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Fine art community site Imagekind.com closes $2.6 million in financing
The Seattle based fine art community marketplace, Imagekind.com, has that it is receiving $2.6 million in its series A round of financing. The company has stated plans to use the funds primarily for marketing operations and staffing. This round of financing was lead by Holtzbrinck Ventures. Other noteworthy investors include Crosslink Capital, Erik Blachford (former CEO of Expedia), Tom Hughes (co-founder of Photodisc), and many others.
Imagekind also announced today that Expedia's former CEO, Erik Blachford has joined Imagekind as an advisor, and Sven Achter of Holtzbrink Ventures joined Imagekind's Board of Directors. According to Sven, "Imagekind's fast growth, extreme member loyalty, and strong management team, made Imagekind a compelling investment opportunity for us. By developing a unique online marketplace that allows buyers and sellers to discover and monetize original art, Imagekind leveraged new print on demand technologies to develop a high- growth opportunity with international implications, and we were intrigued by the opportunity to work with such an innovative and fast-growing company."
"We never actively solicited investors but there was an unexpected level of interest in Imagekind," stated Kelly Smith, CEO and one of Imagekind's founders. "When we finally decided to raise external capital, we wanted to partner with funds and individuals that share our interest in international expansion and who bring a global perspective. Our roster of world class investors have had prior successes in related industries including imaging & printing, photobooks, manufacturing and world-class consumer e-commerce properties. This financing allows us to continue focusing on building the most unique online e-commerce platform that we expect to become a major player in this emerging $20 billion art marketplace."
Web: www.imagekind.com
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