Startups are changing how art is created, sold, and experienced around the world. New companies are using technology to build digital marketplaces and immersive entertainment.
For example, the Chinese e-comics platform Kuaikan Manhua has raised $594.3 million. In the United States, immersive art company Meow Wolf has secured $185.2 million in funding.
Below is our list of 19 Art startups worth keeping an eye on.
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Get the Sheet for $50Meow Wolf creates immersive and interactive art experiences that transport audiences into surreal, explorable worlds. They are best known for large-scale, narrative-driven exhibitions that blend sculpture, architecture, and digital media.
| Headquarters | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States |
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | Benji Geary, Caity Kennedy, Corvas Brinkerhoff, Emily Montoya, Matt King, Sean Di Ianni, Vince Kadlubek |
| Funding Amount | $185.2M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Grant |
| Top Investors | Alsop Louie Partners, New Mexico Economic Development Department, Creative Startups |
Recraft built a generative AI design platform that allows users to create and edit vector art, illustrations, icons, and 3D graphics. Their tool is designed to help creative teams produce a wide range of visual assets while maintaining a consistent brand style.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Anna Veronika Dorogush |
| Funding Amount | $42M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Accel, RTP Global, Khosla Ventures, South Park Commons, Madrona |
Minted built an online marketplace that connects customers with a global community of independent artists. The platform is best known for its crowdsourced stationery, art prints, and unique home decor.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Mariam Naficy, Melissa Kim |
| Funding Amount | $297.1M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Norwest Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, TCV, Slow Ventures, Ridge Ventures |
Chairish runs a curated online marketplace for high-end and vintage home furniture, art, and decor. The platform connects design lovers with a vast collection of unique pieces from professional dealers and individual sellers.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Andy Denmark, Anna Brockway, Eric Grosse, Gregg Brockway, Nancy Ramamurthi |
| Funding Amount | $58.8M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | TCV, Altos Ventures, Tritium Partners, Zillow, Kevin Hartz |
Kuaikan Manhua runs a popular online marketplace where users can discover and purchase digital comic books. The platform is a leading destination for Chinese comics, or manhua, offering a vast library for readers and creators.
| Headquarters | Beijing, Beijing, China |
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Anni Chen, Runchao Li, Ye Mingxiang |
| Funding Amount | $594.3M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, Coatue, Tencent, Xianghe Capital, One Store |
Novelpia runs a digital entertainment platform dedicated to web novels and web comics. The service connects readers with a growing library of original stories from a community of creators.
| Headquarters | Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | ₩12.5B |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Chorokbaem Media, SJ Investment Partners, J&M Partners, MW Holdings, Must Ventures |
Conserv builds a wireless environmental monitoring system used by museums and archives to protect their collections. Their platform combines easy-to-use sensors with powerful software, helping conservators prevent damage to valuable art and artifacts.
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama, United States |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Austin Senseman, Nathan McMinn |
| Funding Amount | $4M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Jemison Investment Company, Benson Capital Partners, Timberline Investments, Bonaventure Capital |
Twyla collaborates with contemporary artists to produce exclusive, limited-edition art prints. Their e-commerce platform serves as a marketplace for collectors to discover and purchase these curated works.
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Katie Kiernan, Matt Randall |
| Funding Amount | $19M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | IVP, Redpoint, GV, Judd Clarence |
Verisart enables creators and collectors to certify art and other collectibles using blockchain technology. Their platform issues digital certificates of authenticity and supports NFT minting to build a verifiable history for each piece.
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Bolinas Frank, Bradford Schlei, Dan Riley, Robert Norton |
| Funding Amount | $5M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Convertible Note |
| Top Investors | Galaxy Interactive, Sinai Capital Partners, Rhodium, EOS VC Fund, Daniel Recanati |
Displate operates a global marketplace where artists sell their work on the company's signature metal posters. These prints are magnet-mounted, making them simple for customers to hang, collect, and swap.
| Headquarters | Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Jacek Świgost, Karol Banaszkiewicz |
| Funding Amount | $4.3M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Credo Ventures, MITON |
9 Additional Art Startups Worth Following
The companies on our main list are just a small slice of the action in the art world. Many other founders are building new media platforms, raising over $100 million in the process.
Some of these companies are just getting started, while others have been around for years. Here’s a look at nine more startups that are catching our attention.