DesignTech startup OCCO, which offers an AI-powered platform for interior design professionals that saves valuable time on product search and project management, is poised to innovate the interior design industry. The platform has digitised the product catalogues of more than 800 high-quality interior design brands from Europe. Having access to these products from one source has been found to shave off 27% of monthly working hours for interior design professionals.
The company’s focus is to disrupt the outdated interior design industry and bring innovation to design professionals. “OCCO’s AI-based platform already helps hundreds of designers, and we are constantly working on developing this product based on user feedback,” says OCCO’s co-founder and CEO, Ander Sõõrumaa. OCCO’s extensive database helps interior designers and architects find suitable products or alternatives faster than ever, thereby saving time and money.
During the soft launch, OCCO has already secured 250 users from the Netherlands and Estonia, and increased its yearly revenue to €7m. According to architect Casper Schwarz, the platform has provided surprising and exciting search results that have led him and his team to different choices and proposals in their interior design projects. “It is great to learn about new or unfamiliar manufacturers and their products. It saves us time in research for new products and it makes it easier to find solutions within our projects’ budget boundaries,” Schwartz adds.
OCCO has completed its first investment round, raising €750k to expand to new markets in Europe. The company’s main investor isOliver Ahlberg, founder of Skeleton Technologies. “I think for many people it would seem rather archaic to buy a plane ticket from a travel agency or order something from a paper catalogue. But that’s the daily life of interior designers: paper catalogues, emails, resellers,” says investor Oliver Ahlberg, explaining the need for OCCO’s digital solution in the market. “OCCO’s aim is to innovate all that and that’s what appealed to me. I’ve always believed that if something was done the same way 15 years ago as it is today, it’s a great opportunity to create value,” adds Ahlberg, who will also join OCCO as an advisor to support the company’s expansion and help raise finance for future growth plans.