In the blistering pace of the AI revolution, small startups once dreamed of disrupting the status quo - innovating niche tools that could level the playing field against corporate behemoths. But today, those dreams are increasingly crushed under the weight of "IT giants" who spot promising tech, scale it with their vast resources, and integrate it seamlessly into their profit machines.
These tech titans aren't just adopting AI; they're weaponizing it to extract massive value, often at the expense of the very innovators who paved the way. The latest exhibit? Google's experimental launch of Pomelli, an AI-powered marketing tool that's as revolutionary for small businesses as it is predatory for the AI startup ecosystem.
The Allure of AI for the Little Guy - and the Giants Who Lurk
Picture this: You're a bootstrapped coffee shop owner in a mid-sized town, juggling inventory, customer service, and a shoestring marketing budget. Hiring a designer or ad agency? Out of the question. Enter AI tools - once the domain of scrappy startups like Jasper for copywriting or Midjourney for visuals - that promised to democratize creativity. These platforms exploded in the early 2020s, raising billions in venture capital by offering accessible, affordable ways for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to punch above their weight.
But here's the rub: Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta didn't sit idly by. They watched, learned, and pounced. With access to proprietary datasets - think Google's exabytes of search queries, ad performance metrics, and user behavior signals that no startup could ever touch - they've turbocharged these ideas into full-fledged products. The result? Startups get "acquired" (or more bluntly, acquired and shelved), their tech absorbed, and their teams poached, while the giants rake in the rewards. It's a classic tale of innovation extraction: The underdogs build the prototype; the overlords build the empire.
This pattern isn't new. Remember how Microsoft scooped up Inflection AI in 2024, folding its chatbot tech into Copilot while paying a nominal fee? Or how Meta's Llama models have undercut open-source AI startups by offering free, high-quality alternatives? The AI gold rush has turned into a feeding frenzy, where giants "пожирают" (devour) the ecosystem, leaving crumbs for the originals.
Enter Pomelli: Google's One-Minute Marketing Magic
Launched on October 28, 2025, as a public beta from Google Labs in partnership with DeepMind, Pomelli is the latest salvo in this war. Billed as an "AI marketing tool designed to help SMBs more easily generate scalable, on-brand social media campaigns," it lives up to the hype - and then some.
Here's how it works, in a nutshell: Drop in your website URL, and Pomelli's AI dives deep. It extracts your "Business DNA" - a profile capturing your logo, brand colors, fonts, writing style, and even the subtle tone of your content.
No manual uploads or tedious briefs required. From there, it brainstorms campaign ideas tailored to your industry and audience - think "Back-to-School Brews" for that coffee shop, complete with seasonal hooks based on real-time trends. Users can refine these with custom prompts, like "Make it fun and eco-focused for Gen Z."
The real wizardry? Pomelli spits out ready-to-deploy assets: eye-catching images for Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn; banner ads optimized for Google Display Network; even website graphics and email headers. All generated in under a minute, with full editability via intuitive prompts or a drag-and-drop UI. Tweak the copy? Prompt it. Swap a color? Done. Download and launch—no design degree needed.
Currently rolling out in English for the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, access is throttled due to "high demand," but early testers are raving about the speed and brand fidelity.
One beta user called it "the marketing department I never had," while industry analysts predict it'll slash SMB ad creation time by 80%. Powered by Google's Gemini for text, Imagen for images, and Veo for video snippets (though not officially confirmed), it's a showcase of AI muscle that startups can only envy.
The Hidden Feast: How Pomelli Feeds Google's Ad Monster
For SMBs, Pomelli feels like a godsend - free during beta, with a likely freemium model down the line. But zoom out, and it's a masterstroke for Google. Every generated asset is primed for their ecosystem: Social posts that drive traffic to Google Analytics-tracked sites, banners that slot directly into Google Ads campaigns. That "seamless content-to-advertising pipeline" isn't accidental; it's engineered to boost ad spend.
Google's ad revenue - already a $300 billion behemoth - relies on frictionless creation. Pomelli lowers the barrier, encouraging more SMBs to experiment, iterate, and ultimately pour money into paid promotion.
With access to "datasets unavailable outside", like hyper-granular consumer insights from Search and YouTube, Pomelli's suggestions aren't generic; they're prescient, driving higher engagement and click-through rates. It could "reduce reliance on external creative support," but read between the lines: It funnels more dollars back to Google.
This isn't benevolence; it's business. Pomelli "challenges rivals like Adobe," undercutting tools like Firefly by eliminating the design interface altogether - delivering finished assets, not half-baked templates. For Google, it's a trojan horse: Hook SMBs on free AI creativity, then upsell premium features tied to ad auctions.
The Startup Slaughter: A Broader AI Feeding Frenzy
Pomelli isn't an isolated incident; it's symptomatic of how giants are "пожирают стартапы" (devouring startups). Take Canva, the Aussie darling that built an empire on drag-and-drop design—now facing Google's no-UI assault. Or Jasper, the AI copywriter that raised $125 million before being eclipsed by free tiers from ChatGPT Enterprise. Startups burn bright but brief, their IP becoming fodder for Big Tech's R&D labs.
DeepMind's involvement in Pomelli underscores this: Google's AI research arm, once focused on moonshots like protein folding, now crafts consumer tools that extract value from the masses. It's the first major DeepMind collab with Google Labs, signaling a shift toward monetizable AI agents. Meanwhile, venture funding for AI marketing startups has plummeted 40% year-over-year, as investors bet on incumbents instead.
Critics argue this stifles innovation: Why risk building the next big thing when Google can clone it overnight? Privacy watchdogs raise eyebrows too - Pomelli scans public sites, but what about the downstream data feeding Google's models?
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A Glimmer of Hope - or the End of the Road?
For now, Pomelli empowers the underdog, turning website URLs into campaign engines in minutes. SMBs get pro-level marketing without the bill, and that's no small win.
But as rollout expands, expect tiers: Unlimited generations for $X/month, premium integrations with Google Workspace. The demand is already "огромным" (huge), with waitlists forming despite throttled access.
Yet, in this David-vs.-Goliath remix, David's sling is made by Goliath. Startups must pivot - perhaps to hyper-niche verticals or ethical AI that giants won't touch.
Or lobby for antitrust scrutiny on these acquisitions. One thing's clear: AI's promise of democratization rings hollow when the tools are forged in Mountain View boardrooms.
As Google Labs invites feedback on Pomelli, one wonders: Will users praise the innovation, or protest the monopoly? In the AI arms race, the giants aren't just winning - they're rewriting the rules. And for startups circling the drain, it's a stark reminder: Innovate fast, or get eaten.
