Presentation firm Gamma snaps up Lica for AI research push
Gamma, a presentation startup, has acquired Lica, a design startup backed by Accel, to form a new research division. Lica's co-founders will lead the effort, focusing on AI models for visual communication. The acquisition aims to expand Gamma's capabilities beyond presentations into new formats.
Lica secured $4 million in seed funding in 2024 from Accel, South Park Commons, and Village Global, shortly after its founding by Priyaa Kalyanaraman and Purvanshi Mehta. The startup initially converted screenshots and recordings into project presentations and videos before pivoting to produce brand-compliant marketing videos for e-commerce clients. Both Gamma and Lica share Accel and South Park Commons as investors, which facilitated the acquisition talks.
Gamma has raised $68 million at a $2.1 billion valuation and serves over 100 million users. The AI presentation sector has seen significant investment recently, with Prezent raising $50 million and OpenAI acquiring NextSlide earlier this month. Gamma already offers image generation alongside its core presentation tools, and the new research division will explore multimodal formats and audience-specific customization of AI communication models.
This acquisition signals intensifying consolidation in the AI presentation space, which could reshape how professionals and students create visual content. As companies like Gamma and OpenAI invest heavily in AI-driven communication tools, workers who traditionally handled presentation design may face pressure to adapt or see their roles automated. Meanwhile, end users could benefit from more personalized, interactive formats that reduce time spent on formatting. However, reliance on AI-generated visuals may also raise concerns about creative homogenization and reduced human input in professional communication, affecting industries from marketing to education.