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Picsart

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Picsart
TypePrivate
IndustrySoftware; Internet; Graphic design; Artificial intelligence
FoundedNovember 2011; 14 years ago (2011-11) in Yerevan, Armenia
Founders
  • Hovhannes Avoyan
  • Artavazd Mehrabyan
  • Mikayel Vardanyan
HeadquartersMiami, Florida, United States.,
Key people
  • Hovhannes Avoyan (CEO)
  • Artavazd Mehrabyan (CTO)
  • Mikayel Vardanyan (CPO)
ProductsWeb editor; iOS and Android apps; templates library; generative AI tools; photo and video editors
Total equity$1.5 billion
Members150 million monthly active users[1]
Number of employees
1,374 (2024)
Websitepicsart.com

Picsart is an Armenian-founded cross-platform design and editing platform that offers web and mobile tools for creating images and videos using templates, layer-based editors and generative AI features.[2] Its browser-based editor (Picsart Web) and mobile apps provide template-based and freeform editing for photos and videos.[3][4] As of 2024, TechCrunch reported that Picsart serves about 150 million monthly active users and partnered with Getty Images on a commercially safe AI image model.[1] The apps have been downloaded over one billion times globally.[5]

Usage

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TechCrunch and other outlets have reported that Picsart has around 150 million monthly active users and more than one billion cumulative downloads worldwide.[1][6] The service is available through a web editor and native apps for iOS and Android, with integrations for exporting content to social platforms and accessing files from services such as Dropbox and Google Drive.[7]

Products and features

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Picsart provides a suite of tools for creating and editing images and videos across web and mobile platforms. Its core products include a template library, generative AI features and photo and video editors.

Design templates

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The platform includes a library of more than 50,000 editable templates for social media posts, marketing materials and other graphic formats.[3][4] Templates can be customised with user-provided images, text, fonts and brand elements, and exported in multiple aspect ratios.

Generative AI and automation

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Picsart offers integrated generative tools such as an AI image generator and AI text tools, introduced in 2022.[2] In 2024, it announced a partnership with Getty Images to build a custom text-to-image model designed for commercial use within Picsart products.[1] The service also includes AI-assisted functions such as background and object removal and image enhancement on both web and mobile clients.[3]

Photo and video editing

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The photo editor supports layer-based editing with effects, filters, drawing tools and collage layouts.[8] Video tools in the apps provide basic trimming, overlays, text and effects intended for social media clips.[9][10]

Enterprise and developer offerings

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In addition to its consumer apps, Picsart offers APIs and software development kits under the "Picsart for Developers" and enterprise programmes. These include a Remove Background API and related image-editing endpoints,[11][12] as well as an embeddable editor SDK for e-commerce, marketing and web-to-print platforms.[13][14] The company also markets an AI-assisted ad creation tool, Adpilot, aimed at small businesses and marketers for generating social media ad creatives.[15][16]

Platform and community

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Picsart combines creation tools with social features, including user profiles and interest-based communities. In 2023 the company launched "Spaces," topic-based groups that organise collaborative creation and content discovery within the app.[17]

Developer platform

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In 2022 Picsart launched "Picsart for Developers", an API and SDK programme that allows third parties to embed editing and generative features into their own products on a usage-based pricing model.[18][19]

Funding

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As of August 2021, the company had received $195 million in cumulative venture funding from Sequoia Capital, Insight Partners, and others, giving it a reported post-money valuation of roughly $1.5 billion.[20][21][22][23][24]

History

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2011–2014

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Picsart was founded in November 2011 by Armenian entrepreneur Hovhannes Avoyan with engineers Artavazd Mehrabyan and Mikayel Vardanyan; the first app launched on Android later that year.[25] The company released an iOS version for iPhone in January 2013 and expanded to iPad in mid-2013.[26] In 2014 Picsart added support for Windows platforms, including Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets.[27][28]

2015–2017

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Picsart raised financing to expand the platform, including a US$10 million round led by Sequoia Capital (February 2015) and a US$15 million round led by Insight Venture Partners (June 2015).[29][30] In April 2016, the company secured an additional US$20 million to grow its user base in Asia.[31]

Picsart introduced community and collaboration tools during this period, including “Remix Chat” for collaborative editing (2017) and custom sticker creation features.[32][33] User growth milestones reported in the press included 100 million monthly active users by October 2017.[34]

2018–2020

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By March 2019 Picsart reported reaching 130 million monthly active users, with strong adoption in Asia.[35] In late 2019 and January 2020, Picsart and the American University of Armenia (AUA) announced a joint artificial intelligence lab in Yerevan to conduct research in machine learning and computer vision.[36][37]

2021–2022

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On August 26, 2021, Picsart raised US$130 million in a Series C led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, valuing the company at over US$1 billion.[38][39] In February 2022 the company moved its corporate headquarters to Miami Beach as part of a global expansion.[40]

Picsart launched an API/SDK programme ("Picsart for Developers") in February 2022 to let partners embed editing capabilities,[41] and introduced AI-powered enhancement features in mid-2022.[42] Later that year, the company added a text-to-image generator and AI writing tools to its consumer apps.[43][44]

