In a world where speed and efficiency play a key role, Melius, a platform for creating advertising campaigns, images, and videos using artificial intelligence, is making a real breakthrough. The company announced that it has raised $25 million in investments, which underscores the enormous potential of AI video generation in the modern industry. This significant financial influx includes a $20 million Series A round led by CRV and an initial $5 million round from General Catalyst. Founded by former Ramp engineers, Melius demonstrates impressive growth, achieving over $1 million in annual recurring revenue just two months after emerging from stealth mode in July.
From Idea to Scaling: How Melius Reinvented Itself
Melius co-founder Juwon Kim admits that the company’s journey was not smooth. Initially, over a year ago, the team, consisting of Juwon Kim, Yang Kim, and Arnav Ramu (all three former Ramp engineers), focused on creating a tool to optimize advertising spending.
However, as Kim notes, after six months, it became clear that the initial idea “had no prospects.”
“We completely destroyed the entire codebase; we burned it all down,” Kim told TechCrunch.
This decisive step allowed Melius to reorient itself to a much larger task: developing tools for generating creative assets themselves and advertising campaigns. This marked the beginning of a new era for the company, creating an “agent lab for creative work.”
Melius in the Competitive Landscape of AI Production
The market for AI creative generation is rapidly evolving. Among Melius’s competitors are projects such as Higgsfield, which was valued at $5.4 billion in August and demonstrates annual revenue of over $700 million. There are also smaller players, such as Krea and Flora AI. Juwon Kim sees no problem with this, emphasizing the enormous potential of the market.
Higgsfield: Valuation of $5.4 billion, annual revenue of $700+ million.
Krea: A young startup in the field of AI generation.
Flora AI: Another player creating creatives with AI.
“There are a lot of players out there, and it’s pretty exciting,” Kim noted. “It means there are customers to win, and there’s demand in this space.” This confirms our position that the cost of one AI creative today is significantly lower than traditional production, which opens up huge opportunities for mass video generation by neural networks.
From YouTube Dream to AI Avatars: The Founder’s Personal Motivation
Interestingly, behind the decision of the former Ramp engineers to engage in advertising generation is Juwon Kim’s personal story. He describes himself as a social media influencer and dreamed of creating short videos since childhood. “I tried my best to make vlogs,” Kim recalls. “My father was great at FinalCut Pro, and I wasn’t.”
These early attempts were unsuccessful, but his passion for digital media remained. Now, with Melius, Kim is building the tool he always dreamed of: a platform where anyone, from an experienced creative director to a novice, can bring their ideas to life using video generation from text.
This will allow content creation to be scaled in ways previously impossible, making subscription-based neuro-production accessible to everyone looking for AI efficiency versus real UGC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
What is Melius and what services does it offer?
Melius is an AI platform for generating advertising campaigns, images, and videos. It allows users to create creative assets using artificial intelligence, which significantly simplifies and speeds up the content production process.
How much investment has Melius attracted?
Melius has attracted a total of $25 million: $20 million in a Series A round and $5 million in an initial round.
Who founded Melius?
Melius was founded by former Ramp engineers: Juwon Kim, Yang Kim, and Arnav Ramu.
What is Melius’s annual revenue?
Melius achieved over $1 million in annual recurring revenue just two months after emerging from stealth mode in July.
Does Melius have competitors in the AI ad generation market?
Yes, Melius has competitors such as Higgsfield, Krea, and Flora AI. However, Melius founders are confident that the market is large enough for multiple players.
Conclusion
The story of Melius is a vivid example of how flexibility and foresight can lead to success in the rapidly changing world of technology. By abandoning its initial idea, the team created a platform that not only attracts significant investment but also promises to revolutionize AI video for advertising. We see how neural networks are transforming content creation, making AI conveyor 500 videos per day possible and offering new opportunities for scaling creative processes.
If you want to know where to order AI UGC for a crypto project or how to generate 100 videos using neural networks, Melius demonstrates that the future is already here. Join this neuro-revolution and contact us to find out how AI can scale your content production!
Meta is actively rebuilding its advertising algorithms, and this is changing the game for marketers. We will explore how Meta AI integrates into Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns to reduce costs and improve lead quality. Prepare for many features that were once under your control to now be handed over to machine intelligence.
