Kai Mai

Why I'm building this

I've been shooting RAW for years and Lightroom always frustrated me — slow, subscription-locked, and the AI tools are black-box filters that you can't understand or undo. I am an adventure, portrait and event photographer who has been shooting for the past 5 years. I wanted something that actually shows its work. MeraRAW is my answer: a Lightroom-class editor where the AI assistant edits through real sliders you can see, read, and reverse.

Every adjustment the AI makes is visible in your history panel. Nothing happens behind a filter. Your RAW file never leaves your machine — it's all local, GPU-accelerated on Metal.

Lightroom is outdated and costs $20 a month. MeraRAW will be a one-time fee. The AI Colorgrading assistant will be a subscription.

My background

I studied finance and computer science at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently an adventure photographer making outdoor documentaries. I previously worked in trading.

Where things are right now

The beta is live and free. It's simple on purpose — I'm shipping early to collect real feedback before building the full toolset. Make an account and I'll keep you updated as it grows.

What's coming

• Now · Beta Full GPU allocation on Mac (Metal) — edit full-res RAW at native speed
• Next · Alpha Full AI color grading agent — describe the look, watch the sliders move (credit-based)
• Next · Alpha One-time lifetime purchase — pay once, own it forever, no subscription
• Later Windows & Linux — in development, not yet released

Get in touch

I read every message. If you have feedback, a feature request, or just want to follow the build — reach me on Instagram @kai.mai12 or connect on LinkedIn.