Led by Brookfield Asset Management Inc., the acquisition between Material Bank and Architizer ushered in a $175 million equity funding round, resulting in a Series D with a $1.9 billion valuation. Material Bank, the leading marketplace for architectural, design, and construction materials, announced its acquisition of Architizer, the global digital powerhouse in the architecture space.
As one of the largest databases of architectural projects, Architizer has become the trusted source for architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and other AEC professionals. The irresistible force paradox questions what the result would be if an immovable object was met with an unstoppable force. In regards to the collision of top-tiered design resources and powerful specification tools, a whole new creation is born.
This acquisition will ultimately empower the industry to work more effectively and efficiently by simplifying design decisions. Currently led by CEO David Weber, Architizer was founded in 2009 by Alex Diehl, Matthias Hollwich, Marc Kushner, and Ben Prosky. With the mission to help architects build better buildings, better cities, and a better world, the platform has established a strong global brand ever since.
Architizer has an engaged community of over 900,000 registered users, 335,000 architects, and 25,000 firms, utilizing an expansive database of more than 3 million architectural images from 86,000 inspirational projects. The platform showcases building products from 31,000 manufacturers. And over the last decade, it has also hosted the prestigious A+Awards. Regarded as the world’s largest architectural awards program celebrating the best designed buildings from around the globe, the A+Awards spotlight the people, products, and technology behind such machinations.
Adam I. Sandow, Founder and CEO of Material Bank, is committed to moving the architecture and design industry forward. With hopes of expanding to international markets and the development of new tools, the funding will only help in gaining assets and resources.
“With an incredibly powerful database that provides seamless, curated access to building product information, Architizer allows for creativity and meaningful connections,” said Sandow, he continued, “Architizer has built an extraordinary business with a team devoted to innovation in the architecture community—this acquisition will benefit both our users and Brand Partners, and together we will build an even more comprehensive platform for the industry.”
Each project displayed on Architizer’s platform formulates valuable case studies for the real-world application of different products, materials, furniture, and lighting. This deeply contextual content provides a key foundation for informed decision-making when it comes to requesting samples and ultimately specifying materials and products. Architizer’s integration into Material Bank’s ecosystem is a natural one, creating much-needed synergy between the research and action stages of the design process.
“It is a winning proposition to bring together Material Bank’s unparalleled database of design products with Architizer’s robust database of architectural projects,” said Weber. He expressed, “We’re excited to combine our data and resources to build better tools that serve the global community of architects and designers.”
Architizer will continue to operate independently as a subsidiary of Material Bank led by David Weber.
Material Bank is a marketplace for design professionals and brands in the architecture and design industry, providing the fastest and most sustainable way to search, sample, and specify materials. Named one of Business Insider’s Hottest Proptech Startups and Forbes’ Best Startup Employers, the revolutionary platform powers complex searches across hundreds of brands in seconds. With a rapidly growing community of members, Material Bank has changed the way material manufacturers and brands connect with the architecture and design industry.
Home to the largest community of architects online, Architizer’s mission is to celebrate the world’s best architecture and the people that bring it to life. Powered by continually evolving technologies, Architizer serves architects with the inspiration and information they need to build better buildings, better cities, and a better world. Home to 335,000 architects from 25,000 different firms around the world, Architizer provides design professionals and building product manufacturers with a global platform to promote their work through awards, competitions, and engaging content.
