Local co-founders Tim and Suzanne Griffin recognized personally how the traditional process of hiring a painter to revamp a home can seem outdated.
During the height of the pandemic, the couple decided to spruce up their kitchen by painting an accent wall. The process of finding a painter to tackle the project and receiving a quote took longer than they anticipated.
"It was just very antiquated. It felt very unmodern," Tim Griffin told CBJ. "We felt we could build something that would be more impactful."
The Griffins used their background in the startup world to devise a technology-based solution for the painting industry. In March, they launched Charlotte-based Craftwork, a full-service home painting company that uses tech to streamline the process. Through the Craftwork website, users can receive an instant free quote, book a project and have the job executed quickly.
Craftwork hires its own painters to carry out the home projects. It currently has 25 team members and 15 painters.
The minimum spend to hire the company is $750.
The startup's co-founders include Tim Griffin, CEO; his wife Suzanne Griffin, chief operating officer; Mike Bifulco, chief technology officer; and Joey Skavroneck, chief growth officer. They each have a strong background in the startup scene.
Craftwork's launch comes after it closed on a $4 million funding round earlier this year, with participation from acclaimed Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator. The startup is among only a few companies in Charlotte that have been a part of the program.
The company plans to use the funds to expand its team and recruit more painters.
Craftwork isn't the first company Tim Griffin birthed. In 2018, he founded Charlotte-based Cloosiv, a mobile platform that allows users to order from independent coffee shops through its free app. That company merged with New York tech platform Odeko in 2020 to help carry out a shared mission of bolstering small businesses.
Last year, Tim Griffin stepped down from his role at Odeko as chief product officer to pursue Craftwork.
"I'm still on the board of directors, but I wanted to scratch this itch in home services and build something from the ground up again," he said.
Suzanne Griffin also has a history with startups. She has been a first-hire employee at two Y Combinator startups, CareRev and Plato. Suzanne Griffin told CBJ she helped grow those companies from 50 employees to more than 350.
How is Craftwork unique?
Tim Griffin said the Craftwork model is different because it employs all of its labor — unlike other home service companies that will hire a subcontractor to paint a customer's home.
Suzanne Griffin said, in addition, the startup's full team will always have a stake in the company.
"We really positioned the role as a career, not just a job," she said. "So if you could come in with no experience, we would hire you as an apprentice. And then we would provide the training to evolve into the role and be promoted to painter, and then from there to leading crews, and so on and so forth."
What's next for the startup?
Since its launch in March, Craftwork has grown its revenue by 50% month over month. It has completed more than 100 painting projects within that period.
Tim Griffin said now the company is focused on expanding its customer and employee base across the Charlotte region. The company also aims to grow its brand into markets such as Atlanta and Nashville, Tennessee, giving it "an opportunity to build into the vision that (it's) hoping for," he said.
