Traditionally, marketers depended on designers and creative teams to produce tailored images and videos for their online advertising campaigns. However, in late 2024, the innovative startup Hightouch introduced an AI-enabled service that empowers marketing professionals to generate customized content for prominent brands like Domino's, Chime, PetSmart, and Spotify, all without the need for brand design teams or advertising agencies.
This groundbreaking offering has proven to be a major success. According to TechCrunch, since the launch of its AI product just 20 months ago, Hightouch has increased its annualized recurring revenue (ARR) by $70 million, reaching an impressive total of $100 million.
Kashish Gupta, co-CEO of Hightouch, noted, "Before generative AI, it was nearly impossible for individuals lacking extensive design experience to create high-quality consumer assets." Alongside him, co-CEO Tejas Manohar, a former engineering manager at Segment, has been instrumental in driving the company's growth, especially after Segment's acquisition by Twilio for $3.2 billion in 2020.
Hightouch's approach transcends the capabilities of typical AI models. Many brands initially attempted to utilize general foundational models--broad AI systems that support tools like chatbots--but discovered that the resulting visuals often did not align with their brand standards. Gupta explained, "Foundation models lacked knowledge of specific brands, including their colors, fonts, and overall tone. They would even create non-existent products, which is not viable for advertising."
To maintain brand consistency, Hightouch integrates directly with its clients' existing creative tools, such as Figma, photo libraries, and content management systems (CMS). By leveraging these resources, the platform learns a company's unique brand identity. Hightouch's AI agents then utilize these assets and insights to autonomously assist marketers in crafting personalized ad campaigns without delays from designers or developers.
The primary objective of Hightouch's AI is to produce images and videos that mirror the quality of professional designers, steering clear of the generic appearance often associated with AI-generated content. For instance, Domino's will always use existing images of pizzas rather than generating new ones, ensuring authenticity in their advertising.
Currently, Hightouch employs around 380 individuals and was valued at $1.2 billion following an $80 million Series C funding round led by Sapphire Ventures in February 2025. This remarkable growth trajectory illustrates the transformative potential of AI in marketing, paving the way for a future where brands can engage consumers more effectively and efficiently.
