mmhmm Acquires Memix to Enhance Video Presentation Filters

Virtual meetings have become essential for modern communication, and many anticipate their continued prevalence even as conditions related to COVID-19 improve. This creates an opportunity to refine the virtual meeting experience, as challenges like Zoom Fatigue are widely recognized and can diminish engagement.

Mmhmm, a video presentation startup founded by former Evernote CEO Phil Libin, aims to redefine how we interact through video. Having already introduced features like the ability to dynamically integrate presentation elements around a user’s video feed, simulating a news broadcast, the company is now announcing an acquisition to further its product development and prepare for a broader launch currently limited to a closed beta program.

Mmhmm has acquired Memix, a San Francisco-based company specializing in video filters. Memix has developed a suite of filters applicable to both pre-recorded and live videos, allowing users to adjust lighting, background details, and overall screen appearance. They also offer an application compatible with various video platforms, enabling filter application across services like Zoom, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams, as well as web-based platforms such as Facebook Messenger and Houseparty.

Similar to mmhmm, Memix focuses on providing tools that integrate with existing video platforms rather than developing a standalone video player. Currently, Memix functions as a virtual camera, accessible through Windows applications for popular conferencing tools and web applications compatible with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

According to Libin, the plan involves maintaining the existing virtual camera functionality while integrating Memix’s filters and technology into the mmhmm platform. This will also establish a foundation for future platform enhancements.

Libin believes that despite the current abundance of video products and users, we are still in the early stages of video technology evolution, with both the technology itself and user expectations undergoing rapid change. He suggests a shift from simply replicating existing experiences, like traditional meetings, to creating entirely new and potentially superior interactions.

“We are witnessing a significant transformation in how we interact,” Libin stated. “The key is the rise of hybrid experiences. Considering the spectrum of possibilities, from in-person to online, or live to recorded, most activities historically fell neatly into one category. These boundaries were fixed. Now, those boundaries are dissolving, allowing us to rebuild every experience to be inherently hybrid. This represents a substantial shift.”

The founders of Memix share this vision and have been actively developing software to realize it.

“There’s considerable work ahead,” explained Pol Jeremias-Vila, a co-founder. “Our goal was to offer professional streamers an alternative to the complex and often expensive setups currently required,” which can include high-end cameras, lighting equipment, microphones, and supporting hardware. “Could we deliver similar capabilities to users with just a few clicks, making advanced technology accessible to a wider audience?”

The Memix team, comprised of co-founders Inigo Quilez and Pol Jeremias-Vila – both originally from Spain but met in the Bay Area – will contribute to the transition and integration of their technology, though they will not be joining mmhmm full-time.

Libin first encountered Quilez through a YouTube video on “The principles of painting with maths,” but this only provides a limited view of their expertise. Both co-founders are highly skilled graphic engineers; Jeremias-Vila is currently the lead graphics software engineer at Pixar, while Quilez, until recently, served as a product manager and lead engineer at Facebook, where he developed tools like the Quill VR animation and production software for Oculus.

Driven by a desire to pursue graphics applications beyond their demanding tech industry roles, the pair established Beauty Pi (distinct from Beauty Pie), a collaborative platform for projects independent of their primary employment. Memix originated as a bootstrapped project within this framework. They also created Shadertoy, a community and platform dedicated to the creation of Shaders – computer programs used for 3D scene shading.

This background highlights a promising opportunity within the video landscape. The increased focus on video, spurred by current global circumstances, combined with advancements in broadband, devices, applications, and video technology, is fostering a surge in startups offering innovative variations and improvements to basic video streaming concepts.

Within the videoconferencing sector alone, companies like Headroom, which utilizes AI to provide insightful meeting notes and assess audience engagement, and Vowel, which offers advanced tools for annotating meetings and searching across sessions, are emerging as contenders.

Descript, initially focused on audio editing, has recently introduced video capabilities, allowing users to edit visuals and spoken content by manipulating a text-based transcription of the video. These companies, like mmhmm, all have clear B2B applications and represent only a fraction of the innovation occurring in this space.

The substantial amount of intellectual property being developed is noteworthy, but it remains to be seen how it will best coalesce and thrive as the industry continues to evolve, with more established business models and leading companies gradually emerging.

This situation presents opportunities for both established players like Zoom, Google, and Microsoft, as well as companies building entirely new platforms from the ground up.

Mmhmm is a significant player in this context. Backed by Libin’s experience and reputation – a figure whose even unsuccessful ventures garner attention – and supported by investors like Sequoia, who led a $31 million funding round earlier this month, the company is well-positioned for growth.

Libin clarified that he doesn’t view his startup as a consolidator, or the industry as undergoing consolidation, as he believes the field is still in its nascent stages.

“We are prioritizing collaboration with teams we genuinely admire,” he explained. “That’s our primary focus.”