# Ideogram

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/ideogram
Ideogram makes image models known for getting text inside pictures right, for posters, logos and packaging. Founded in Toronto by former Google researchers; Ideogram 4.0 (June 2026) is its first open-weight model.

## In brief

- Built its name on legible lettering in images, long a weak spot of image models.
- Ideogram 4.0: 9.3B parameters, weights public for non-commercial use, runs on one 24 GB GPU.
- Raised $80M Series A in Feb 2024 led by Andreessen Horowitz.

## Facts

- Founded: 2022
- Headquarters: CA
- Status: private
- Raised: $80M
- Website: https://ideogram.ai
- Frontiers: [AI](https://technooptimist.io/ai.md) (Image generation)

## Programs

- [Ideogram 4.0](https://technooptimist.io/ai/ideogram-4.md) (AI): Deploy. Released June 2026; top open-weight model on Design Arena, behind GPT and Gemini overall.

## Technical approach

- **Text first: Typography as the core skill**: Training emphasises getting letters, words and layout right, so designs come out usable without retouching the text.
- **Layout: Structured prompts**: 4.0 was trained on JSON captions with boxes, colour palettes and text elements, so users can place items precisely.
- **Open weights: Distribution through openness**: Releasing 4.0's weights for research and testing spreads adoption; commercial use needs a separate licence.

## Open problems

- **Competing with giants** (active research): OpenAI's and Google's image models still lead overall rankings; a small team must win on design and text.

## Latest updates

- **3 Jun 2026**: Ideogram releases 4.0, a 9.3B-parameter image model with open weights. Ideogram published the weights and inference code of Ideogram 4.0, a 9.3-billion-parameter text-to-image model trained from scratch. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ideogram-releases-4-0-a-9-3b-parameter-image-model-with-open-weights-bfd615fa.md) · [original source](https://startupfortune.com/ideogram-40-turns-open-weights-into-a-startup-weapon/))

## Funding

| Date | Round | Amount | Post-money | Leads |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Feb 2024 | Series A | $80M |   | Andreessen Horowitz |

## Partners, customers and investors

- Andreessen Horowitz (investor): Led the seed (with Index) and the $80M Series A.

## People

- Mohammad Norouzi, Co-founder
- William Chan, Co-founder
- Chitwan Saharia, Co-founder
- Jonathan Ho, Co-founder

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