Threekit, a Chicago startup that helps companies create 3D product configurations that let customers better visualize items while online shopping, has raised funding from some big names.
The startup said Tuesday it has raised $35 million led by Leaders Fund, with additional backing from ServiceNow, Capgemini, Salesforce, Shasta Ventures, G2 founder Godard Abel and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young. The round brings the startup's total funding to $65 million to date.
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" and "Harry Potter." The startup's technology allows retailers to bring augmented reality and 3D product tours to their websites to help customers get a better sense of their products.
Threekit works with brands like Crate & Barrel, Steelcase, TaylorMade, Duluth Trading, and California Closets, and it says its software has generated over $1 billion in sales for companies this year.
The Covid-19 pandemic has only furthered America's shift toward online shopping. But with some items, like furniture, it's not as easy to click the Buy Now button if you haven't seen it in person. Threekit wants to change that by offering more immersive and interactive product displays for brands, and giving customers more confidence when they're shopping online.
For example, Threekit has an augmented reality feature that allows shoppers to select an item, like a piece of furniture, and use their phone to see how that product would fit in their living room.
Threekit is also making a play in the metaverse and NFT space. The startup says it now allows brands to create unique 1 of 1 product creations that can be minted and sold to collectors as NFTs. And as the metaverse comes into focus, Threekit believes its technology can let brands represent their entire portfolio in the digital world, allowing customers to virtually interact with their products.
The startup is led today by CEO Matt Gorniak, a co-founder of Chicago startup G2 and a former Salesforce executive.
