Disrupting 3D design process, Gravity Sketch swipes off $33 million

While we think and live in a 3D world, everything we interact with — from cars and shoes, to furniture, movies and games — starts out as a 2D sketch and goes through a digital to physical design process. This includes back-and-forth between design, engineering and manufacturing teams, while pen and paper sketches have to be visualised and rendered in 3D before production.

Companies, including the likes of Miro and Figma, have already disrupted the 2D space, enabling teams to co-create and collaborate quickly and inclusively in online workspaces.

With the increase in remote working globally and brands taking their first steps into the metaverse, now is the ideal time for the design industry to shift to a completely digital pipeline. Founded in 2014 by Oluwaseyi Sosanya (CEO) and Daniela Paredes Fuentes (CXO), Gravity Sketch is attempting to shake up the 3D environment.

The UK-based next-generation cross-platform 3D design tool has now raised $33 million in funding to revolutionise long-neglected design and engineering processes. The Series A round was led by Accel, with participation from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and existing investors Kindred Capital, Point Nine and Forward Partners. A number of high-profile angel investors have also participated in the round. The platform had earlier raised £2.9 million in a seed round in 2020.

The investment will be used to continue developing the startup’s LandingPad collaboration features to better support the non-designer stakeholders essential to the design process. The funds will also be used to enhance the platform’s creative tools and scale the company’s sales, customer success and onboarding teams. This latest investment brings the total amount raised by Gravity Sketch to more than $40 million to enable teams to think and create in 3D and collaborate in real-time.

The platform offers designers, engineers and other stakeholders to share feedback and discuss issues at every stage of product development, experiencing the design through virtual reality. With more than one million downloads and a community of 100,000+ monthly users, the company has recorded 4x revenue growth in the last 12 months

Seyi Sosanya, co-founder and CEO of Gravity Sketch, said: “At Gravity Sketch, our aim is to empower teams to create and communicate their 3D ideas in the quickest and most intuitive ways possible — whether they’re designers or otherwise.”

Harry Nelis, partner, Accel added: “In today’s climate, online collaboration tools have emerged as a necessity for businesses that want to stay agile and connect their teams in the most interactive, authentic and productive way possible. Design is no different, and we’ve been blown away by Gravity Sketch’s innovative, forward-looking suite of collaboration design tools that are already revolutionising workflows across numerous industries. Moreover, we expect that 3D design - coupled with the advent of virtual reality - will only grow in importance as brands race to build the emerging metaverse.”