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PhotoAid

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PhotoAid S.A.
FormerlyFunFotos
Company typeJoint-stock company
Industry
FoundedOctober 2, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-10-02)
Founder
  • Marcin Młodzki
  • Rafał Młodzki
  • Tomasz Młodzki
HeadquartersBialystok Science and Technology Park,
Białystok
,
Poland
Area served
Worldwide
Products
Brands
  • PhotoAid
  • Passport Photo Online
Services
RevenueIncrease US$10M[1] (2023)
Number of employees
Increase 130[2] (2022)
Websitephotoaid.com

PhotoAid is a Polish software development and biometric passports company, headquartered in Białystok, Poland, founded in 2012. Operating globally, It develops digital image processing and facial recognition applications,[3] and manufactures photo booths.[4] In 2024, daily 2,000 people around the world took photos using 170 booths, and 70,000 people in 150 countries use the mobile app monthly.[1]

In 2023 and 2024, PhotoAid was included in on the "FT 1000," the Financial Times' list of fastest-growing companies in Europe.[5][6][7]

History

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Photo-booth network

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Brothers Marcin (b. 1984), Rafał (b. 1982), and Tomasz (b. 1986) Młodzki,[2] students of law, computer science, and philosophy, respectively, were running an educational website for learning foreign languages Fiszkoteka.[8][9] In 2012, they founded FunFotos, to manufacture photo booths and manage a network of the devices. First FunFotos booths that Młodzkis built in the family garage,[10] had proprietary software and were used only for taking souvenir photos.[11]

In 2015, when the Młodzkis had around 70 photo booths in shopping malls, amusement parks, and cinema multiplexes across Poland, a venture capital fund Inovo Venture Partners invested PLN 1.3 million in the company.[12][13] In 2016, FunFotos started to build a network of photo booths that enabled taking biometric photos adapted to identity documents: biometric passports, driver's licenses, registration cards, travel visas, as well as the Karta Polaka (The Pole's Card), and other residence permits. The company placed its photo booths in local government offices and passport offices.[4] In 2017, it launched the first stationary photo point under the brand FotoExpress.[14]

In 2018, FunFotos had 130 photo booths for taking biometric passport photos.[15] In 2019, the network had 180 devices across Poland,[16] and a printing point in Boston.[17] The company had PLN 4 million (US$1 million) in revenues.[11] By 2024, daily 2,000 people around the world took photos using 170 booths.[1]

Passport-photo apps

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Since 2019, the company worked on a web service adapted to edit photos taken with smartphones for the use in documents.[11][18] In late 2019, a demo version of the Android app was released.[3][19]

In February 2020, the Młodzkis bought back Inovo's shares of the company.[9] In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[17] they decided to focus on developing a photo software-as-a-service ecosystem based on a mobile app,[17] while hibernating the photo booth business for the duration of the pandemic.[20] In 2020, FunFotos employed 18 people.[11]

In cooperation with the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics of the University of Warsaw, the company developed a set of algorithms allowing recognition of specific features in photographs of people, followed by the automatic verification and correction.[21][22] With a proprietary photo application for creating photos for ID cards, the company has transformed from an analog to digital business operating online around the world.[17] In August 2020, FunFotos launched mobile apps PhotoAid and Passport Photo Online, allowing users to take biometric photos for official documents with their mobile phone cameras.[23] The software was co-financed by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.[24]

In 2021, the company rebranded to PhotoAid, and registered its trademark at the European Union Intellectual Property Office.[25] The app was used in 90 countries.[9] In September 2021, the company received PLN 2 million in another round of investment financing,[3] and transformed into a joint-stock company. In 2022, the company provided services in over 80 countries,[17] while it had over 130 people on board.[2]

In 2023, PhotoAid's revenues amounted to PLN 38.9 million (US$10 million), 26% higher than 2022. Two acquisitions and technological investments resulted with the company's loss of PLN 2.7 million (US$0.7 million), compared to a profit of PLN 3.5 million (US$0.9 million) in 2022. PhotoAid acquired a German online passport photo service Biometrisches-passbild.net, and an American photo service Epassportphoto.com.[1]

Software

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In a selfie uploaded to the PhotoAid mobile app, the artificial-intelligence algorithms detect a face, crop the image, and turn the background into a solid white, transforming the file into a passport photo – adjusting the size and lighting, in accordance with regulatory requirements in over 13 countries.[26][27] Immediately after uploading the photo, the AI is able to verify and mark it correct or incorrect. The app converts a photo in three seconds.[28] Images processed and scaled to passport and visa photos go through a double-match test: by the software itself, and by an expert.[27][29]

