Haiper AI Emerges as New Contender in Competitive AI Video Generation Space
DeepMind Alumni Enter the AI Video Generation Arena
The AI-powered video generation market continues to heat up following OpenAI’s recent Sora model release. Now, two DeepMind alumni - Yishu Miao and Ziyu Wang - have entered the space with their new platform, Haiper.
The Founders’ Background
- Yishu Miao: Former TikTok Global Trust & Safety team member
- Ziyu Wang: Ex-research scientist at both DeepMind and Google
The duo founded the company in 2021, formally incorporating in 2022. With strong machine learning expertise, they initially focused on 3D reconstruction using neural networks before pivoting to video generation.
“We discovered video generation was a more fascinating challenge,” Miao revealed in a TechCrunch interview. This realization led to Haiper’s current focus, established about six months ago.
Funding and Financial Backing
Haiper has secured significant investment:
- $5.4 million pre-seed round (April 2022)
- $13.8 million seed round led by Octopus Ventures
- Additional support from 5Y Capital and prominent angel investors
Haiper’s Video Generation Capabilities
The platform currently offers:
- Free text-to-video generation
- 2-second HD videos
- 4-second standard quality videos
- Image animation features
- Video style repainting
Image Credits: Haiper
The company is actively developing new features, including video extension capabilities. While currently free to build community engagement, Haiper has begun exploring commercial applications through partnerships with companies like JD.com.
Technical Approach and Future Plans
Haiper is developing a core video-generation model with several strategic considerations:
- Currently testing a closed API with select developers
- Potential future open-source release
- Focused on solving fundamental generation issues
“We’re prioritizing core challenges like natural human movement and environmental physics in generated videos,” Miao explained, highlighting their focus on overcoming the “uncanny valley” effect.
Competitive Landscape
The AI video generation space is becoming increasingly crowded:
- OpenAI’s Sora: Current market leader
- Runway: Google and Nvidia-backed ($230M+ funding)
- Google & Meta: Developing proprietary models
- Stability AI: Stable Diffusion Video model
Rebecca Hunt of Octopus Ventures notes: “Differentiation will require building exceptionally strong models. We believe Haiper’s team has this capability.”
Industry Perspective
While investor interest grows, experts recognize the technology’s early stage:
“AI video feels like GPT-2 level currently,” observed a16z’s Justine Moore. “There’s significant progress needed before mainstream daily use.”
With 20 employees and active hiring, Haiper appears positioned to compete in this rapidly evolving space. The coming years will test whether their technical approach can deliver the quality needed to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly listed Geoffrey Hinton as an investor. While Hinton has worked with the founders, he is not financially involved in the company.
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