Move over Silicon Valley: A Murcia startup is at the heart of the AI boom

Freepik has rebranded under the name of Murcia-based AI startup Magnific following its acquisition

Two local lads from Murcia are taking the world by storm. Javi López and Emilio Nicolás founded Magnific, an AI tool that improves and enhances digital photos. They developed it from scratch in 'a small untidy office' in Murcia, focusing on improving and upscaling images using artificial intelligence in a way that went way beyond existing tools.

When it launched, the response was immediate. More than 60,000 people joined the waiting list within 24 hours, and the platform quickly started to gain traction.

⚡ Inside Magnific Headquarters

In Spain, startups are not created in garages but in small, untidy offices. Come with me on this visit to where the magic happens 🦄

Have you ever seen a cooler office? Don't think so! It's dog-friendly! 🐶😂 pic.twitter.com/ZZZnT8PeeZ

— Javi Lopez ⛩️ (@javilopen) April 17, 2024

It became particularly popular with designers, digital artists and other creative professionals. The tool helps make images clearer and higher quality, allowing low-resolution pictures to be improved and used for professional work. 

Growth followed quickly, with the platform reaching more than 685,000 users in a short space of time.

In 2024, Freepik acquired Magnific for an undisclosed sum as part of its move into artificial intelligence. Freepik was originally known as a stock image platform, but has since shifted into a creative AI business covering images, video, 3D and audio. 

After the acquisition, Magnific continued to operate as a separate product and team within Freepik. The founders stayed involved in development and now work alongside Freepik's AI division, Freepik Labs.

Freepik has now announced it is rebranding under the Magnific name. The move takes the company from a stock image platform into an AI-focused creative platform and the rebrand is huge for the Murcia-based startup.

The company now generates large volumes of AI-created images and videos each month, alongside its existing stock library and subscription base.

Javi López and Emilio Nicolás have shown you don’t have to be based in Silicon Valley to build something that has a global impact!

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