Again in highschool, Clay Canning had an thought: smartphone display screen protectors with logos proper on the display screen.
He later related with Rashaun Brown, who was concerned in sports activities and licensing on the time, and the thought for Display Skinz was born.
“We each understood the alternatives and complemented one another’s weaknesses,” Brown, the corporate’s CEO, informed TechCrunch. “In December 2022, I stop my job to create Display Skinz full-time with Clay.”
Display Skinz can now formally announce the closing of a $1.5 million seed spherical led by South Loop Ventures and Abo Ventures.
The corporate makes customized, patented cellphone display screen protectors with customized logos or slogans which are seen when the cellphone display screen is black after which disappear when the cellphone is in use. Clients can create their very own designs or select from the corporate’s current catalog.
Telephone equipment have at all times been an enormous market and the worldwide display screen protector market alone is effective. about 51 billion {dollars} as of 2023.
Display Skinz already holds artistic licenses from a wide range of well-known manufacturers, working with organizations such because the NFL and NBA, in addition to leisure manufacturers comparable to Marvel and WWE.
An instance of Display Skinz protecting movie. Picture credit: Display Skins
The most recent fundraising allowed Display Skinz to maneuver manufacturing from Asia to the US, permitting the corporate to extra simply management its provide chain.
The corporate is trying to double down on its display screen safety enterprise, and whereas it presently solely focuses on smartphones, there are plans to in the future broaden into pill display screen protectors. “With our IP, we are able to basically design a display screen protector for any cell system that makes use of a display screen protector and has a backlit show,” Brown mentioned.
Brown described Display Skinz’s fundraising course of as “completely different,” saying it took the corporate a few yr to shut its seed spherical. Brown and Canning intentionally took their time as additionally they sought to enhance their provide chain and put together stock for mass market launch. “We needed to work on promoting a practical imaginative and prescient to traders,” Brown mentioned.
Display Skinz met his co-lead investor Abo Ventures via Brown’s community whereas he was working at Texas A&M. They then met South Loop Ventures whereas taking part within the DivInc sports activities know-how accelerator in Houston.
Michelle Micone, former senior vp of shopper merchandise for the NFL and Hasbro, mentioned she preferred that the workforce had a novel idea and in addition understood the manufacturing and logistics of its manufacturing. “Clients desire a excessive stage of personalization, however it is extremely troublesome to supply this on time and at an inexpensive price. Display Skinz has this formulation and I needed to be part of it,” she informed TechCrunch.
Different traders within the spherical embrace Brent Montgomery, Wheelhouse CEO, and Wayne Pfeffer and Brendan O’Donnell, former world product administrators for Apple cell equipment. Pfeffer, particularly, was additionally eager on the thought of making display screen protectors extra customized. “For years, personalizing your system was restricted to the case,” he informed TechCrunch. “After I noticed the evolution of the entrance of the protecting movie, I used to be delighted!
Brown mentioned the corporate might take into account elevating funds once more as early as subsequent yr. Subsequent, Display Skinz has entered into numerous partnerships and is concentrated on buying clients and deepening licensing relationships.