A North Texas technology company saw surging demand in 2020 amid the lockdown. Now, it’s looking for more growth — and has more funding to boost its expansion.
Dallas, TX, July 13, 2021 —Grapevine’s BILT, which makes a smartphone app that helps folks assemble items at home, has raised $4 million. The money will be used to “take care of the team” along with more for areas that include sales, marketing and software development, according to CEO Nate Henderson.
“With this very experienced and fine-tuned team — now it’s just a question of how fast can we go,” he said.
The company’s service provides slick, three-dimensional graphics that aim to take away the headaches when people put together TV stands, swing sets or maybe install some flooring, among other projects. Amid the pandemic, many folks were more likely to be at their homes and started ordering items for their family rooms, backyards and garages.
“They’re around the house; and so … a ceiling fan that needed to be fixed two years ago, now all of a sudden you have the time to do it,” Henderson said. “But also, your kids are there, and you’re not going to be going to Cancun or to Grandma’s in Florida. ‘Hey, what about a trampoline? What about a play set?’”
Sales more than doubled last year as more companies and consumers saw the help the BILT app could provide. Yet it’s not just about lockdowns. There are long-term factors here, and sales are set to at least double again in 2021.
“We’re buying more things online,” he said, referring to a longer-term trend. “The more that we buy them online, the more likely it is that some assembly is going to be required.”
Henderson said there also is greater pressure to ship stuff in smaller packages as supply chains see more pressure around the world. Putting items in less sizable boxes means consumers need to do more to get items fully assembled at home.
At the same time, brands are seeing the importance the process of assembling a product has on their relationships with customers — and how that needs attention.
“These are moments that matter in that process, and if you can make all the work well, so that the product works well, you’re far more likely to create promoters of your brand,” he said.
The company moved its home base from Palo Alto, Calif., after separating from software company SAP roughly a half-decade ago, where it also received monetary support.
The company has some big names on its platform for help with putting together projects. They include Weber, Delta, NordicTrack and Cuisinart, among many others.
This article originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal.