with the customization options like different AI avatars and language localization, make it a valuable tool in the realm of digital learning and communication. The company’s recent funding and client acquisition underscore its growing influence in the AI-driven video production market.