In 2022, the app was used by over 11.5 million users, for over 10,000 types of documents in over 150 countries.[30] In 2024, 70,000 people use the app each month in 150 countries, mainly Poland, United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy.[1]

Social involvement

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In June 2021, under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Development, Labor and Technology, PhotoAid carried out a campaign “Kreuj obraz zawodowy” (Create Your Professional Image), enabling free use of the professional photo creator for CVs on its platforms.[31] Throughout 2021, PhotoAid carried out social campaigns towards commune offices,[32][33] seniors,[34] and primary school students,[35] taking ID photos as part of the state digital-document app mObywatel.[36]

In October 2022, in cooperation with provincial governments, the company took 120,000 biometric photos for refugees from Ukraine, as part of the campaign PESEL for Ukraine.[2]

Awards and accolades

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PhotoAid was included in the Financial Times' and Statista's "FT 1000" ranking, among the fastest-growing companies in Europe for 2023,[5][6] and 2024.[7]

In February 2024, PhotoAid was included by Deloitte in the "Deloitte Technology Fast 500" for 2023, the list of fastest growing tech companies of the EMEA region.[37]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Lemańska, Magdalena (2024-08-29). "PhotoAid. Braterski pomysł na fotografię" [PhotoAid. A brotherly idea for photography]. Forbes (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  2. ^ a b c d Dzierżanowski, Marcin (2022-10-12). "Bracia Planeta. Historia o tym, jak Polacy stworzyli globalny biznes w branży fotografii" [Planet Brothers. A Story About How the Poles Created a Global Business in the Photo Industry]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  3. ^ a b c Kaczyńska, Dorota (2021-01-18). "Pandemia dobiła rynek fotobudek, ale biznes walczy o przetrwanie" [Pandemic Has Killed Off the Photo Booth Market, But the Business Is Fighting for Survival]. Forbes (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  4. ^ a b Redakcja (2019-01-23). "Fotobudki w urzędach. Wygodne rozwiązanie i prosty pomysł polskiej firmy" [Photo Booths in Offices. A Convenient Solution and a Simple Idea of a Polish Company]. Warszawa Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  5. ^ a b Kilby, Nathalie (2023-03-01). "FT 1000: the seventh annual ranking of Europe's fastest-growing companies". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  6. ^ a b Żmijewska, Monika (2023-03-07). "Białostocka firma Inspeerity w pierwszej setce najbardziej obiecujących firm w Europie. W rankingu Financial Times jest też PhotoAiD" [Bialystok Company Inspeerity is Among the Top 100 Most Promising Companies in Europe. PhotoAiD Is Also in the Financial Times Ranking]. Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  7. ^ a b Kilby, Nathalie (2024-03-01). "FT 1000: the eighth annual ranking of Europe's fastest-growing companies". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  8. ^ Chrobot, Michał (2013-03-12). "Polski startup na targach CeBIT 2013. Wywiad z serwisem Fiszkoteka.pl" [Polish Startup at CeBIT 2013. Interview with Fiszkoteka.pl]. komputerswiat.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  9. ^ a b c Miączyński, Piotr (2021-07-10). "Co to znaczy słabo wstrzelić się w termin. Wykupili od funduszu firmę działającą w centrach handlowych" [What to Hit the Deadline Poorly Means. They Bought a Company Operating in Shopping Centers from a Fund]. Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  10. ^ Zięba, Sabina (2022-04-12). "Polska aplikacja do robienia zdjęć do dokumentów, z której korzysta cały świat. "Mamy klientów w ponad 80 krajach"" [Polish App for Taking Photos for Documents, Which Is Used All Over the World. "We Have Customers in Over 80 Countries"]. Dzień Dobry TVN (in Polish). TVN. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  11. ^ a b c d Lemańska, Magdalena (2020-06-25). "FunFotos. Od śmiesznych fotobudek do inteligentnej fotografii" [FunFotos. From Funny Photo Booths to Smart Photography]. Forbes (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  12. ^ "Ponad milion złotych dla FunFotos od Inovo" [Over a Million Zlotys for FunFotos from Inovo]. MamStartup (in Polish). 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  13. ^ "Zarabiają na fotobudkach. Na rozwój pozyskali 1,3 mln zł" [They Make Money on Photo Booths, and They Raised PLN 1.3 Million for Development]. MamBiznes.pl (in Polish). 2015-08-17. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  14. ^ "Zdjęcia do dowodu osobistego za złotówkę" [Photos for an ID Card for 1 Zloty]. Poznański Budżet Obywatelski 2017 (in Polish). Urząd Miasta Poznania. 2016-09-09. