London-based startup Stylib has raised €1.7 million in pre-seed funding to revolutionize the way design professionals search for and specify architectural products. The funding round was led by global early-stage construction tech investor Foundamental, with participation from AEC/O software provider Nemetschek Group and Redstone Built World Strategy.
Stylib aims to address the inefficiencies and limitations in the current process of product discovery and procurement for architects and designers. While design professionals increasingly rely on online platforms for product discovery, suppliers and manufacturers still heavily rely on offline sales methods such as catalogues, showrooms, and design conferences. Stylib plans to bridge this gap by bringing hundreds of leading suppliers onto its digital platform, providing designers with digital tools that make it easier to find, review, and include suppliers’ products in their specifications.
The startup was founded in 2021 by Noam Naveh and Fabio Galicia, two architects who met while studying at UCL in Design Computation. They experienced firsthand the challenges of searching for the right architectural products and saw an opportunity to transform the industry.
Stylib’s platform offers design professionals a comprehensive database of architectural products, coupled with AI-powered search and management tools. Designers can use their own inspiration images to search for relevant products from trade suppliers and further narrow down their search using technical filters such as sustainability criteria and fire ratings. This saves designers valuable time and allows them to explore a wide range of product alternatives.
In addition to serving designers, Stylib also provides tools and infrastructure for suppliers to streamline their digital activity. Suppliers can integrate Stylib’s product discovery technology into their own websites and manage their entire catalogue database using the platform’s Product Information System (PIM), which utilizes machine learning to enrich data and provide valuable search insights.
The European architecture materials and finishes market is worth $300 billion annually, presenting a significant opportunity for Stylib to capture a share of this market. With the new funding, the company plans to accelerate its product development and expand its operations in the UK. They aim to grow their team to 12 by 2024, further scaling their platform and serving the growing number of B2B customers in the UK.
Stylib’s innovative approach to product discovery in the architectural industry has attracted the support of experienced investors who believe in the company’s potential to reshape the industry. By leveraging technology and providing design professionals with powerful digital tools, Stylib aims to streamline the product discovery and specification process while enabling suppliers to reach a wider audience.
The funding secured by Stylib is a testament to the demand for digital solutions in the architecture industry and highlights the need for a more efficient and streamlined approach to product discovery. As the industry continues to embrace digital transformation, startups like Stylib are well-positioned to revolutionize how design professionals search for and specify architectural products, ultimately enhancing productivity and driving innovation in the field.