Can Meta’s AI handle your ad campaigns better than you can? Should you trust the algorithms or keep your finger on the pulse? The answers to these questions are becoming critically important, as Meta’s new algorithms and AI tools promise a revolution in marketing.
The Revolution in Ad Placement: Advantage+ Placements and “Andromeda”
The allocation of advertising budget under Advantage+ Placements eloquently speaks to Meta’s priorities. Approximately 60% of the budget (sometimes more) goes to Instagram, a significant portion to Facebook, and only a small percentage to Audience Network, where ads are placed on third-party resources. Threads, WhatsApp, and Messenger also automatically receive ads if the format is compatible.
Tara Zirker, an expert in this field, confirms: using Advantage+ Placements consistently yields better results and higher quality leads than manual selection. Attempts to manually exclude “ineffective” platforms typically lead to increased ad costs and a decrease in lead and sales quality.
“Meta’s detection systems have improved so much that the algorithm simply won’t place an ad where it won’t display correctly, whether it’s too small a font or an incompatible format,” notes Tara Zirker.
For most advertisers, the recommendation is simple: leave Advantage+ Placements enabled and trust Meta’s algorithm for distribution. The “Andromeda” algorithm, launched in October and now active in all ad accounts, functions like an organic algorithm integrated into the paid system.
It prioritizes high-quality content, directs the most quality traffic to accounts with the best creatives, and rewards ads that generate positive engagement.
This means that the “pay-to-play” system now has tiers and limitations. Simply spending money no longer guarantees access to the best audience segments. Creative quality determines what level of traffic an account can receive and what cost it will pay. This is a key point for bypassing ad bans and effective content repurposing.
AI Creatives and the “Smart” Pixel: New Opportunities for Marketing Hackers
Beta testing has shown the future: Meta AI generates full video ads with AI avatars, using only static images from the account. No script! The AI itself analyzes account data, identifies customer pain points, demonstrates benefits, handles objections, and presents the first offer.
Avatars even conduct virtual tours of physical objects, created exclusively from uploaded images. Visually, it looks convincing and seamless.
Tara recommends including all AI creative options. The quality has reached such a level that these tools consistently deliver strong results, and the “Andromeda” algorithm rewards accounts that use them. This opens up endless possibilities for creating creative variations and scaling content.
Transformation of Meta Pixel and Product Catalogs
The Meta Pixel has undergone a quiet transformation. The code hasn’t changed, but the pixel is now AI-enhanced, making it, according to Tara, “ten times smarter.” Product catalogs are becoming a key input for all shopping campaigns, not just catalog-focused formats.
Meta AI can now automatically generate and optimize shopping ad formats in real-time, personalizing them for each consumer based on Meta’s data about their preferences and behavior. This is a powerful tool for video uniqueness and adaptation for different social networks.
When a user clicks on a product, Meta AI suggests potential questions a consumer might have. For example, for a lotion, it might be “Is it suitable for sensitive skin?” or “What do the reviews say?” The AI provides answers within Meta, without redirecting the user to an external site.
This keeps the purchasing process on the platform and reduces friction. Deep integration with Shopify is also on the horizon, which will further simplify the e-commerce experience within the Meta ecosystem.
Changes in Personalization for Users
Meta has also changed the principle of personalization for users. Previously, users could separately enable personalization for their organic feed and for their ad feed. Now, the choice is simplified: personalization is either enabled for both types of content or disabled entirely.
Opting out of personalization means the algorithm will deliver random content. This is important to understand for batch uniqueness and generating variations for A/B tests.
Meta AI: Your Personal Hacker-Analyst and Business Agent
Meta AI, available at meta.ai, can now directly connect to ad accounts, Instagram profiles, Facebook pages, and Google Workspace. The tool is currently free, although Meta hints that companies requiring more capabilities will be able to subscribe to MetaOne for extended access to AI tools.
Getting started is simple. Logging in with existing Facebook or Instagram credentials provides access. Then, it’s enough to ask Meta AI to connect to a Business Manager account with a single click. After that, the tool gains access to account data and can provide analysis and recommendations.
Meta AI Operating Modes and Unique Capabilities
Meta AI has a mode switch similar to other AI platforms. Switching from the standard “instant” mode to the “thoughtful” mode allocates more computing power and provides deeper analysis. A distinctive feature is Meta-specific data.
Connecting an ad account to Claude or ChatGPT via an MCP connector is possible and useful, but Meta AI uses proprietary platform data that is not available through these external connections.
