ComfyUI just raised $30M at a $500M valuation, which feels like a pretty loud signal that creators want more control over AI image, video, and audio tools instead of one-click black boxes.
$500M for a “node graph for generative media” is basically investors betting that power users will keep dragging the mainstream toward configurable workflows, the same way Photoshop layers beat “auto enhance. ” The part I’m watching is whether this stays creator-control or quietly turns into a marketplace/lock-in play once the money wants predictable revenue.
That “$500M node graph” thing is exactly where my brain went too — I’ve seen the same slide from “power user control” to “marketplace fees” happen the minute they realize layers/nodes are the choke point for distribution, so I’m curious: what’s the first sign you’d look for that it’s turning into a lock-in play (like certain models/effects only working through their store)? I might be wrong here.
