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§ Private Profile · 1777 Yosemite Ave, Menlo Park, California, United States
Vestaboard is a technology company.
Vestaboard manufactures and sells a unique smart display that functions as a modern split-flap board, enabling users to send messages, quotes, and updates to a physical, captivating medium. This device creates an engaging focal point for shared messaging experiences, leveraging over 14,000 precision-engineered elements to display text in a distinctive, tactile manner. It serves to enhance various environments by offering a dynamic and aesthetically pleasing communication tool.
The company was founded by Dorrian Porter, who also serves as its CEO. Porter's insight stemmed from a desire to create a product that could genuinely celebrate and inspire connection among people. His vision was to develop a beautiful, interactive display that could bridge digital communication with a tangible, visual experience, making everyday messages feel more meaningful and present.
Vestaboard's product is utilized by a diverse customer base, including individuals who wish to inspire loved ones at home, as well as businesses seeking to communicate effectively with team members and guests in their spaces. The company’s overarching vision centers on fostering inspiration and connection, aiming to elevate shared experiences through its innovative display technology.
Vestaboard has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Vestaboard has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Vestaboard is a consumer products technology company that designs and manufactures smart messaging displays using patented split-flap technology to create visually captivating, mechanical message boards controllable via apps and integrations.[1][5] It serves homes, offices, and businesses by solving the problem of uninspiring digital communication with a tactile, audible experience that displays quotes, lists, real-time data, menus, or automated content from services like Slack and Google Calendar, fostering connection and inspiration.[1][2][3][5] The company targets the $6.6 billion smart display market through its flagship product, newer variants like Vestaboard White and Note, and a cloud-based subscription software model for recurring revenue, with early shipments of 2,300 units in 2020 signaling initial growth momentum.[1][2][5][6]
Vestaboard emerged after five years of research, development, design, engineering, and production, culminating in first customer deliveries in 2020 with plans to ship 2,300 units that year.[2] While specific founders are not detailed in available sources, the leadership includes Mark, Head of Product with over 14 years in cross-functional teams focused on customer experiences, and Chris, Head of Software Engineering and former CTO at Edmit (acquired 2021), who oversees web/mobile apps, APIs, and firmware.[1] The idea stemmed from reimagining mid-20th-century split-flap displays—once common in train stations and airports—into a modern hardware-software hybrid, driven by a commitment to gorgeous design, superior software, and customer-first products.[1][3]
Vestaboard rides the trend of human-centered smart home/office hardware that prioritizes tactile, nostalgic design over sterile screens, capitalizing on demand for "awe-inspiring" decor-tech hybrids amid remote work and hybrid environments.[3][5][7] Timing aligns with post-2020 growth in connected displays and IoT integrations, targeting a $6.6 billion market fragmented by generic screens; market forces like consumer fatigue with LEDs and rising interest in automation (e.g., Sonos, smart controls) favor its mechanical uniqueness.[1][2][3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering split-flap revival, prompting competitors in premium displays and expanding software platforms for shared messaging, though past security issues (e.g., access controls, now remediated) highlight IoT vulnerability challenges.[4]
Vestaboard is poised to scale via software subscriptions, new affordable models, and deeper integrations, potentially capturing more of the smart display market as hybrid work persists and consumers seek premium, non-digital alternatives.[1][2] Trends like AI-driven content automation and expanded home/office IoT will shape its path, evolving its influence from niche conversation piece to standard morale-booster in connected spaces. With award-winning designs and remediated security, it could disrupt further by prioritizing inspiration in an increasingly screen-fatigued world, building on its mechanical charm to drive recurring engagement.[3][4][5]
Vestaboard has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Vestaboard's investors include ACME Capital, Baroda Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Social Leverage, Howard Lindzon, Sound Ventures, Struck Capital, Charles Zedlewski, Mikhail Taver, Zain Jaffer, Bridgid Coulter Cheadle.
Vestaboard has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in August 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2022 | $5M Seed | — | ACME Capital, Baroda Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Social Leverage, Howard Lindzon, Sound Ventures, Struck Capital, Charles Zedlewski, Mikhail Taver, Zain Jaffer, Bridgid Coulter Cheadle, Farhan Thawar, Hany Nada | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2020 | $4M Seed | — | ACME Capital, Flare Capital Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Charles Zedlewski, Mikhail Taver | Announced |