A Chicago startup that helps brands make 3D product configurations on their websites has landed $20 million in fresh funding from some well-known investors.
Threekit announced Wednesday that it raised a $20 million Series A round led by Shasta Ventures, a Silicon Valley VC firm that's invested in companies like Nest and Dollar Shave Club. Other backers in the round include Salesforce Ventures, former San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Steve Young and Chicago serial entrepreneur Godard Abel.
Threekit has raised $30 million to date. Godard Abel, the CEO of VC-backed Chicago startup G2, led a $10 million round in ThreeKit earlier this year.
Threekit was founded in 2014 by Ben Houston, a visual effects software developer who spent nearly 20 years working on Hollywood movies and TV shows, including "Avengers," "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," "Avatar" and "Game of Thrones."
Houston's software powered the CGI for more than 100 movies, but he realized the technology had another potentially lucrative application---making 3D product visualizations to help companies sell their wares online.
Using Threekit, companies can bring augmented reality, 3D product tours and other immersive digital experiences to their websites to help customers get a better sense of their products. It works with dozens of brands, including Crate & Barrel, CIROC, Tailored Brands (owner of Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank) and Modarri.
Threekit says its technology helps brands increase sales, decrease product returns and cut costs compared to relying on traditional marketing photography. Crate & Barrel, for example, was able to use Threekit to make 50,000 product photos in a weekend, which would have taken a team of photographers over a month to do, the company said.
"Commercial photography falls far short of online buyer expectations, and current e-commerce experiences don’t capture how consumers engage with product listings before buying," Joachim Klein, president of Threekit, said in a statement. "Threekit overcomes these challenges by enabling incredible virtual product experiences."
