Mattoboard, a company specializing in web-based solutions that streamline the creative workflow for architects and interior designers, is venturing into the world of artificial intelligence. On Tuesday, the startup revealed it had secured $2 million in seed funding, which will be dedicated to launching a novel feature known as Design Stream, an AI-enhanced visual search and discovery tool.
The platform, likened to a “3D Canva,” empowers users to blend and customize over 1,000 virtual materials, develop mood boards, and serves as a unified space for experimenting with design concepts across various projects.
Despite the Architectural and Design services industry being projected to reach $201.97 billion by 2024, Mattoboard argues that the traditional method of product curation is outdated. Designers often have to order and wait on physical samples, prolonging their creative processes.
Moreover, designers frequently request more samples than necessary, contributing to the annual 92 million tons of waste produced by the textile sector.
With Mattoboard, users can present clients with digital concepts before placing orders for confirmed samples, significantly speeding up and enhancing the efficiency of the workflow.
Soon, the company plans to unveil an AI tool named “Design Stream,” which will allow designers to locate specific products more effectively through natural language and visual inputs.
Design Stream will enable designers to express their ideas in their own terms and receive tailored recommendations. Mattoboard aims to develop custom AI models specifically catering to the design field, believing that existing larger foundational models are too generalized.
Established in 2022, the startup is steered by Guy Adam Ailion (CEO), an architect and designer with over 20 years of expertise, renowned for creating the award-winning IO House in London. He is joined by George Hart (CTO), a co-founder of Hometapper, and Sabina Khilnani (COO).
“Architects and designers expend 40% of their time merely searching for products and materials,” Ailion told TechCrunch. “I recognized that this segment of the A&D workflow was prime for disruption and desperately needed digital transformation. There had to be a more effective means to find, manage, store, and curate the world’s interior materials and products.”
A standout feature of Mattoboard is its implementation of 3D twins for materials, which emulate real-world conditions by demonstrating how surfaces and textures interact with light, shadow, and reflections. As users navigate around objects on the platform, adjusting angles and observing surface reactions, they gain a deeper understanding of design aesthetics. Additionally, users can upload images of their own products to enhance their 3D mood boards.
Designers typically rely on a mix of competing platforms for their workflow, utilizing Canva for design needs, Pinterest for inspiration, and Photoshop or 3D rendering tools for visualization. Mattoboard seeks to bring all these functionalities together within a single platform, integrating a search capability that helps users discover and procure materials and products.
Moreover, the platform is designed to be intuitive, ensuring that anyone, not just professionals, can navigate it easily. During testing, TechCrunch found it to be user-friendly, making it accessible for novices, enthusiasts, and students alike.
Since its inception, approximately 200,000 designers have utilized the free platform. Mattoboard also offers a Pro version at $30/month, currently adopted by over 2,000 subscribed designers.
The recent funding round was led by Acrobator Ventures, with contributions from Home Depot Ventures and Masco. The newly acquired capital will be used to enhance its material database and establish partnerships with global suppliers with the ambition of “bringing every material in the world online,” Ailion stated.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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