2023–present

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In December 2022 Picsart launched “AI Avatars”, followed by a standalone app, SketchAI, in January 2023 for turning sketches into digital art with generative models.[45][46] In May 2023 the company introduced Spaces, topic-based in-app communities for collaboration and discovery.[47] In 2024, Picsart and Getty Images announced a partnership to build a custom generative AI model trained on licensed content for commercial use within Picsart tools.[48]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Malik, Aisha (June 13, 2024). "Picsart partners with Getty Images to develop a custom AI model". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  2. ^ a b Malik, Aisha (November 2, 2022). "Picsart adds an AI Image Generator and AI Writer to its suite of creative tools". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Free Photo Editor — Online Image Editing for Creators". Picsart. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Instagram Templates". Picsart. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  5. ^ "Picsart Is Tech's Newest Unicorn — And Adobe Should Be Afraid". Forbes. September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  6. ^ See Forbes, ibid.
  7. ^ Malik, Aisha (April 21, 2022). "Picsart brings its editing tools to Google Drive with new integration". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  8. ^ "Picsart (for iPhone) — review". PCMag. October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  9. ^ "19 Free Browser-Based Tools Simplify Tedious Image Editing Tasks". PetaPixel. May 4, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  10. ^ "Batch Photo Editor — bulk editing". Picsart. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  11. ^ "Remove Background API". Picsart for Developers. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  12. ^ "Remove Background API for product photos". Picsart Enterprise. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  13. ^ "Introducing Picsart Editor SDK: a full embedded photo editing suite". Picsart. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  14. ^ "SDK libraries". Picsart for Developers. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  15. ^ "AI ad tools". Picsart. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  16. ^ "Adpilot by Picsart". Creati.ai. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  17. ^ Malik, Aisha (May 16, 2023). "Picsart adds interest-driven communities called 'Spaces' for social collaboration". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  18. ^ Malik, Aisha (February 9, 2022). "Picsart brings its creative tools to developers with new API". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  19. ^ "Picsart Enterprise API documentation". Picsart for Developers. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  20. ^ "Picsart, A Photo Editing App With 200M Downloads, Lands $10M From Sequoia". TechCrunch. February 5, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  21. ^ "PicsArt Raises $15M To Build A Community Around Photo Editing". TechCrunch. June 4, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  22. ^ "Photo app PicsArt gets $20M to grow its user base in Asia". TechCrunch. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  23. ^ "Picsart, a mobile photo-editing app, to raise $15 million". Fortune. April 13, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  24. ^ "Picsart Is Tech's Newest Unicorn — And Adobe Should Be Afraid". Forbes. August 26, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  25. ^ "After 35 million Android downloads, PicsArt arrives on iPhone". TechCrunch. January 3, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  26. ^ "After 35 million Android downloads, PicsArt arrives on iPhone". TechCrunch. January 3, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  27. ^ "PicsArt photo editor jumps from Phone to Windows 8.1 and wins our affection". Windows Central. June 25, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  28. ^ "PicsArt for Windows 8.1 PC and Tablets" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 7, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  29. ^ "PicsArt, a mobile photo editing and publishing app that claims 60M monthly users, closes $10M from Sequoia". TechCrunch. February 5, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  30. ^ Russell, Kyle (June 4, 2015). "PicsArt Raises $15M To Build A Community Around Photo Editing". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  31. ^ "Photo app PicsArt gets $20M to grow its user base in Asia". TechCrunch. April 20, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  32. ^ "PicsArt Releases Remix Photo Chat" (Press release). Business Wire. February 21, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  33. ^ "PicsArt's custom stickers could make basic effects look boring". Digital Trends. March 21, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  34. ^ Perez, Sarah (October 31, 2017). "Creative-focused app PicsArt hits 100M MAUs". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  35. ^ Shu, Catherine (March 20, 2019). "PicsArt hits 130 million MAUs as Chinese flock to its photo-editing app". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  36. ^ "AUA and PicsArt Announce the Launch of the AI Lab". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. January 9, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  37. ^ "AUA and PicsArt Announce the Launch of the AI Lab". AUA Newsroom. December 24, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  38. ^ Moreno, Johan (August 26, 2021). "Picsart Is Tech's Newest Unicorn — And Adobe Should Be Afraid". Forbes. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  39. ^ Wilhelm, Alex (August 26, 2021). "Picsart raises $130M from SoftBank, becomes unicorn on the back of its visual creator tools". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  40. ^ Portero, Ashley (February 24, 2022). "Picsart moves corporate headquarters to Miami Beach as part of global expansion". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  41. ^ Malik, Aisha (February 9, 2022). "Picsart brings its creative tools to developers with new API". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  42. ^ "Picsart Launches AI Image Enhancement, Improving Resolution and Quality in Seconds" (Press release). Business Wire. June 8, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  43. ^ Malik, Aisha (November 2, 2022). "Picsart adds an AI Image Generator and an AI Writer to its suite of creative tools". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.[dead link]
  44. ^ Kulp, Patrick (November 3, 2022). "Picsart Now Lets Users Generate Images and Text With AI". Adweek. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  45. ^ Growcoot, Matt (December 24, 2022). "Picsart Launches AI Selfie Generator Allowing Users to Create Unique Avatars". PetaPixel. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  46. ^ Wiggers, Kyle (January 5, 2023). "Picsart's AI-powered SketchAI app turns images and outlines into digital art". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  47. ^ Malik, Aisha (May 16, 2023). "Picsart adds interest-driven communities called 'Spaces' for social collaboration". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  48. ^ Malik, Aisha (June 13, 2024). "Picsart partners with Getty Images to develop a custom AI model". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
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