Smartify, a visitor interaction platform with a Greek co-founder, has secured €1.8M in a round, led by Metavallon VC, with participation from Pembroke VCT and advisory support from Mountside Ventures.
👯 Founder(s): Thanos Kokkiniotis & Anna Lowe
📅 Founding year: 2015
🏭 Industry: Arts & Culture, Digital Experiences, SaaS
💥 Problem: Cultural institutions struggle with high costs for developing digital visitor experiences, while audiences seek more engaging, personalized, and interactive museum and gallery visits.
📣 Solution: Smartify offers an advanced digital platform and mobile app that enhances visitor experiences through AI-driven personalization, AR/XR integrations, and audio-visual guides, connecting cultural institutions with global audiences.
👥 Customers: Museums, galleries, historical sites, and cultural institutions worldwide, along with travelers and visitors looking for enriched experiences.
🎳 Team size: N/A
🌱 Stage: Growth stage, securing VC funding for expansion.
💰 Investment amount: €1.8M
💬 In their own words: Thanos Kokkiniotis, CEO of Smartify, said: “This funding is a milestone after a hugely successful year for Smartify and reflects the confidence in our vision to make the arts and culture more accessible and enjoying for everyone. We are delighted to support Metavallon VC, Pembroke VCT and Mountside Ventures as we continue to expand our global presence and upgrade the visitor experience in even more cultural venues.”
🚀 Funded by:
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- Metavallon VC (Greece) – Lead investor
- Pembroke VCT (UK)
- Mountside Ventures (UK, advisory role)
💡 It will be spent on… Enhancing AI and AR/XR capabilities, improving digital visitor experiences, expanding global partnerships, and accelerating international growth.
💪 Their specialty: Smartify provides a white-label SaaS platform that enables cultural institutions to offer branded, digital visitor experiences without the high development and maintenance costs. Their solution includes AI-powered personalization, AR/XR-enhanced tours, and e-commerce integrations to unlock new revenue streams.
🔑 Business model: SaaS subscription fees from cultural institutions, revenue-sharing from premium digital tours, and e-commerce integrations.
👩🏫 Market: Museums and cultural organizations globally, targeting both institutions and travelers looking for interactive cultural experiences.
📊 Traction:
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- 700+ partner organizations, including the Acropolis Museum, the National Gallery (UK), and the Tower of London.
- 68% increase in app usage in the past year.
- Over 2M active users engaging with 14.3M+ audio tour records and 1.7M exhibits.
⚡ Competitors: Possible alternatives include Google Arts & Culture, Cuseum, Bloomberg Connects, and other museum-focused digital platforms.
📈 Funding so far: €2.3M
