It’s in AI, with Mattoboard, a manufacturer of web-based software designed to simplify creative processes for interior designers and architects. On Tuesday, the startup announced a $2 million seed funding round. It supports the launch of a new feature called Design Stream, an AI-driven visual search and discovery tool.
Because the company’s software is a type of “3D camber,” users can mix and match over 1,000 virtual materials, create mood boards, and experiment with design ideas across multiple projects. Can be provided.
The architecture and design services industry was estimated to be worth $200.97 billion in 2024, but Mattoboard is outdated in its current product curation methods, and designers ship physical samples. They argue that you need to order and wait to do so, and that you need to delay the creative process.
The designers also order more samples than they need, contributing to the 92 million tonnes of waste generated annually by the textile industry.
Mattoboard allows users to view client digital concepts before ordering approved samples, making the process faster and more efficient.
Soon, the company will add a new AI tool called “Design Stream,” allowing designers to search for specific products more efficiently using natural language and visual input.
The design stream allows designers to clarify their vision in their own words and receive recommendations tailored to their specific needs. Mattoboard believes that the large-scale foundation models currently available are so generalized that they plan to train their own custom AI models specific to the design industry.
Founded in 2022, the startup is led by architect and designer Guy Adam Ailion (CEO) with over 20 years of experience and is recognized for the design and construction of London’s award-winning IO houses . Irion is joined by George Hart (CTO) and Sabina Kirnani (COO), who previously co-founded their hometown.
“Architects and designers waste 40% of their time just looking for products and materials,” Irion told TechCrunch. “This segment of the A&D workflow has been ripe for destruction and has been behind for a long time for digital conversion. Find, manage, store and curate the world’s internal materials and products. We needed a better way to do that.”
One notable feature of Mattoboard is the use of 3D twins as the material. This simulates real life by capturing how surfaces and textures interact with light, shadows, and reflections. You can get a better understanding of the design aesthetics as users move around objects on the board, adjust the angles, and watch how the surface reacts. Users can also upload images of their own products and add them to their 3D mood boards.
Designers often use combinations of rival platforms in their workflows, such as Canva for design, Pinterest for moodboarding, or Photoshop or 3D renderers for visualization. Mattoboard aims to integrate all of these tools into one platform, while also incorporating search capabilities that allow users to discover and purchase materials and products.
Additionally, users do not need to be experts to navigate the platform. During our testing, TechCrunch found it to be fairly user-friendly, making it accessible to beginners, enthusiasts and students.
Since its launch, approximately 200,000 designers have used the free platform. Mattoboard also has a paid pro version of $30 per month, which is used by over 2,000 paid designers.
The latest round was led by Acrobator Ventures with participation from Home Depot Ventures and Masco. The new capital will also be used to expand its material database and partner with global suppliers with the aim of “bringing all materials from around the world online,” Irion said.