Gamma acquires Accel-backed design startup Lica

Presentation startup Gamma has acquired design startup Lica, backed by Accel, to create a dedicated research lab focused on visual communication. The deal, learned exclusively by TechCrunch, will see Lica’s co‑founders, Priyaa Kalyanaraman and Purvanshi Mehta, lead Gamma’s new research division. Lica, founded in 2023, originally turned screenshots and recordings into project presentations and videos, later pivoting to produce e‑commerce marketing videos that respect brand guidelines. After raising $4 million from investors including Accel, South Park Commons and Village Global, the founders, who already knew Gamma’s CEO Lee Grant through shared backers, entered talks that culminated in the acquisition.

The acquisition is driven by a shared “North Star” vision of simplifying visual communication and a complementary division of labor: Lica brings frontier research in AI‑driven video and design, while Gamma contributes a massive distribution network that already reaches over 100 million users. Gamma, which has expanded beyond presentations into image generation, aims to explore new formats of communication through the research unit, envisioning fluid, multimodal presentations that are more interactive and personalized. Both founders emphasized the goal of customizing AI‑generated presentation styles for varied audiences, allowing users to receive high‑quality outputs that can be easily edited for different contexts.

Gamma’s move reflects a broader trend of consolidation in the AI presentation space, where startups have attracted significant venture capital—Prezent secured $50 million, Gamma itself raised $68 million at a $2.1 billion valuation, and Presentations.ai also received Accel backing. The acquisition follows OpenAI’s recent purchase of NextSlide, underscoring the competitive push to integrate advanced design research into presentation platforms. While Gamma has not disclosed specific products that will emerge from the deal, it signaled intent to push the boundaries of how presentations look, feel, and engage users, positioning itself to lead in a market where visual communication tools are rapidly evolving.

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