When considering collaborative design tools, one prominent name that often comes to mind is Figma, the widely recognized design application currently under Adobe’s pending $20 billion acquisition (subject to regulatory approval). A relatively new French startup named Rayon aims to emulate the Figma model but within a different realm—the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors.
Established in 2021, Rayon initially secured $1.9 million in pre-seed funding (€1.75 million). More recently, the startup successfully raised a $4.2 million seed round (€4 million), co-led by Northzone and pre-seed investor Foundamental. Additionally, existing investors like Seedcamp and Norman Foster through Foster + Partners increased their investments in the company during this seed round. Notable angels who backed the startup include Rasmus Andersson (a renowned designer and early contributor to Spotify and Figma), Adam Wiggins (co-founder of Heroku), David Basulto (founder and CEO of ArchDaily), and David Apple (early team member at TypeForm and Notion).
So, what precisely is Rayon? Rayon is a web-based design tool, eliminating the need for software installation on your computer. It boasts compatibility with various file formats, including PDF and CAD documents (DWG, DXF), as well as images for surface styling purposes.
Rayon empowers users to draw walls, insert doors, and annotate floor plans. Furthermore, the platform can serve as a central repository for object libraries, particularly valuable for items like furniture. For example, if you frequently incorporate the same desk in your office floor designs, you can readily import that desk into your object library.
Once you’ve crafted the ideal floor plan, Rayon allows you to generate PDFs for sharing with clients or for printing. Additionally, Rayon can perform square meter calculations and create tables based on your floor plans.
What sets Rayon apart from legacy software like Autodesk’s offerings is its emphasis on multiplayer collaboration. You can simply share a link with team members who can instantly view and contribute to your work. Rayon facilitates annotations, comments, and revisions. Editors pay a monthly subscription fee for access, while viewers can explore models without requiring an additional subscription.
Rayon is still in its early stages, leaving room for anticipation regarding its evolution and how it will differentiate itself from traditional software. One potential avenue is the creation of a community platform featuring user-generated content directly integrated into the product. It remains to be seen whether Rayon sharing links will become a staple in email exchanges.
