Paris-based design software company Rayon Design has secured €10 million in Series A funding, giving the startup fresh capital to introduce 3D capabilities, deepen the use of artificial intelligence inside its drawing environment and expand its commercial operations.
The round was led by Partech, with existing investors Northzone, Foundamental and Seedcamp also participating. The latest investment takes Rayon’s total funding to nearly €16 million, following a €4 million Seed round in September 2023 and a €1.7 million pre-Seed round in 2022.
Founded in October 2021 by Bastien Dolla and Stanislas Chaillou, Rayon has built browser-based drawing software aimed specifically at interior design teams. Instead of separating drawings, specifications and project information across different applications, the platform brings plans, styling, schedules and related data into one shared environment.
Users can import PDFs, images and DWG files, create their own block libraries and work on projects from early feasibility studies through to execution. Because the drawing and its underlying information sit inside the same browser workspace, specifications can update when changes are made to the drawing. Teams can also edit projects simultaneously and share work through a link.
That browser-first approach sits at the centre of Rayon’s pitch as it looks to compete with established CAD workflows.
“People open Rayon in a browser and expect a toy web application, but they discover a performance and a feature set that are better than most legacy CAD software. Our superpower is to make professional-grade CAD software approachable,” said Dolla, Rayon’s co-founder and CEO.
From browser drawing software to an AI-led design environment
Rayon already offers tools that point to the direction it wants to take next.
Its floor plan vectoriser can turn a scanned or photographed plan into an editable native drawing containing elements such as walls, openings and zones. The company also has a feature for generating blocks from photographs.
The bigger shift is expected with Rayon Version 4, which the company says is due before the end of the year. The release is expected to introduce a broader set of AI capabilities alongside 3D functionality, with both built into Rayon’s existing environment rather than positioned as separate products or add-ons.
“Interior design needs its own approach to AI, not a borrowed one. We’re building ours directly into the drawing experience, while staying connected to the AI tools designers already use,” said Chaillou, Rayon’s co-founder and COO/CPO.
The new capital will be directed towards that product roadmap, including the introduction of 3D, further integration of AI into the design experience and an expansion of Rayon’s go-to-market efforts.
Rayon broadens the way designers can use and present projects
The funding announcement comes alongside several additions to the product.
Rayon has released a mobile-first app, introduced a presentation mode that allows drawings to be edited and shared with clients while they are in the room, and expanded its template library.
Its existing web platform includes more than 4,000 library items and over 100 templates designed for projects including housing, retail and office spaces.
The company serves customers ranging from independent design studios to larger property and hospitality businesses.
Rayon says Virgin Atlantic uses the software to design airport lounges. Hostel operator CityHub reports saving €10,000 a month on in-house feasibility studies, while Coloc Housing says testing layouts with Rayon before involving architects saves it €11,000 a month. Design studio Nolt Mathis, meanwhile, moved to Rayon after cancelling a legacy CAD subscription it had maintained for 15 years. These savings and usage examples are claims reported by Rayon and its customers.
Partech backs a specialised approach to interior design software
For Partech, the investment centres on Rayon’s decision to build specifically around the needs of interior designers instead of adapting software originally developed for architectural workflows.
“What drew us to Rayon is how rare this kind of opportunity actually is. Interior design has been underserved by software for decades, and Rayon is the first team we’ve seen build the design layer this space actually needed rather than retrofitting tools made for architecture,” said Réza Malekzadeh, General Partner at Partech.
He added that combining that foundation with AI created what Partech sees as a particularly timely opportunity.
Rayon’s investor base also includes angel backers Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, David Basulto of ArchDaily and Joe Thomas of Loom.
With the Series A completed, the company’s next phase will revolve around whether it can extend its browser-based drawing experience into a broader design platform incorporating 3D and AI without separating those functions from the everyday workflow it has already built.
For Rayon, that integration appears to be the central product bet behind its latest round.
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