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BREVOIR ANALYSISApr 17, 2026

Martini

martini.film
YC W26AI video production softwarePre-SeedSan Francisco, California, United States
INVESTABILITY
58
MIXED
CONFIDENCE 82%
VERDICT

We think Martini is a credible product with real filmmaker-domain fit, but it is entering a market where Adobe, Runway, and Google are already absorbing its core wedge. The company looks more like an acquisition candidate or vertical niche tool than a clear venture-scale winner today.

// Contrarian angle
What everyone sees: Martini has founder-market fit, YC backing, and early organic usage across more than 200 films.
What we flagged: Its core wedge, filmmaker-first workflow, is already being bundled into Adobe, Runway, and Google products.
SCORE BREAKDOWN
Team
16/25

Koh Terai is a credible founder for this category, but Long Hoang is largely opaque and the team is still only two people.

Market
18/25

The market is real and growing, but Martini is aimed at a narrower professional filmmaking segment than the broader AI video category.

Traction
13/25

More than 200 films is meaningful early usage, yet there is no disclosed revenue, retention, or named customer base.

Timing + Moat
11/25

Timing is favorable for AI video adoption, but the moat is thin and incumbents are already bundling Martini's wedge.

COMPANY
Founded
2025
Total raised
Not publicly disclosed
Key investors
Y Combinator

Martini is a model-agnostic, AI-native filmmaking editor for professional creatives, with camera controls, collaboration, and XML export into Premiere and Resolve.

PRODUCT + TECHNOLOGY
Martini is a web-based, collaborative editor that sits on top of third-party generators rather than training its own model. We found concrete workflow features, camera position and lens controls, built-in timeline editing, real-time collaboration, and XML export into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. That makes it more of a production layer than a model company, which is strategically sensible but also easier for incumbents to copy.
MARKET + TIMING
The narrow AI video generator market is measured in the hundreds of millions, while broader AI video creation and editing software is projected into the tens of billions by the mid-2030s. Adoption is real, with the research citing 78 percent of marketing teams using AI-generated video and agencies producing 11 times more content after adoption. The catch is that professional filmmaking is a smaller and slower-buying segment than marketing, so Martini is targeting a valuable but later-moving slice of the market.
TEAM
Koh Terai gives Martini genuine domain credibility, with a background as a Cannes-screened cinematographer plus Stanford design and CS training. Long Hoang is much less visible publicly, which leaves the team narrative asymmetric and the GTM picture thin. With only two employees disclosed, we see strong founder fit but limited evidence of buildout depth outside the core creative perspective.
Koh TeraiCo-founder

He is a designer, artist, and cinematographer based in the Bay Area, with work in light art, computational media, and generative AI. The research also describes him as a Cannes-screened cinematographer with Stanford design and CS background, which maps directly to Martini's filmmaking-first product.

Long HoangCo-founder

Public information is sparse. The research only identifies him as founder, with no detailed operating, technical, or creative background disclosed.

TRACTION SIGNALS
The strongest traction signal is that more than 200 films have already been made with Martini, including TV commercials, artwork displays, and viral online projects. That suggests real usage beyond demo ware, but there are no disclosed retention, revenue, or named customer metrics. YC W26 participation and February 2026 launch coverage provide some validation, but the documented traction is still early and mostly qualitative.
BUSINESS MODEL
Martini uses transparent per-second usage pricing, with 1 Olive equal to $0.10 and Veo 3/3.1 priced at $0.50 per second, or $0.20 for fast versions. The structure is a mix of subscription access and usage-based model consumption, with collaboration features bundled into plans and unused credits rolling over. That is straightforward to understand, but it also means margins depend on third-party model costs and careful credit economics.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
We see Martini competing in two layers. At the model layer it is downstream of Runway, Veo, Sora, Kling, and other generators, and at the workflow layer it overlaps with Adobe Firefly, Premiere, and Google Flow. The problem is that the incumbents are converging on Martini's exact thesis, filmmaker controls plus integrated workflows, while also controlling distribution.
Runway
Runway is the leader in AI video generation and is the only player cited as monetizing at meaningful scale.
high threat
Adobe Firefly
Adobe combines generative video with the installed base of Creative Cloud and native editing workflows.
high threat
Google Flow
Google offers camera-controlled filmmaking inside a Google-native stack with Veo and Imagen.
medium threat
Pika Labs
Pika is a creator-oriented generative video tool rather than a professional workflow layer.
low threat
Luma AI
Luma is a fast-moving generative video competitor with strong product momentum and funding.
low threat
MOAT + DEFENSIBILITY
Martini's moat is mostly product-shaped, not structural. The XML export workflow, camera controls, and model-agnostic layer are useful, but the research shows they are replicable and already being attacked by larger platforms. We did not find network effects, proprietary models, or durable switching costs, so defensibility depends on speed, taste, and a specific professional niche.
Brandweak

The only brand signal in the research is early adopter and YC validation, with no broader distribution moat yet.

Workflow integrationmoderate

Martini's XML export into Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve creates a practical bridge into professional post-production.

Founder expertisemoderate

Koh Terai's cinematography background gives Martini credibility with filmmakers and informs the product design.

RISK ASSESSMENT
Incumbent bundling
high6-18mo

Adobe, Runway, and Google are converging on the same filmmaker-first workflow Martini is selling.

Weak structural moat
high18mo+

The company lacks proprietary models, data advantage, network effects, or strong switching costs.

Team depth
medium0-6mo

Publicly visible headcount is only two employees, with no disclosed GTM or operations leadership.

Platform dependency
medium0-6mo

Martini depends on third-party model APIs and pricing that it does not control.

Professional adoption friction
high6-18mo

Film production buyers move slower than marketing teams, and union or regulatory concerns could further slow adoption.

STRENGTHS
  • +Koh Terai has direct filmmaker credibility, including cinematography and Stanford design training.
  • +The product has concrete workflow features, including camera controls, collaboration, and XML export.
  • +More than 200 films suggest real usage, not just a concept demo.
WEAKNESSES
  • −Martini does not own the underlying video models it depends on.
  • −Adobe, Runway, and Google are already targeting the same workflow layer.
  • −Public traction data stops at film count, with no revenue or retention disclosure.
SOURCES
Sources cited above. Not investment advice.
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