This Week in Startups

Vertical AI Innovations: Abacus LLM in Finance & Synthesia's Video Avatars | E2112

Apr 15, 2025

David Moscatelli, founder of Abacus, specializes in bringing generative AI to the finance sector, focusing on data control and accuracy for banks. Victor Riparbelli, CEO of Synthesia, leads an AI platform transforming corporate documents into engaging videos. They discuss the unique challenges of implementing AI in regulated industries and how on-prem LLMs enhance data management. Additionally, they explore the rise of customizable AI avatars that streamline communication for enterprises and the critical balance of ethics in AI development.

01:07:35

Creator website

Episode guests

Victor Riparbelli

David Moscatelli

AI Summary

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Abacus is pioneering AI solutions for financial institutions by focusing on data security, compliance, and integration with existing infrastructure.

Synthesia's transition from internal training videos to external customer engagement reflects a shift towards more visually engaging communication methods.

The upcoming Express 2 model will enhance AI-generated avatars, raising ethical questions about privacy and the nature of digital interactions in advertising.

Deep dives

Adoption of Generative AI in Regulated Industries

Generative AI is being increasingly recognized for its potential in regulated industries such as banking, insurance, and credit unions. Companies like Abacus are tailoring AI solutions specifically for these sectors, emphasizing the need for high security and compliance. Financial institutions seek AI tools that can effectively manage vast amounts of sensitive data while ensuring accuracy and controlled responses. This focused approach allows such companies to emerge as viable alternatives to traditional systems, which often lag in technology adoption.

Intro

4min

Navigating LLM Adoption in Finance

6min

Innovations in AI for Finance: From Search Tools to Virtual Assistants

4min

Decentralized Indexing Solutions for Financial Institutions

4min

Attracting Mid-Tier Financial Institutions

6min

Strategic Pricing in Tech: Balancing Subscriptions and Installation Fees

4min

AI Validation in Finance and Startups

6min

Empowering Financial Tech with AI

13min

The Rise of Custom Avatars in AI Communication

20min

10.

Exploring Ethical Challenges in Rapid AI Development

2min

Today’s show: Alex interviews founders from Abacus and Synthesia—two companies leading the charge in vertical AI. Abacus is deploying on-prem LLMs to banks and insurers with a focus on data control, accuracy, and integration with legacy infrastructure. Synthesia just hit $100M ARR by helping 70% of the Fortune 100 turn internal documents into scalable AI video. If you're interested in how generative AI is moving from hype to real enterprise utility, this one's for you.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction to vertical AI with Abacus and Synthesia(1:57) Real-world applications of AI in regulated industries & Interview with Abacus founder David Moscatelli(5:02) Unique challenges for banks and credit unions using AI & Abacus OS private LLM(9:56) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(11:57) Abacus features, benefits, and customer acquisition strategies(12:27) Decentralized indexer, data integration, and voice AI technology with VAPI(19:58) Vapi - Go to vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life.(24:47) On-premise setup, combating AI hallucinations, and trust in AI responses(30:08) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.(33:40) Abacus company growth, fundraising, and sales hiring(38:25) Introduction to Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli, AI avatars, and building a startup in Europe(41:34) Synthesia’s market positioning, target use cases, and personalized avatars(46:33) Synthesia's training data, partnerships, and improvements in AI avatar technology(55:57) Synthesia’s growth, Fortune 100 companies usage, and financial aspects(1:00:21) AI model competition, market appetite, and enterprise focus(1:02:09) Future of AI in video creation, ethicalconsiderations, and Synthesia's plans

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Check out:

Abacus: https://www.goabacus.co/

Synthesia: https://www.synthesia.io/

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