Kochi-based startup launches 103 new Malayalam fonts

In 2016, a group of young entrepreneurs from Bigdates.ai, a Kochi-based startup, created the Malayalam Text & Image Editor application, a tool designed to simplify meme creation in Malayalam. The app enabled content creators and users to design posts with their favorite actors and humorous captions. At its peak, the app had amassed around 30 lakh installations.

Ten years later, the typography industry remained dominated by a few international players, with a limited number of new Malayalam fonts available. The Bigdates.ai team, led by creative director Brutus KC, recognized this gap and decided to address it.

On the first day of the new Malayalam calendar year, the team launched 103 new Malayalam fonts, a significant increase from their initial plan of 10 to 15 styles. The font names were inspired by their appearances, such as Olam, which resembled text written underwater, and Nizhal, which resembled a shadow. The team, comprising twelve members, developed their own font-development software using AI.

The fonts are currently available on the malayalameditor.com website in the FML (Font Malayalam Legacy) format and can be downloaded and used in design software.

The Bigdates.ai team plans to relaunch their app, Malayalam Text & Image Editor, featuring the new fonts and releasing a web version. The app can be used commercially by designers to create posters and prints. The team is also working on developing the fonts in Unicode format, which will enable them to be used beyond design purposes. Additionally, the team is developing apps for other South Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.