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  15. ^ "FunFotos ma już 130 punktów w Polsce i szykuje się do ekspansji na Europę" [FunFotos Already Has 130 Points in Poland and Is Preparing to Expand to Europe]. retailnet.pl. 2022-08-30. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  16. ^ "Mały metraż na dużą skalę. FunFotos przekracza granice" [Small Size on a Large Scale. FunFotos Pushes Boundaries]. propertynews.pl (in Polish). 2019-01-15. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  17. ^ a b c d e Koprowska, Joanna; Młodzki, Tomasz (2020-07-10). "Podczas lockdownu podbili 30 nowych rynków i otworzyli punkt w Bostonie. Jak to możliwe?" [During the Lockdown, They Conquered 30 New Markets and Opened a Point in Boston. How Is This Possible?]. MIT Sloan Management Review (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  18. ^ RAJA (2021-03-15). "Zawdzięczają sukces pandemii. Aplikacja ma pomóc zrobić zdjęcie do dokumentu #PolskaToWiecej" [They Owe Success of the Pandemic. The App Is to Help Take a Photo for Document]. tvp.info (in Polish). Telewizja Polska. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  19. ^ "US Passport Photo Maker AiD - Apps on Google Play". 2019-11-23. Retrieved 2023-04-22 – via Google Play.
  20. ^ Gadomska, Hanna (2020-04-21). "Potrzebujesz zdjęć do dokumentów? Zrób je sam - telefonem. Ta aplikacji ci w tym pomoże" [Need Photos for Documents? Do It Yourself - Over the Phone. This App Will Help You with That]. National Geographic (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  21. ^ "Opracowanie technologii pozwalających na rozpoznawanie określonych cech fotografii osób" [Developing Technologies That Allow Recognizing Specific Features of Photographs of People]. Mapa Dotacji (in Polish). Ministry of Regional Development. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  22. ^ "Grant dla firmy PhotoAiD S.A." [Grant for PhotoAiD S.A.]. Sieć Otwartych Innowacji (in Polish). Industrial Development Agency. 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  23. ^ "Niesamowite zdjęcia Polski zachwyciły świat" [Amazing Photos of Poland Delighted the World]. Pytanie na Śniadanie (in Polish). Telewizja Polska. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  24. ^ "Projekt PhotoAiD wraz z Ministerstwem Cyfryzacji stworzył Generator zdjęć dowodowych" [PhotoAiD, together with the Ministry of Digital Affairs, has created an ID card photo generator]. Urząd Miejski w Kostrzynie (in Polish). 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  25. ^ "018326759 - photoAiD" (Trade mark information). European Union Intellectual Property Office. 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  26. ^ "Lider rynku wprowadza możliwość wykonania zdjęcia do dowodu i paszportu telefonem" [Market Leader Introduces the Possibility of Taking a Photo for the ID Card and Passport with a Phone]. Polish Press Agency (in Polish). 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  27. ^ a b "Visafoto Vs. PhotoAiD: Passport Photo Tools Review". Passport Today. 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  28. ^ "PhotoAiD". SaaSworthy. 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  29. ^ Edward, Frank (2023-03-20). "Photoaid Review and Its Alternatives". VanceAI. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  30. ^ Duszczyk, Michał (2023-04-11). "Bracia z Polski na zdjęciach zrobili globalny interes. Z fotokabin do AI" [Brothers from Poland Made a Global Deal in the photos. From Photo Booths to AI]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  31. ^ "Kreuj obraz zawodowy - zrób profesjonalne zdjęcie do CV!" [Create Your Professional Image - Take a Professional Photo for Your CV!]. Kazimierz Pułaski University of Technology and Humanities in Radom. 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  32. ^ Woźnicki, Robert (2021-07-15). "Bezpłatny Kreator Zdjęć do dowodu osobistego" [Free ID Photo Creator]. Urząd Miasta i Gminy Niemcza (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  33. ^ "Projekt PhotoAiD wraz z Ministerstwem Cyfryzacji stworzył Generator zdjęć dowodowych - Dla mieszkańca - Urząd Miejski w Kostrzynie" [Joint Project by PhotoAiD with the Ministry of Digitization Created the Evidence Photo Generator]. Urząd Miejski w Kostrzynie (in Polish). 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  34. ^ "Bezpłatne Zdjęcie Do Dowodu Osobistego dla Seniora" [Free Photo For Identity Card For Seniors]. Magazyn Świat Seniora. 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  35. ^ "Generator Zdjęć do Legitymacji" [ID Photo Generator - Elementary School in Szczepancowa]. Szkoła Podstawowa w Szczepańcowej. 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  36. ^ "Bezpłatny Generator Zdjęć do mLegitymacji" [Free Image Generator for mLegitymacja Cards]. Szkoła Podstawowa nr 7 w Białymstoku. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  37. ^ "EMEA Technology Fast 50 Winners | Deloitte UK". deloitte.com. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
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