Tara tested this by uploading a competitor analysis folder to Meta AI for a large client account. The tool identified the competitor’s longest-running ad, analyzed its messaging, and suggested creating five different ad approaches. Such competitive analysis, based on Meta’s own ad library data, gives the tool a unique perspective. This is a breakthrough for uniqueization to bypass bans and turning a webinar into 50 clips.
Limitations and Recommendations
As with any AI platform, recommendations must be filtered through context. Some suggestions may have already been tested, and compliance requirements in sensitive industries may preclude certain approaches. If a recommendation has not been tried and does not contradict known limitations, it is worth testing.
Tara was repeatedly surprised by the results of ideas that initially seemed either too simple or too complex.
Meta Business Agent: AI Assistant for Sales and Support
Meta is launching Meta Business Agent, an AI assistant that works across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct. The agent can answer customer questions about the business, provide product recommendations from the catalog, book appointments, qualify incoming leads, and close e-commerce sales. Companies retain control over when a human intervenes.
Operational capabilities extend beyond customer interaction. The agent can summarize customer conversations, provide insights into messaging patterns, and provide daily updates on communication activity. This is an ideal tool for adapting to TikTok, Shorts, Reels, as well as for changing the background and timbre in video matryoshka.
Benefits of AI Agents for Lead Generation
Tara’s team began experimenting with these agents specifically for lead generation ads, which are in-platform ads where users don’t need to leave Meta to submit their contact information. Agents qualify leads and help people choose the right product. Early results are promising, although data is still limited.
The main advantage is speed. Many companies struggle with timely responses to messages, and hiring someone to provide responses that actually convert is expensive and inconsistent. AI agents solve both problems by providing instant 24/7 responses, using company account data, previous chats, and an established tone. This is a true uniqueness package for your business.
Companies selling complex products benefit the most. When potential customers have many questions before purchasing, be it product details, logistics, pricing, or applicability, an AI agent that can answer immediately and accurately reduces friction at the most critical moment of the buying process.
It qualifies serious buyers faster and filters out “empty” customers, which is what the sales process should do. Companies that do not implement AI agents, whether through Meta or another provider, face a growing disadvantage. Consumer expectations are shifting towards instant responses. Companies that meet these expectations will convert higher; those that don’t will lose potential customers to competitors who do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Advantage+ Placements?
Advantage+ Placements is Meta’s automated ad placement system that distributes your budget across Instagram, Facebook, Audience Network, Threads, WhatsApp, and Messenger, based on an algorithmic prediction of maximum effectiveness. The system is optimized to achieve better results than manual site selection.
How does the “Andromeda” algorithm affect advertising campaigns?
The “Andromeda” algorithm prioritizes high-quality content and creatives, directing the best traffic to accounts that use it. This means that the quality of your ad message now directly affects the cost and reach of your audience, making content repurposing even more important.
Can Meta AI create video ads from static images?
Yes, beta testing has shown that Meta AI is capable of generating full video ads with AI avatars using only static images from the account. The AI automatically creates the script, handles objections, and demonstrates product benefits.
How much “smarter” has the Meta pixel become with AI integration?
According to expert Tara Zirker, the Meta pixel, enhanced by AI, has become “ten times smarter.” It now better tracks user behavior, optimizes shopping campaigns in real-time, and personalizes ads based on consumer preferences and behavior data. This allows you to make 100 unique creatives from one.
What functions does Meta Business Agent perform?
Meta Business Agent is an AI assistant that can answer customer questions, recommend products, book appointments, qualify leads, and close sales. It works across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram Direct, providing 24/7 support and sales automation.
Conclusion: The future is automation and quality
The Meta ecosystem is rapidly evolving, giving more and more control over advertising campaigns into the hands of AI. From Advantage+ Placements to Meta Business Agent – each new tool is designed to optimize the process, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. For marketers, this means the need to adapt, focus on creating high-quality content, and trust algorithms where they show superiority.
Don’t miss the opportunity to use these powerful tools for content scaling and bypassing anti-plagiarism. Start experimenting with AI creatives and Meta AI today to stay one step ahead of the competition. Success in the new era of marketing depends on your willingness to embrace automation and leverage its potential. Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date with the latest updates and tips for working with Meta tools: Subscribe to newsletter.
