Higgsfield AI, a rising force in personalized AI video generation, has secured $8 million in seed funding in a round led by Menlo Ventures. In a space already occupied by heavyweights like HeyGen, Runway, and Stable Video, Higgsfield distinguishes itself through a mobile-first, socially driven approach aimed at putting cinematic video creation into everyone’s hands.
A Visionary Founder With Proven Experience
Alex Mashrabov, former head of generative AI at Snap, founded the company. He brings deep technical expertise and a proven track record, having co-founded AI Factory—acquired by Snap for $166 million in 2020. At Snap, Mashrabov led the development of AI-powered augmented reality features used by billions of users globally.
His vision for Higgsfield is rooted in years of industry insight and a personal passion for accessible creativity. He began programming at age 11 with ambitions of qualifying for the International Olympiad in Informatics. This experience now fuels his drive to bring high-end video tools to mobile users.
Together with Yerzat Dulat, Higgsfield’s Chief Research Officer and co-founder, Mashrabov has built a “world-class team” dedicated to developing proprietary video models specifically tailored for modern content platforms.
Diffuse: Cinematic Video Creation, Simplified
At the heart of Higgsfield’s platform is Diffuse, a mobile-first app available on iOS and Android in select markets including Canada, India, South Africa, the Philippines, and Central Asia. The app allows users to generate lifelike, personalized videos using just a selfie and text prompts, powered by Higgsfield’s custom diffusion transformer architecture.
Standout Features Include:
- Selfie Animator – Animates photos into realistic, expressive video characters.
- Video Templates – Ready-made formats for quick content creation.
- AI-Powered Stories – Immersive, prewritten stories enhanced with generated visuals.
- Video Snacks – Bite-sized, personalized video clips.
- Video-to-Video Stylization – Transform existing footage into stylized visual formats.
- Diffuse 2.0 – A powerful, intuitive text-to-video builder that dramatically reduces production time.
Since launching in 2024, Diffuse has gained over 1 million users, with more than 50% actively sharing their AI-generated videos — proof of strong user engagement and global traction.
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Strategic Funding and Future Plans
The $8 million seed round was led by Menlo Ventures and included backing from:
- Charge Ventures
- Bitkraft Ventures
- K5 Tokyo Black
- AI Capital Partners (Alpha Intelligence Capital’s U.S. fund)
- DVC
Notable angel investors include industry veterans such as Jack Brody, Ilya Gelfenbeyn, Abhay Parasnis, Amar Hanspal, and Nima Khajehnouri.
Higgsfield plans to use the funding to:
- Expand global reach and operational capacity
- Build advanced video editing tools (e.g., object and character manipulation)
- Train next-generation video models optimized for social media use
- Establish new strategic partnerships to empower content creators
Cinematic Tools for Everyone
One of Higgsfield’s most compelling differentiators is its cinema-inspired camera presets. These features emulate complex techniques like dolly-ins, crash zooms, and body-mounted shots—once the domain of professional studios—now available on mobile devices.
As Mashrabov notes:
“Creators kept saying the same thing: AI video looks better, but it doesn’t feel like cinema. The camera has no intention.”
To solve this, Higgsfield incorporates world model AI that understands physics and movement within a scene, resulting in videos that feel natural, immersive, and purposeful.
Positioned to Lead the Next Wave of Video Innovation
Despite being founded in 2023, Higgsfield has already reached revenue-generating status and grown to a team of 34 employees. The company’s bold mission is clear: to democratize cinematic storytelling through AI and mobile-first technology.
With a unique blend of technical innovation, visionary leadership, and strategic investment, Higgsfield AI is rapidly carving out a leadership position in the evolving world of AI-generated video content. As global expansion continues, its tools could redefine how creators — from influencers to everyday users — craft and share stories in the digital age.