The Amsterdam-based startup Smiler has announced the completion of its most recent investment round of €7.9 million, which aims to connect photographers with tourists at hotspots and prominent tourist destinations.
This round, led by Octopus Ventures, extends Smiler’s total capital to over €13.9 million, advancing both the company’s expansion goals and its goal of providing worldwide reasonably priced, high-quality photography experiences.
In the coming year, Smiler hopes to launch hundreds of new locations and shooting experiences thanks to the recently obtained funding. Leading online travel agencies (OTAs) and the photographic market are already integrated, which benefits the tours, activities, and attractions industry.
The announcement of funding for Smiler coincides with the launch of Smiler.co, a consumer website that draws on Smiler’s network of 20,000 photographers and enables users to search for, schedule, and book these short and simple picture shoots in advance. With new places being added every week, Smiler.co already includes a list of some of Europe’s most famous, must-see locations where Smiler photographers may be located, such as Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Rome’s Colosseum, and Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia.
“The process of starting your own photography business, self-promotion, and generating bookings traditionally requires significant effort, connections, and a little bit of luck,” explains Kasper Middelkoop, CEO and co-founder of Smiler. Using simply their camera and the Smiler Photographer app, photographers can connect with actual customer demand for high-quality photos thanks to Smiler’s process simplification.
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According to research from Phocuswright and Arival, this industry’s global revenue is expected to surpass pre-COVID levels and reach a projected peak of €241 billion by 2024. Smiler is thus in a unique position to profit from the industry’s anticipated growth by capturing unforgettable travel experiences of high quality.
“Smiler has a unique value proposition for its photographers – have demand delivered into your app, and all of the tech infrastructure to find, take, and share amazing photos with an incremental customer base,” says Matt Chandler, an investor at Octopus Ventures. “The result of this is a service level that is well above how individuals currently make photographic memories. We are honored to collaborate with the Smiler team as they pursue their goal of dominating the world in their industry.
Since Smiler’s technology was introduced in May 2021, photographers have offered unexpected picture shoots at tourist locations. Customers love these impromptu photo shoots because they get to have their visit effortlessly immortalized in beautiful images. One of the most popular things that both customers and photographers have asked for is the capability to locate, schedule, and book these quick picture shoots in advance.
